Three Things... / 07.03.2012

I really enjoyed researching the last "Three Things..." post and from the traffic and Twitter buzz, it seemed like a number of you enjoyed reading it. So here's another one to add to your trivia treasure chest: Farragut Square. You all know it and love it, because this is where you go in the warmer months to partake in the recent explosion of D.C. food trucks. Pies, pitas, gyros and kebobs (yum) ... it's all awesome, cheap and you can sit on a little patch of grass to soak up some rays. I also love the food, but the real reason for this post is a conversation I had the other day with someone about the two Metro stations, Farragut North and Farragut West. It seems so odd and inefficient that two separate lines have stops just a couple hundred yards from each other ... and I didn't know why this was until I read a great book about the history of Washington's Metro system, "The Great Society subway: a history of the Washington Metro" ... great book, read it. I'll give you that story and two more about Farragut so you have some conversation topics for your next food truck run.
Historical Events, Notable People & Places / 25.01.2012

I posed a question to readers on Twitter whether a bit about Garfield's assassin, Charles Guiteau, would be of interest and a couple of folks chimed in. So, I think this will be a good one for the next "Reader's Choice." There is also a great book out now by Candice Millard called "Destiny of the Republic" that discusses the events surrounding the assassination -- and subsequent poor medical treatment -- of President Garfield.  If you enjoy this post, you should check it out. Anyone that took American history in high school knows that Charles Guiteau shot President Garfield -- if they were history nerds, they'd remember it happened at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, at 6th and B St. NW (B is now Constitution). But, you're probably interested in his time here in Washington. Where did he sleep? Where did he eat? And who did he interact with? By the end of this post you should have a little better understanding of Charles Guiteau was and learn a little about his time in Washington.