Remembering Arlington

Much of Arlington typified the “sleepy Southern town,” decades into the twentieth century. It was initially part of, then (merely) the closest neighbor to the District of Columbia. Often, Arlington was a place passed through on the way to somewhere else. With better transportation at the beginning of the twentieth century, it became a destination instead. Towns sprang up along the rail lines. An overflow of home-seeking government workers joined the earlier settlers, ultimately developing the suburban community of today. The federal government joined in, placed facilities in the county, and developed the Custis-Lee estate into the national Arlington Cemetery.