A Personal Story Archives

Moran family grave marker at Holy Rood Cemetery

Story of John Moran, the Georgetown University Doctor

Dec 15, 2014

Whenever I stroll through D.C. cemeteries, given my fascinating with the stories of regular Washingtonians, I'm always curious what the story is behind the...

The 1962 Congressional Baseball Game at D.C. (later RFK) Stadium. Phil on the left, Speaker John McCormick is throwing out the first ball and Minority Leader Charlie Halleck is standing to the Speaker’s left. In the background, you can see Senators’ Manager Mickey Vernon

Phil Hochberg, Voice of the Washington Senators

Oct 14, 2014

Every once in a while, I get an email from someone who has an amazing attachment to the historic fabric of Washington. Not too...

Man Leaps to Death From Washington Monument

May 16, 2014

This is a morbid story from The Baltimore Sun, printed on March 10th, 1923. What is extremely striking is how graphic the depiction was back...

Crack shot of White House police force. Washington, D.C., Aug. 10. Outstanding marksman of the White House police force is Roland Ford, today averaged 294 bullseyes out of a possible 300 while shooting in competition with marksmen from other agencies in the Treasury Department. Forty-eight experts competed for medals and cup for themselves and their services in the friendly matches, 8/10/37

Roland Ford: White House Police Officer and Crack Shot

Apr 2, 2014

We came across this photo of White House police officer Roland Ford in the Library of Congress archives. Source: Library of Congress We did a little...

Meet Carroll “Nubby” Nuckols: 1930s Rum Runner and Czar of Gambling

Feb 11, 2014

We've stumbled across an amazing character from Washington's past, one to rival (but not surpass, of course) Officer Sprinkle. No doubt, the two of...

American League Park, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia vs. Washington. May 6, 1905

Donovan’s Baseball House: Finest Bar in The Country

Jan 13, 2014

Washington is a baseball town. There is no doubt about that. In fact, there is a rich history going back to the 19th century...

FDR and the “Buddy Poppy” (1938)

Nov 25, 2013

I never knew about the significance of the November poppy for certain countries until I left to study in Brussels back in 2004. Now,...

Almost Royal: The Kitty Elkins “Affair”

Oct 9, 2013

Most young girls dream of being a princess and young women of finding a love so strong that the prince would leave his throne...

Scandalous Love: The Bodisco Marriage

Sep 26, 2013

As the hamlet of Georgetown grew alongside the capital, it became a place for foreign dignitaries to reside, hoping to include themselves in the...

February 19, 1925. "M.S. Strock measuring radio lengths at the Bureau of Standards."

Who Was Morris S. Strock?

Jul 26, 2013

It's been a while since we dug into the story of someone we found in a an old photograph. The last one was the...

10-Year-Old Girl Enters Central High School

May 10, 2013

This is an interesting article that we came across, published in the Washington Post on February 10th, 1924. A 10-year-old student in high school! She...