Explore an old map of Washington in 1880 and discover the exact locations of the fire stations and police stations. Learn about the history of the city through this fascinating map.
Check out this cool look at what the fire department looked like in 1912! Three brave firemen are on a fire engine pulled by three horses in a photo from the Library of Congress.
Take a break from the ‘case of the Mondays’ with this ultra-high-resolution photo of a 1922 D.C. Fire Department car. Click on the photo for better details and related articles on the Ghosts of D.C. blog!
Learn the stories of the last three fire horses for the District of Columbia Fire Department. Read about their last run, retirement floral tribute, and the sad tale of their final days.
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 Rd. The whole row of homes on the right is still there.
Below, read what was written in the Post a few days later on January 8th.
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 response to an alarm of fire. The advent of the swiftly moving electric car and the vast extension of trackage in this city has made these wild runs of the engines doubly hazardous. The man who holds the reins has his own life and the lives of his brother firemen in his hands as he urges his tearing steeds across car tracks around corners and among vehicles of every description.
Doesn’t this sound slightly like the current chaos of the fire trucks screaming — at the highest possible decibel level — down 14th St. NW, weaving through traffic as they pass Target and Best Buy.
