Map of Proposed Vermont Ave. Extension From Florida to Georgia
Check this out. Here’s a map of something that didn’t happen. Howard University proposed extending Vermont Ave. from Florida Ave. to Georgia Ave. back in 1919. Source: Library of Congress Here’s that same intersection today on...
Why Is It Named LeDroit Park?
Well, you might not know this, but there really was a Mr. LeDroit … sort of. LeDroit Park was established as one of the first suburbs of Washington, D.C. That’s kind of hard to believe right,...
1904 Howard University Football and 1906 St. John’s College Football
Check out this cool photo of Howard University’s football team in 1904. GoDCer Andy sent this in after checking out this cool post about Georgetown Prep’s basketball team. St. John’s College is now St. John’s College...
The Greatest Commencement Addresses in Washington, DC, Ever
It’s that time of year, again. Commencement speakers address graduating college and university classes, and inevitably their speeches are ranked, assessed, complimented, and criticized. This year, both NPR and Vox.com have compiled the best commencement speeches ever....
Howard University Advertisement (1919)
Check out this great old advertisement that we dug up in The Washington Times from September 7th, 1919. Source: Library of Congress
Howard University Women’s Athletic Day
Here’s a cool photo that we found on Tumblr. This is Howard University’s Women’s Athletic Day in 1949. Source: Vintage Black Beauties
Howard University Old Main Building in 1860s
Here are two great old photos of Howard University’s Old Main Building.
Griffith Stadium Meets the Wrecking Ball
The site of so many wonderful baseball and football memories, Griffith Stadium, had its life ended by the brutal swings of a wrecking ball in 1965. The hapless doormat of the American League, the Washington Senators...
Frederick Douglass: Generous Tipper and Role Model for Newspaper Boys
This is a guest post by John (from The Lion of Anacostia), cross-posted here. For black newspaper boys holding their street corners throughout downtown Washington, on Thursday January 13, 1870 there was a new paper to hawk, a paper uniquely...
Frederick Douglass and Rutherford B. Hayes Speak at Howard University
This is a guest post by John (from The Lion of Anacostia), cross-posted here. Forget what you’ve heard, or rather haven’t heard or yet read. Frederick Douglass was a Howard Universityman through and through. Douglass was not just a lion, he was a Bison....
Frederick Douglass Attends First Union Alumni Association of Howard University and Toasts “Self-Made Men”
This is a guest post by John (from The Lion of Anacostia), cross-posted here. Frederick Douglass was a self-made man about town during his years in Washington. He was a frequent guest of the White House through the various Presidential administrations...
Doctor and His Carriage at the Smithsonian
Here’s a photograph from 1890 which shows Dr. Daniel H. Riggs of Howard University posing next to his carriage near the Smithsonian. In 1893, the doctor was the defendant in a malpractice lawsuit. The Post reported...
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson Together at Howard University
I think you’ll agree that this is some serious history, frozen in time. Both former baseball star Jackie Robinson and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. were among a group of prominent individuals receiving honorary...
Old Columbia Heights: Where the Streets Have New Names
How did Columbia Heights get its street names? This history goes back to the early 1900s when street names came into alignment with the rest of the District.
