Additional information
by Jimmy Tarlau (Author), Bryan Knedler (Author)
Mount Rainier began its history as an incorporated town in 1910 with the merging of several subdivisions that straddled Bunker Hill Road, a major route between the ports of Georgetown and Bladensburg. Before the Civil War, Thomas and Anna Clemson owned a 100-acre farm fronting that important road. Their family letters provide some of the earliest writings about the area. In 1891, Elizabeth and Estcourt Sawyer purchased the Clemson farm and named their subdivision Mount Rainier. In 1899, the real estate became especially attractive to commuters when the District of Columbia's streetcar system was extended through the heart of the present-day city; the route, now known as Rhode Island Avenue, later became part of US Route 1.
Author Biography
Authors Bryan Knedler and Jimmy Tarlau are local historians and civic activists who served as members of the Mount Rainier City Council. Knedler also served a term as mayor. Tarlau was elected as a state delegate to the Maryland Legislature in 2014. The authors helped organize events for the city's centennial in 2010 and led efforts to compile a commemorative booklet that required extensive historical research and the collection of hundreds of images.
