Where were the police and fire stations located in Washington back in 1880? Check out this great old map. Source: Library of Congress This was done by the same people that did the great 1880 property values map, street sweeping schedule map, and the streetcar lines map.

What a horrible story. We found this printed in The Washington Post on April 6th, 1907. Fire Chief Belt yesterday ordered a thorough investigation of the stabbing with a pitchfork of a fire department horse at No. 8 engine house on the night of March 27. Battalion Chief Henry, Capt. Egloff, of engine company No. 15, and […]

This is pretty cool, and our fire engine fans out there will love it. This is what the fire department looked like in 1912. Source: Library of Congress

Here’s a Sunday night photo for you as you’re trolling the Internet, dreading tomorrow (case of the Mondays?). This is a super high-resolution photo of an old D.C. Fire Department car from 1922. Click on it for better details. Related articles Vice President Calvin Coolidge Evacuates the Willard Due to Fire … and an Awkward […]

In my call for suggestions last week, GoDCer Rych emailed a request to look into the last fire horses for the District fire department. John Kelly did a piece a few years back in the Post which is an excellent read. To put a true Ghosts of DC spin on Rych’s story idea, we’re going […]

Here are a couple photos from my new favorite site, Shorpy. This was taken on January 5th, 1921 at the intersection of Columbia Rd. and Sherman Ave. NW. Now this is cool … take a look at the photo of the same intersection today (courtesy Google Street View). Both photos are looking east down Columbia […]

Evidently, horses racing through the streets of Columbia Heights was a dangerous thing at the turn of the century. This article I came across from July 9th, 1900 talks about a recent accident leading to new regulations. A skillful hand is required to guide a team of spirited horses, rushing madly through crowded streets in […]