Skip to content
Ghosts of DC

Ghosts of DC

  • The Best Of
  • Neighborhoods
    • Southwest DC
      • Waterfront
    • Maryland
      • Gaithersburg
      • Rockville
      • Bethesda
      • Hyattsville
      • Silver Spring
      • Bladensburg
    • Virginia
      • McLean
      • Falls Church
      • Alexandria
      • Vienna
      • Arlington
    • Southeast DC
      • Congress Heights
      • Navy Yard
      • Capitol Hill
      • Anacostia
    • Northeast DC
      • Trinidad
      • Woodridge
      • Deanwood
      • Brookland
    • Northwest DC
      • Tenleytown
      • Park View
      • Friendship Heights
      • Brightwood
      • Crestwood
      • Sheridan-Kalorama
      • The Palisades
      • Logan Circle
      • Petworth
      • Glover Park
      • Bloomingdale
      • Georgetown
      • Woodley Park
      • Dupont Circle
      • Columbia Heights
      • Cleveland Park
      • Adams Morgan
      • Mt. Pleasant
      • Chevy Chase
      • Cathedral Heights
      • Chinatown
    • Lost Neighborhoods
      • Hell’s Bottom
      • Swampoodle
      • Murder Bay
  • Notable People & Places
    • Places
      • Washington Monument
      • Library of Congress
      • The White House
      • The Capitol Building
      • Dulles Airport
    • People
      • Franklin D. Roosevelt
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Officer Sprinkle
      • Dwight D. Eisenhower
      • Warren G. Harding
      • William McKinley
      • Abraham Lincoln
      • John F. Kennedy
      • Teddy Roosevelt
      • Woodrow Wilson

A Personal Story

Personal accounts from people who lived in Washington, DC before us. First-person history from the city’s past.

A Tragic Game at 14th and A: The 1912 Death of George S. Hiett

April 21, 2025 by ghostsofdc

A fatal pitch during a 1912 church baseball game at 14th and A Streets NE claimed the life of George S. Hiett. This forgotten tragedy unfolded against a backdrop of neighborhood games, citywide injuries, and the shadow of the Titanic.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1910s, Baseball

The Untold Story of Francis Aebersold, Washington’s Daring Teenage Rum Runner

October 27, 2023October 19, 2023 by ghostsofdc

Explore the thrilling tale of Francis Aebersold, a daring teenage bootlegger in 1920s Washington D.C., as he defies Prohibition laws and engages in a high-speed chase with Detective Charles A. Berry. Delve into a vivid account of their epic confrontation and the Roaring Twenties’ underground speakeasy scene.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1920s, Prohibition

Pauline Floyd: Youngest Woman to Practice Before the Supreme Court

December 28, 2022May 2, 2022 by ghostsofdc
Pauline Floyd in 1922 (Shorpy)

Pauline Floyd was a pioneer and an excellent role model for women pursing a career in law. She was the youngest female lawyer admitted to practice before the Supreme Court.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, American University 1 Comment

Uncovering the Stories Behind the Names on Headstones at D.C.’s Holy Rood Cemetery

November 9, 2022December 15, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Moran family grave marker at Holy Rood Cemetery

Take a stroll through one of D.C.’s less visited cemeteries, Holy Rood Cemetery, and discover the stories behind the names on the headstones. From prominent doctors to Irish immigrants, uncover the past lives of the city’s regular Washingtonians.

Categories A Personal Story Tags churches, Georgetown University, Glover Park, Notable People 4 Comments

The Voice of the Washington Senators: A Conversation with Phil Hochberg

November 9, 2022October 14, 2014 by ghostsofdc
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

Join us for a conversation with Phil Hochberg, the voice of the Washington Senators and Terps. Learn about Phil’s Syracuse University days with Marv Albert and Ted Koppel and his amazing attachment to the historic fabric of Washington.

Categories A Personal Story Tags Baseball, Washington Senators 2 Comments

The Tragic Leap from the Top of the Washington Monument in 1923

October 27, 2021May 16, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Washington Monument from above

A morbid story from The Baltimore Sun, printed on March 10th, 1923. Read about Albert Birney Seip, a war veteran, who tragically leapt to his death from the top of the Washington Monument. Learn about Mrs. Mae Varney Cockrell, who made a similar death leap in 1915.

Categories A Personal Story, From the Crazy Vault Tags 1920s, Washington Monument 4 Comments

Uncovering the Life of White House Police Officer Roland Ford

April 27, 2026April 2, 2014 by ghostsofdc
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

Digging through the Library of Congress archives, we uncovered the life of Roland Ford, a White House police officer. Learn more about his life and his connection to President Roosevelt in this post.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1930s, Crime, Eckington

An Insightful Look at Washington, DC in 1800: A Letter from Oliver Wolcott, Jr.

April 27, 2026February 17, 2014 by ghostsofdc
Image shows a black-and-white engraving published in 1834 to portray Washington, D.C. and the west front of the U.S. Capitol grounds as they were in 1800. Includes the west end of the west grounds and Pennsylvania Avenue, with poplar trees planted in 1803.

Explore what the city of Washington, DC was like in the early days of 1800 through the eyes of Oliver Wolcott, Jr., the country’s second Secretary of the Treasury. Includes a print from 1834 to show the city at the time.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1800s, Politics 3 Comments

A GoDCer’s Fascinating Family History Involving Abraham Lincoln

April 27, 2026February 12, 2014 by ghostsofdc

A GoDCer shares an interesting story about their family history, which is connected to Abraham Lincoln. Read about the long search for a newspaper article and the fascinating connection to the 16th President.

Categories A Personal Story Tags 1860s, Abraham Lincoln, Landmarks
Older posts
Page1 Page2 … Page4 Next →
Explore the Archive
The Best Of Old Ads & Classifieds Then and Now Lost History
GoDCers Love Maps From the Crazy Vault Faces & Places of Yesterday If Walls Could Talk
Historical Events Notable People & Places This Day in History Guest Posts
Three Things… A Personal Story Why Is It Named…? Featured
Ghosts of DC© 2012–2026 Ghosts of DC · AI Policy