If you were living in D.C. in the fall of 2001, this was a big deal … although, there was a certain undertone of skepticism. Could he still play at the same level, despite being 38? Michael Jordan gave the team a shot in the arm in 2001, but it still wasn’t enough to make the team good. The Wizards ... Read More »
This is a guest post by Aaron. Washington art fans might have unwrapped some top-notch holiday gifts in December 1960. A hip gallery just south of Dupont Circle featured the work of up-and-coming artists for a brief Christmas sale. New prints from Jasper Johns were on display – and everything was relatively inexpensive. “Not to be missed is a new group ... Read More »
Most of you probably walk right by those old police boxes scattered throughout the city. Some of them have been turned into miniature art exhibits — like the ones in Mt. Pleasant. Check out the video above of Sgt. Nicholas Breul of DCPD gives a brief talk on the history of these police call boxes. Surely Officer Sprinkle was intimately ... Read More »
Early GoDC reader and now occasional contributor, Jason, wrote a great post about the sad decline of the last local franchise to hold the Senators name. The city flirted with bringing a team back, including the Padres before the 1974 season (can you imagine Tony Gwynn being our guy?). Baseball did return to Washington a long time ago. Okay, it was ... Read More »
Tonight’s game against the Phillies will likely have a crowd nearly 100 times larger than the one that witnessed the old Washington team play the other old Philadelphia team (i.e., the team that one day would have Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco). The Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics were just awful. The Senators would finish the season ... Read More »
This is a guest post by Aaron. Newspapers called it a “New Deal Boom.” The Great Depression was coming to an end. The District’s peacetime population exploded as government grew and workers – men and women – flocked to new jobs. It was 1940. Census employees hit the streets in April. They determined that D.C. had grown rapidly. With an ... Read More »
You may not know this, but there was a very public assassination attempt on a President very near the White House and it wasn’t that long ago. President Harry Truman was in the middle of his second term and his home was having under major renovations, forcing him to live in Blair House for several years. It also might shock ... Read More »
The Chevy Chase post last week was quite popular, so I’ll add another one for the neighborhood. I came across an article in the Washington Times from December 14th, 1918, only a month after Armistice Day was celebrated in the District. Fulton R. Gordon — we focused on his Columbia Heights development a while back — had acquired a large ... Read More »
I am a self avowed history nerd. And I love Washington … I think that is abundantly clear. Recently, at the Historical Society of Washington, Knight Kiplinger remarked that Washington, DC was the nation’s capital before it was a city. Since the 6th United States Congress arrived more than two hundred and eleven years ago DC has gone from wilderness ... Read More »
I’m feeling pretty good about this week. It looks like we had some decent posts this week, with few duds … or at least the duds were less crappy. Also, we passed 2,000 followers on Twitter and 800 likes on Facebook, so thanks to all of you spreading the word about Ghosts of DC to your friends. If you’re into ... Read More »
I don’t know if you’re a fan of the Dead. I am. Let’s add another concert post on top of Hendrix, the Doors, U2 and Chuck Berry. In their heyday, they passed through down in the fall of 1972 to play a free show at AU in front of about 10,000. It was sponsored by the student government (does this ... Read More »
Washington’s estate at Mt. Vernon is one of the best sites to see whether you’re a tourist visiting the area for the first time, or a long-time resident. If you haven’t seen this place during their nighttime candlelit tours (Thanksgiving and Christmas), you must … you’re missing out. Here’s a nice short video from 5min Travel. [gigya src="http://embed.5min.com/517229505/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" ... Read More »
Good week? Nah, this was a great week. We had some really popular posts that made the rounds on Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere at large. Here were the top three from this Titanic-centric week. 100 Years Ago Today: Major Archibald Butt, D.C. Resident, Boards Titanic for Transatlantic Crossing – Everyone’s talking about the Titanic. This evening marks 100 years since it ... Read More »
The new Air Force One, and the first jet in service for the president, set a new record in 1963. The Soviets claimed that the United States did not have any aircraft that could fly non-stop from Washington to Moscow. Not only did the Air Force have such an aircraft, it happened to be the president’s official transport. On May ... Read More »
It was to be expected that the Caps would suck in their first year. It was the team’s first year in D.C and the NHL. They joined the league that year as an expansion team, along with the Kansas City Scouts (really, a team in KC?). The team was in the Norris Division of the Prince of Wales Conference — such ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington