Washington has always had a serious food and drink scene, even if most people don’t think of it that way. These posts explore the bars, restaurants, saloons, and breweries that fueled the city across the centuries.
Big Bear Cafe opened in 2007 in a Victorian storefront at 1700 1st Street NW. The corner has been a Bloomingdale grocery, a runaway-horse-owner’s stable, and an immigrant family’s neighborhood store since at least 1894.
Take a step back in time to 1895 and explore the rough Irish immigrant neighborhood of Swampoodle. Read a column from the Washington Post that tells the story of three locals who boozed until the wee hours of the morning.
This article looks back to January 11th, 1892, when Frank Rowler, a messenger boy, was assaulted by a man named Howard. Michael McDonald, a bystander, was so angry that he hit Howard a terrible blow, leading to his arrest. This paints a picture of a rougher town in a rougher time, without the use of guns.
