Beautiful 1898 Photo of the Potomac River
This is quite a beautiful photo of the Potomac River from 1898. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to locate this photo, but if you have any thoughts, add them below in the comments. Source: Library of...
Tragic Potomac Drowning Ends Romance
This is a sad story that we came across in The Washington Postfrom June 29th, 1908. John McCalip, 22 years old, an electrician, at the Senate office building, was drowned yesterday while swimming in Broad Creek, on...
Record Low Temperatures 130 Years Ago
You think it’s cold today? Well, it is … but 130 years ago, there were some record freezing temperatures causing problems all over the city. We went through the papers to dig up some old stories...
Potomac Water is a Health Hazard (1973)
Remember how nasty the Potomac River was? Yes, it’s still not the greatest, but it’s swimmable in some parts (as long as you don’t have open wounds). Back in the 1970s, it was absolutely polluted. Check...
Boat Club by Aqueduct Bridge
Here’s a great shot that we found on Flickr. It’s the boat club just above Aqueduct Bridge (or where Key Bridge is today). Source: D.C. Public Library
Union Soldiers on the Banks of the Potomac
What an incredible photo. We dug this one up thanks to Reddit.
Early Map of Washington and the Patawmack
That’s right, the Patawmack River, not the Potomac. Check out this cool map of what would become the City of Washington. It was done around 1893, near the city’s centennial. Source:Â Library of Congress
Entrance to the Washington Water Works
What an amazing photograph from the 1860s. This shows the entrance to the Washington Water Works near Great Falls. Source: Library of Congress
Potomac Boat Club and the Key Bridge Under Construction
Here is a cool old photo of the Potomac Boat Club in 1921, standing in front of, what will soon become, the Key Bridge. Looks like the guy on the right is in dire need of...
1790s Views of Washington
These are some great prints of Washington as it looked in the mid-1790s. They were done by George Isham Parkyns and they show a slightly different and more pastoral landscape. Here is the print of the Potomac...
Lost History: Herzog’s Famous Sea Food Restaurant
This is another shameful loss for Washington. The waterfront in SW used to be teeming with activity. (The fish market is really cool if you haven’t been.) The District is trying to reinvest and bring it...
Why Is It Called Chain Bridge?
In 1872, Congress appropriated $100,000 for a bridge made of iron. Construction lasted until 1874, when it was rechristened "Chain Bridge" without chains.
View of Washington from Georgetown Heights in 1865
It’s often hard to believe how rural much of Washington appeared in the 19th century. This is one of those photographs that you marvel at for a while. The image shows a view of Washington, down...
Arlington’s Beach on the Potomac
Hard to believe it, but back in the 1920s, Arlington had a beach. Here’s a shot of the amusement park on the Potomac River (near where the Pentagon is today) around 1925. And here is another...
Beauty Contest Winner Saves Man from Drowning
A beauty queen hero emerged on the banks of the Potomac, one summer day in 1924. Below is an article from the Washington Post, published on June 2nd, 1924. Miss Leoma Davis, winner of several Washington...
Revenge Against Cabbie: Taxi Stolen, Pushed Into Potomac
This is a guest post by Aaron. He also wrote a really popular post on red metro trains. It must have made a splash. But nobody saw anything. An overturned taxi lay atop the rocky shore of the...
Do You Know the Other Watergate?
Before “Watergate” became synonymous with a group of buildings and a scandal, it was the name applied to something else. And it’s something that most of us are very familiar with, especially if you’re an avid...
Shark Attacks in the Potomac in 1911?
This is not a joke. A long time ago, there was a perceived oncoming epidemic of invading sharks, hell-bent on destroying humans and their boats. I found this article in the Washington Post from July 26th,...