Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington

Check out this awesome photo of “The Senator” … this was a Pennsylvania Railroad train from back in 1929. Thanks Shorpy!   Read More »

You have to love this old photo from 1938. It shows two cars, a Ford on the left and on the right, a new brand they just launched, Mercury. I also love how the men are dressed. Nobody dresses up any more. Read More »

Check out how massive Union Station looks in this photo. This is from 1910, several years after the railroad station was completed. Read More »

Here’s another map of Swampoodle from 1903. Make sure you check out the 1888 one and compare them. This has the proposed Union Station superimposed over the neighborhood and you’ll see some familiar street names which appear to have been recycled in different neighborhoods. Read More »

Happy belated Columbus Day! D.C. has its own Christopher Columbus memorial prominently positioned in front of Union Station.  Here’s a fascinating set of images from the Washington Times on April 29, 1912 – as workers move a veiled statue of Columbus into place. Text from the article: Throngs of people at all hours of the day, and up until 12 ... Read More »

This is a guest post by GoDCer from Poolesville, Jack (the guy that tipped us off to some great stories, like the decapitated convict). President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration was just five days away. For days the advance guard of a huge crowd had been streaming into Washington. In the days before commercial air travel had become popular, many travelers chose ... Read More »

Here is another great five-minute history of a D.C. landmark. Union Station was, for the first half of the 20th century, the gateway to Washington. It was how most people arrived in the city and it was a magnificent sight for visitors. [gigya src="http://embed.5min.com/517229521/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="560" height="345"] The majestic building displaced the Irish community in Swampoodle, knocking ... Read More »

This is seriously awesome. The Internet is just amazing. This is a video from February 11th, 1964. It is the first live concert the Beatles played in the U.S. and it was right here in our city. They had only just arrived in New York City on the 7th and played for a live audience of about 700 people on ... Read More »