In our century

Taking aim at encephalitis and malaria, cities and counties started mosquito-control programs in the 1910s that centered on asking residents to eliminate standing water in their yards; engineering ditch networks to drain swamps, marshes and ponds; and “oiling” catch basins. An article in the March 1920 edition of The American City detailed Nassau County, N.Y.’s mosquito extermination efforts, which also included using dynamite to break up clay soil in marshes so the water could drain into the sandy soil below. As a result of the county’s efforts, reports of new cases of malaria decreased in that county from 51 in 1917 to 3 in 1919.

By June 1956, nearly 1,000 cities had organized programs to eliminate mosquitoes, according to a summary of their efforts in that edition. The programs were stimulated by the “great popularity and effectiveness of DDT in the immediate post-war years,” the article stated. Mosquito-control districts formed to fight the pests across jurisdictional borders and staged attacks using planes, boats, trucks and any other appropriate vehicles to fog, spray and deposit insecticidal chemicals.

In late 1962, however, the use of DDT was called into question by the newly released book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. The March 1963 editor’s letter in The American City addressed the book’s effects on pest-control programs. “The book has a great sense of drama, supported by an impressive bibliography, and frightens people almost to a point of panic,” the editor wrote. “As a matter of fact, death and destruction drip from almost every chapter.”

To counter the public response to the book, which among other things “makes broad denunciations of DDT,” the editor suggested that local officials could dispute the accuracy of the book’s conclusions with information from researchers, including the head of the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine, who “states that the book mixes fact with fancy and deserves to be ignored.” The editor concluded, “Your insecticide program, intelligently administered under competent health officers and with trained crews, should not suffer from this book.”

Previous “In our century” Stories

• In our century — August 1956 Construction of the Interstate Highway System presents opportunities and challenges to cities’ development plans
• In our century — April 1917
  Cities establish and support community gardens to feed residents, clean up vacant land and support war efforts
• In our century — October 1936
  Cities work to eradicate sub-standard housing and create safer options for low-income residents
• In our century — November 1916
  Cities and counties open libraries to supply free access to books and educational materials for children and adults
• In our century — September 1918
  Cities build memorials as community buildings instead of obelisks to pay tribute to soldiers in the Great War
• In our century — January 1941
  Cities develop public relations efforts to inform residents about municipal activities and improve customer service
• In our century — December 1930
  Cities do what they can to put residents to work in the early days of the Great Depression
• In our century — October 1915
  Winter weather regularly demands that cities improve practices for clearing snow and ice from streets
• In our century — January 1911
  As aviation takes off, cities make use of the quick mode of transportation and secure their spots on the aerial highways
• In our century — May 1928
  Police departments adopt radio technology to dispatch patrol officers more quickly and catch, deter criminals
• In our century — December 1913
  Cities adopt the city manager form of government to improve administration and bring efficiency to operations
• In our century — October 1913
  Cities take action in the earliest days of motion pictures to regulate content and ensure theater safety
• In our century — July 1935
  Cities install parking meters in business districts to improve traffic flow, reduce car damage and generate revenue
• In our century — April 1910
  Cities organize July Fourth events, regulate fireworks to reduce Independence Day injuries and deaths
• In our century — May 1915
  Cities seize revenue-generating opportunities to provide ice and refrigeration to residents and businesses
• In our century — May 1914
  Officials invest in maps to guide public projects, improve city administration and communicate plans to the public
• In our century — September 1915
  Technology develops to ensure the safe movement of trains, cars and emergency vehicles through city streets
• In our century — July 1914
  Among the early efforts to improve public health, cities invent and seek weapons of mass fly destruction
• In our century — August 1913
  When bond issues fail, cities seek alternative funding for infrastructure improvements and other public projects
• In our century — August 1914
  Cities improve cleanliness and public health by strategically placing public restrooms and encouraging their use
• In our century — December 1914
  Cities begin the tradition of decorating enormous public Christmas trees to celebrate the holidays
• In our century — June 1910
  Government accounting methods and reports mature from vague and incomplete records to standard formats.
• In our century — October 1909
  Investigations into corruption and mismanagement lead to (some) reforms in government policies and operations.
• In our century — January 1913
  Cities experiment with road surfaces and set out methods for funding road construction and maintenance.
• In our century — September 1909
  Limits on outdoor advertising are set through cities’ hard-fought battles over billboard sizes, messages and locations.
• In our century — August 1911
  Fire departments gain authority, modern equipment to prevent and improve response times to structure fires.
• In our century — June 1910
  Street lights become symbols of communities’ economic success, and lighting technology efficiency evolves.
• In our century — September 1909
  With urban growth comes city leaders’ desire to control and direct it for the community’s greatest benefit.
• In our century — September 1909
  Cities embrace playgrounds as valuable public assets for children’s safety, health and social development.
• In our century — September 1909
  Women embrace public causes, work to improve their communities and expand their societal roles.
• In our century — March 1910
  Cities develop methods, mechanisms and regulations for residential solid waste collection and disposal.
• In our century — November 1909
  Occupancy laws and social workers emerge in the early 1900s to clean up inner-city neighborhoods.
• The way we were
  Publisher’s son remembers American City & County‘s roots.