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The Best Of

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These are the best posts from Ghosts of DC, the lost and untold history of Washington, D.C.

Why Is It Named Trinidad?
Do you know why we have a neighborhood named after a Caribbean island? Find out how it's related to today's George Washington University too.
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When Did Metro Open in D.C.?
Metro in Washington DC opened on March 27th, 1976. All rides were free that day on the 4.6 miles of tracks.
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History of Washington's Suburbs
This is a great old map of the Washington area from 1961 showing all the real estate developments as featured by The Washington Post. We transcribed all 57 neighborhoods and their brief descriptions below. It’s quaint to read all the listings and the directions provided to get to the subdivisions. Remember reading directions or maps to get somewhere? Even printing Mapquest directions seems antiquated....
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The Story of Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska's Mansion
Billionaire Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's mansion at 2501 30th St. NW was raided by the FBI last week. Everyone's Googling around for details on Deripaska, but naturally, we're more interested in the history of the property.
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Petworth in the 1930s
This lovely old photo of Washington shows the Petworth neighorhood from the air in the 1930s. Any idea where this is in Petworth? Also, for those in Petworth who thumb their nose at the suburban dwellers or Washington, living in "cookie-cutter homes, take a look at the origins of Petworth. Everything looks the same.
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1890s Map of Diarrhea Deaths in Washington
An 1890s map of Washington, DC and deaths related to diarrhea, heavily concentrated in Swampoodle and Murder Bay.
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Never-Built Ulysses Grant Memorial Bridge
This most incredible image shows what the Ulysses Grant Memorial Bridge would have liked like today. It would have been where the current Arlington Memorial Bridge is today.
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Almost-Built Highways of Washington, DC
Why doesn't 395 cut through Washington, DC? This is the history of highways in DC.
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Washington DC Street Names Unveiled: From States to Letters and Numbers
Wonder what Washington DC diagonal roads are named after? Here's the history of DC's street names including states, letters, and numbers.
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1917 Film Footage of 180-Mile Journey Down Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Check out this fascinating film footage of a trip down the C&O Canal.
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