Report of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for the Year Ended June 30, 1902 Vol. III (Health Officer and Education)

Reporting on our national capital’s deficiencies in the early 20th century.

“One of the most important factors influencing the average age at death of the community as a whole or any particular portion of it is the number of deaths occurring in the earlier years of life…as these death rates are based on the estimated population they can be considered at best but approximate, but it is certain from these figures that the death rate of the colored race in the earlier years of life is appalling” – pg. 8

This frankly heartbreaking report highlights the disastrous sanitary conditions experienced by many residents (mostly, the poorest) of Washington, D.C. at the beginning of the 20th century. It was issued by the Health Officer of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and printed by the Government Printing Office in 1902. The report’s 275+ pages catalog a city plagued by infectious disease, contaminated water, and adulterated food products.

Tables of statistics show death rates disproportionately high among members of the colored community, despite the efforts of the author to pin the racial disparity on flaws in census data. Mortality data also show alarmingly high death rates among residents of the city’s alleys, generally due to a lack of waste disposal infrastructure and running water. Such conditions, prevalent in many urban areas across America, helped prompt the Health Revolution of the late 19th century – the report is a continuation of those efforts towards greater hygiene and sanitation.

It is accompanied by five folding maps of Washington, D.C., each measuring approximately 28″ x 29.5″ and shows the distribution of deaths caused by various diseases. Diarrhoeal diseases, typhoid, malaria, diphtheria, scarlet fever, consumption (tuberculosis), and acute lung diseases (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.) are all covered, the latter two identified according to race – white and colored.

The report of the health officer is followed by a second report, provided by the Washington, D.C. Board of Education. It’s composed in a similar format – containing descriptive text, tables of statistics, and images of various facilities that comprise the city’s segregated school system. The report ends with a folding map that measures about 28.75″ x 22.25″. It shows the names and locations of schools throughout the District of Columbia. White and Colored Schools are noted in solid red and blue, respectively, with vacant or unoccupied lots identified with empty boxes. The distribution patterns of each are interesting; showing concentrations in particular neighborhoods and far more white schools.

Please note the scans are from the 1901 maps – the 1902 editions remain bound within the volume and thus cannot be run through my flatbed scanner. Let me know if you’d like any additional images.