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1890s

The 1890s were gilded years for Washington, with grand new buildings rising across the capital and the city’s population surging. The Library of Congress opened in 1897, the streetcar network expanded rapidly, and the rowhouses and apartment buildings that define Northwest DC filled in block by block.

Take a Look at This Unique Map of Washington, DC’s Street Lamps from 1891

December 20, 2021August 22, 2013 by ghostsofdc
1891 map of street lamps

Take a look at this interesting and unique map of Washington, DC’s street lamps in 1891. At the time, there were only 321 electric lamps, mostly along major thoroughfares, with close to 5,000 gas lamps.

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1890s 1 Comment

The Bizarre Suicide of Edward Caton: Impaled on the White House Fence

February 12, 2022August 21, 2013 by ghostsofdc
White House fence

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.

Categories From the Crazy Vault Tags 1890s, The White House

That’s Right – The Patawmack River, Not the Potomac: An Early Map of Washington

December 20, 2021August 20, 2013 by ghostsofdc
early map of Washington

Check out this cool map of what would become the City of Washington. It was done around 1893 near the city’s centennial. View the Patawmack River, not the Potomac, in this early map of Washington.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday, GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1790s, 1890s, Potomac River 1 Comment

Check Out This Property Value Map From 11 Years After the Last Popular One

October 27, 2021August 20, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Maps accompanying the report of the operations of the Engineer Department of the District of Columbia : for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1891 : [Washington D.C.] / compiled by Capt. W.T. Rossell, U.S. Eng'rs ; compiled by Capt. J.L. Lusk, U.S. Eng'rs.

Discover the property value map from 11 years later that was compiled by Capt. W.T. Rossell and Capt. J.L. Lusk of the Engineer Department of the District of Columbia. Check it out now!

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1890s 2 Comments

A Rare Look at D.C. in 1894, with a Surprising Unbuilt Bridge

April 28, 2026July 31, 2013 by ghostsofdc
1894 map of D.C.

Check out this rare map of the D.C. area from 1894 and see the Ulysses Grant Memorial Bridge, which was never built. Plus, see the source from the National Archives.

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1890s, Bridges 2 Comments

Unraveling the Streets of DC in 1892: A Map of Washington City

December 20, 2021July 23, 2013 by ghostsofdc

An amazing map of Washington City from 1892 reveals the streets of the nation’s capital in great detail. Learn what it was like to navigate the city before the World’s Fair and street renaming.

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1890s 6 Comments

Exploring the Unbuilt Washington World’s Fair of 1892

October 18, 2021July 22, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Birdseye view of the National Capital, including the site of the proposed World's Exposition of 1892 and Permanent Exposition of the Three Americas

Take a look back in time to what Washington could have been like if the 1892 World’s Fair had been held here. See the proposed layout, and check out the bridge where Memorial Bridge stands today.

Categories Lost History Tags 1890s, National Mall

Exploring the Proposed Highway Changes to Washington, DC in 1897

December 20, 2021July 17, 2013 by ghostsofdc
highway extension of 1897

Take a look back in time to 1897 and explore the proposed highway changes to Washington, DC. Read the full article from The Evening Star to learn more about the fascinating history of the city.

Categories GoDCers Love Maps Tags 1890s, The Evening Star, Transit

A Rare Look at the White House Front Lawn in 1897

April 27, 2026June 11, 2013 by ghostsofdc
view from White House over front lawn in 1897

Take a step back in time and view the White House front lawn in 1897 with this rare image from the Library of Congress. Get a glimpse of what it looked like over 100 years ago!

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1890s, Landmarks, The White House 2 Comments
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