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Trinity: Nuclear Wind

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Contents of this path:
1. Zero Milestone The current zero milestone dates from the spring of 1923, replacing a temporary marker placed on this site in President's Park in 1919. Originally intended as a central point from which to measure highway distances throughout the United States, the zero milestone marked the beginning of the age of the automobile and the national system of paved roadways. Today, roads and other distances in Washington, DC, as well as in surrounding suburbs, are measured from the zero milestone.
2. World War II Temporary Buildings These buildings were erected by the federal government during World War II to create offices for the many workers who came for new, war-related jobs. The buildings were never meant to be permanent, and were referred to by locals as "tempos." Temporary housing was constructed in front of the National Gallery of Art and on the grounds of the Washington Monument. There was a group of office buildings where the National Museum of American History is today, as well as by the Reflecting Pool. Some of these buildings remained until the 1970s.
3. Williams' Private Jail (Slave Pen) A private home owned by William H. Williams, the Yellow House was one of two notorious slave holding pens in Washington, DC. The two-story home housed slaves temporarily in the basement; traders removed them to the yard on auction day for the convenience of buyers. A 12 foot high wall (originally wood, then brick) encircled the structure, guarded by ferocious dogs. Pens like this one operated until 1850, when the slave trade was abolished in Washington, DC. Williams sometimes held other prisoners here, as well, on a contract basis.
4. White House The White House is the official residence and office of the President of the United States. In 1792, the cornerstone was laid, and construction began with free and enslaved laborers doing much of the work. The building was designed in a Neo-Classical style with a sandstone exterior that was whitewashed, which is how it became known as "The White House." In 1800, when second President John Adams moved in as the first resident, the White House was unfinished. In 1814, the British burned the building during the War of 1812. The building has grown and changed several times throughout its history. Today, the White House contains 132 rooms.
5. Washington City Canal The Washington City Canal ran for approximately two miles of canal through Washington from the present day Navy Yard, across the Capitol grounds, and down present day Constitution Avenue. Completed in 1815, the Canal incorporated Tiber Creek near today's Washington Monument. In 1833, the Canal was connected to the C&O Canal through an extension known as the Washington Branch. Early city planners envisioned the Canal as part of a commercial transport system, linking the nation's capital with the interior of the country. Traffic on the canal declined by the 1850s while political and financial upheavals left the canal poorly maintained. The canal was filled in in the 1870s.
6. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Three Soldiers The Three Soldiers statue sits a few feet from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. This statue was added after the Wall opened to complement it and to offer an alternative memorial for critics who disliked the non-traditional design of the Wall. The sculpture's 3 soldiers represent the diversity of the US military by including a Caucasian, African American, and Latino American whose service branch is intentionally ambiguous. Together, they face the Wall of the fallen.
7. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall opened in 1982 to honor more than 58,000 American casualties lost in the Vietnam War. Two black walls form a wide V that list the names of each person missing or dead in chronological order. Diamonds appear beside names of the men and women killed, while the names of missing soldiers are marked with a cross. Kiosks near the memorial help visitors to locate names on the wall. Since it opened, visitors have left letters or other mementos for loved ones at the Wall. The Wall is 1 of 3 memorials honoring those who served in the Vietnam War.
9. Uncle Beazley Generations of children climbed on Uncle Beazley, a fiberglass triceratops, who lived on the National Mall in front of the Museum of Natural History. For a slow-moving dinosaur, Uncle Beazley is widely traveled. Before coming to the Mall in the 1970s, his home was the Smithsonian's Anacostia Neighborhood Museum. In 1994, Uncle Beazley moved from the Mall to his current residence, the National Zoo. Beazley was constructed in 1967 for "The Enormous Egg" TV special that aired the next year. The Sinclair Company subsequently donated Beazley to the Smithsonian.
10. The Rescue
  A large sculpture depicting a frontier father defending his family from an attacking American Indian, "The Rescue" has been a source of controversy since its installation in 1850. Sculptor Horatio Greenough stated that he was trying to show the dangers of "peopling our continent," but objections have ranged from the criticism of the attitude of the dog to various objections to its portrayal of American Indians. The US House of Representatives voted on, but did not pass, a provision to destroy the sculpture in 1939. After advocacy by American Indians and members of Congress, the statue was removed in 1958.