The Great Depression hit Washington differently than most American cities. FDR’s New Deal brought a massive expansion of the federal government, filling the capital with new agencies, new buildings, and hundreds of thousands of new workers. The decade that devastated much of America actually transformed Washington into a modern metropolis.
Take a journey through D.C. history with this 1937 map of neighborhood boundaries. Learn more about the city’s past and explore the changes that have taken place over the years.
Take a look back in time with these two great photos of Mount Vernon in 1932, the 133rd anniversary of George Washington’s funeral. GoDCer Mollie sent these in to share with the community.
In 1933, Washington had a baseball team in the World Series. The Washington Post refused to hire ghostwriters to cover the Series and instead ran an ad penned by their sports editor, Shirley Povich. Read the story of The Post’s clever response to ghostwriters!
He was forty-one, the king of bookmaking in DC, and out on bail. Two days later he was on the floor in his maroon robe.
Ross Elementary at 1730 R St. NW is named for John W. Ross, a Harvard law graduate, Georgetown lecturer, and District Commissioner appointed by Presidents Cleveland and McKinley. Here’s the story behind the name.
Phoebe Apperson Hearst grew up poor in rural Missouri, married a mining magnate, and became one of the wealthiest women in America. She spent her fortune on public education for Washington children. Here is her story, and why a school in Cleveland Park bears her name.
This article from the April 17th, 1930 issue of The Washington Post exposes corporal punishment in the District’s schools. Read more about the shocking incident that was reported to the Board of Education.
This is a really cool old film that we dug up at the U.S. National Archives. Check it out and see what landmarks you can identify, then add them to the comments below.
If you’ve lived in D.C. for a while, you’ll remember the good old days when the W Hotel was actually Hotel Washington, the historic and storied hotel near the White House. I remember having quite a few pleasant lunches on the roof, with a spectacular view of the Washington Monument and the President’s house.
