1874 Map of Georgetown’s Old Street Names
Check out this terrific 1874 map of Georgetown with the old street names. Source: Dig DC
Carlin Springs Subdivision Map from 1887 and 1890
Here is a map of the Carlin Springs subdivision in Alexandria, now Arlington County. Source: Library of Congress The above map shows the area south of Arlington Blvd. and east of S. Carlin Springs Rd. Check out the Google Map...
Which President Got a Speeding Ticket on a Horse?
Ulysses Grant was arrested for directing by William West, an African-American metropolitan policeman. This is a great historical story.
Proposed 1873 Design for Library of Congress
This is what the Library of Congress could have looked like if Leon Beaver’s design from 1873 was selected. Here’s a second rendering of the building with some perspective. Check out a few more of his drawings here.
Irish Thief and Family Arrested in Swampoodle for Assaulting Officers
This is a colorful story for the lost neighborhood of Swampoodle. We came across the article in The Washington Post, printed on October 20th, 1879. Morris Connors, a notorious Swampoodle thief and rough, tumbled out of a restaurant on G near...
1873 View of Ulysses Grant’s Second Inauguration
Here’s an old print from 1873, showing Ulysses Grant’s second inauguration, looking down Pennsylvania Ave. Source: Library of Congress
Beautiful 1879 Panorama of Washington
What a cool series of old photos from 1879. We’ve published so many posts that we can’t remember if these went up before, but nevertheless, sharing them twice isn’t such a bad thing. Source: Library of Congress
1872 Street Paving Map of Washington
You think the roads are bad today, with all the potholes? I assure you, they were worse in the 1870s. Here’s a really cool old map that we dug up at the Library of Congress, marking the street pavements for...
Unbuilt Proposed Design for Washington Monument (1877)
Check out this cool proposed design to finish the Washington Monument. Construction didn’t restart on the unfinished monument until 1879 after Congress appropriated another $200,000 to complete it. Below is one of the proposals on the finished design, from 1877,...
Photo of Lower Georgia Avenue in 1870s
Here’s a great photo that we found on Park View DC. Of course it wasn’t called Georgia Avenue then, so read up on the history of the road too. Check out their post to read a little more about the...