From the Mayor's Desk

The Bridge
A history of Edmonston

In the early 1900s, a neighborhood of closely-knit working families lived together among a collection of modest farmhouses and bungalows along the lowlands of the Anacostia River between Bladensburg and Hyattsville.  In the year 1924, with an ambition to establish an improved quality of life, the people of this community decided to form an incorporated municipality to address a variety of of community needs.  Chief among these were streetlights, streetpaving, and most importantly, the building of a new Decatur Street bridge across the Anacostia River.  It was named Edmonston, after a prominent Prince George's family in the region.  Shortly afterward, a simple structure of steel and concrete replaced rickety wood to become the Decatur Street Bridge.

In addition to being one of our community's founding purposes, the bridge has become symbolic for other reasons.  After Native American inhabitation of the area, the next permanent settlers of present-day Edmonston were the Plummer Family.  The patriarch, Adam Francis Plummer, was an educated slave freed from the Calvert Family's Riversdale plantation by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.  With savings and many marketable skills, Mr. Plummer established the Mt. Rose settlement for himself and family on the west side of the river in the area that is presently Lafayette Place.  Adam Francis Plummer became a figure of major historical significance when his diary was found to be the only known living diary of any slave in US history.  The diary is now in the care and posession of the Smithsonian.  As the culimination of his life's work, Mt. Rose became the bridge to self-sufficiency, independence, and pride for generations to come.


Adam Francis Plummer's working class ethic and determination to succeed has been echoed by Edmonston residents since he lived here.  The town has always been an affordable destination for working people and immigrants, set on planting their feet to achieve the American Dream.  One notable example is Kinjori Matsudairi, a Japanese American who served two significant periods in the 1920s and 1940s as Edmonston's Mayor.  According to historians, he is the first Japanese American Mayor in our nation's history.  His second period of Mayoral service was during the time of Japanese internment of World War II, a powerful statement for such times.

Today, that spirit of overcoming continues. Most Edmonston residents come from modest means and work hard to build their bridge to the Americ an Dream.  Many are self-employed or are the founders of small businesses, many of them in the skilled trades.  The children of many of Edmonston's first-generation residents have become the first in their families to achieve a higher education.

As our tradition has taught us, our diversity is our strength today.  Residents who can trace their heritage to the American Colonies live next door to those recently arrivaled from Africa, Latin America and the Carribean, among others.  Edmonston has also drawn many families who simply enjoy a community of such diversity.  Our town government reflects this spirit as well: it has bilingual staff in every department, our current Mayor is one of the first Latino-American executives in Maryland history, and all important laws and community information are translated into Spanish, so all can participate in the civic life of our town.

We attend community events together, look out for our children and elderly, and care for our common quality of life.  We are building our bridge to a prosperous and inclusive future for the next generation of Edmonston residents.  

Our New Town Seal

The bridge as the focal point of the Town Seal represents our collective and individual pursuit of the American Dream.  The rising sun represents optimism and bright futures.  And the Town Hall building represents a single community among our diverse population.

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