The White-Winged Hero: Colonel Waring and his 1895 Sanitation Revolution

👮 Colonel George E. Waring Jr. outfitted street swipers and drivers—the first cleaning department in the United States—in white uniforms. Drawn from his military experience, he believed that a white uniform would build trust and respect among New Yorkers.

‍

He was right. New Yorkers called street swipers White Wings and praised them because, for the first time, they could walk on sidewalks and not be afraid to step in manure. 🚶💩

‍

Colonel Waring was the most outstanding street cleaning commissioner. He accepted this position in January 1895 under one condition: he would have to do it "his own way," and he did. He was the first to implement a belief that local government takes full responsibility for collecting and disposing of waste within its jurisdiction. 🗑️

‍

Citizens used to dump garbage on the streets. After a visit to New York City in 1842, British novelist Charles Dickens reported that pigs roamed all the major streets, including Broadway, feeding on garbage. 🐖

‍

Thanks to Colonel Waring, New York became the first American city with clean streets and disease-free, becoming a model for other cities throughout the nation. Warning believed that he was responsible not only for making streets clean but for improving the total quality of urban life. 🏙️🌟

‍

© Library of Congress