Arlington’s story of local government is one of transformation, from scattered rural communities to one of the most interesting counties in Virginia. A century ago, Arlington was still defining what it meant to govern itself. The county’s evolution from Alexandria County to Arlington County, shaped by figures like Senator Frank L. Ball, reflects both a struggle for local identity and a growing awareness of Arlington’s place in national history.
Group of Sunday Bar-rooms in Rosslyn
In “The Arlington I Have Known,” Senator Frank L. Ball, whose family gave its name to Ballston, recalled a time when Arlington was a patchwork of farms, crossroads, and civic associations. Before modern infrastructure and services, neighbors relied on community cooperation to maintain roads, run schools, and respond to fires. Ball chronicled the county’s transition from a sleepy agricultural district to a modern suburb. This was a transformation accelerated by streetcars, federal expansion, and an influx of new residents working in Washington, D.C. He emphasized how civic-minded citizens organized for better roads, schools, and representation, laying the groundwork for the professional county government that would emerge in the 20th century.
Eleanor Lee Templeman, in “Arlington’s Local and National Heritage,” highlighted how this small county’s story mirrors America’s broader democratic experiment. From its early days as part of the District of Columbia to its reestablishment as Virginia’s smallest county, Arlington became both a local and national symbol. Templeman traced how national events, from the Civil War and Reconstruction to the postwar boom, left deep imprints on Arlington’s civic identity. The creation of Arlington National Cemetery, the construction of the Pentagon, and the rise of federal agencies all tied Arlington’s local government to the workings of the nation itself.
Together, Ball and Templeman’s reflections capture the dual character of Arlington’s history: deeply local but also profoundly national. Their accounts remind us that Arlington’s government was established through decades of debate, collaboration, and adaptation. By the 1930s, reforms such as the county manager system and the abolition of magisterial districts turned Arlington into a “city-county,” blending local control with metropolitan efficiency.
Today’s Arlington, diverse, engaged, and forward-looking, still bears the imprint of those early struggles for effective self-governance. Through the efforts of citizens, reformers, and public servants, Arlington evolved from rural beginnings into a model of modern local government, uniquely positioned at the intersection of community and country.
Adapted from Senator Frank L. Ball, “The Arlington I Have Known,” and Eleanor Lee Templeman, “Arlington’s Local and National Heritage,” Arlington Historical Magazine.
