Below are two aerial photographs of Kensington Heights from 1964, one taken March 16, the other September 24. They are higher resolution than anything from 1970s I could find. They might give an idea of the location of the clearing (behind Mrs. Tolker's house) referred to in the Washington Times article, and being at different times during the year, they help reveal the difference between a clearing and a woods with no leaves on the trees. And they show how Drumm Ave formerly looked between Plyers Mill and McComas. I wanted to include the mall area as well, but too many pixels. One may use
Earth Explorer to find similar photos.
View attachment 42675
March 16, 1964
View attachment 42676
September 24, 1964
Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
Department of the Interior/USGS
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Excellent Photos. The first one from March 1964 is the best for seeing terrain and houses.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42675&d=1397162888
The intersection of McComas and Drumm Ave, is located just northwest (left and up) from the Nursing Home pond. Mrs. Tolker's House is the white one, fourth from the right from that intersection.
Looking at Jennings Road, you can see the Lyon house which faces the south west on the corner lot where Jennings and Plyers Mill intersect. Their address was Plyers Mill Road, while all the others to the right of their house have Jennings Road addresses.
The Girls would have walked out their house, turned right on Jennings to where the empty lot appears and then would have cut in there to be on the path. I think that it must have been almost a straight line from that point to Mrs. Tolker's house, and then they would have turned right onto what is now Drumm, but at the time was just a dirt ingress or path leading to the intersection of Drumm and McComas.
I do not believe that they walked down the Nursing Home service drive. That roadway looks to be somewhat parallel to where the path went in places, but too wide to the right (when going to the mall).
Looking at the aerial photo, it would seem to me that the path would not have been much of a "short cut" compared to the Lyon girls walking a short distance west and just following Drumm all the way down its current course. But they were kids and probably went where all the other kids on Jennings went - down the path. For other kids on Jennings, going to the intersection of Drumm and Plyers Mill would have been a longer walk.
The reason that I feel the path was probably fairly straight is that it was supposed to be a short cut and when you look at such paths, you see that they are like that because people want to cut corners and get where they want to go quickly. I think that the only meandering or curving that the path took would have been to allow for easy walking over the terrain.
Newspaper and TV reporters did stick their microphones into anybody's face who happened along to get comments and reactions, etc. But I feel that Mary Ann Kuhn, who wrote the very detailed Washington Star article was pretty focussed and thorough in her investigation. It sounds as if she actually walked the path that the girls took, and attempted to interview people along the route and close to it.
My gut feel is that - rather than going door to door all over the neighborhood - Ms. Kuhn probably saw Mrs. Tolker in her garden and approached her while walking the path because she could see the strategic view that the garden afforded. Unfortunately, as stated in the article, Mrs. Tolker was not at home, but rather at an 11AM Dental Appointment.
The "clearing" she refers to is probably the aparent pathway which is now a paved part of Drumm Ave west of McComas, which is clearly visible between the houses and the pond on the above referenced aerial view.