The strangest stories from Washington, DC history. Hoaxes, scandals, freak accidents, and a few you’ll want to read twice to make sure they’re real.
Teddy Roosevelt was a total badass, the likes of which we won’t ever see again in the White House. He carried a revolver everywhere he went and was not afraid to whip a lady who passed him on horseback. Read this article to find out even more!
On this date, 50 years ago, The Washington Post printed a story about the government of Austria owing the District back taxes on their embassy for lack of payment during World War II. The Austrians have been billed since the property was registered in their name the whole time. Find out if the bill was ever paid.
From the Ghosts of DC Crazy Vault: An unfortunate tragedy from 1912 at Buzzard Point in DC. Read about the gruesome murder and attempted peacemaker thwarted by a jealous husband with a revolver.
Read this article from the Washington Post printed in 1927 about the theft of plumbing fixtures valued at $1,150 from vacant houses. Learn about the stolen items and the B. F. Saul real estate firm’s role in the investigation.
In March of 1920, Charles Willis of Chicago was tragically drowned when his parachute jump from an army airplane went wrong. We explore the story of his death and the rescue efforts that followed.
We came across the headline: “Arrest Syrian For Abduction” and had to dig a little deeper. This story was printed in the Washington Times on March 19th, 1920 and tells of a country-wide search for a fourteen-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted by a Syrian man.
Can you believe that the speed limit in Glen Echo was six miles an hour back in 1905?
Explore the dramatic change between speed limit laws in Washington DC over the last century! See what the laws were like in 1906 compared to today, and find out why the city has such strict limits.
This is such a bizarre story, not unlike the horse that impaled itself on the same fence. Read about the suicide of Edward Caton, as printed in the Baltimore Sun on October 11th, 1890, and we were able to dig up Edward Caton in the 1880 U.S. Census.
