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 back to life, taking...
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 the Potomac River from...
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 photo of the area...
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 beauty contests, yesterday afternoon...
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 Potomac. There it was....
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 runner who heads down...
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, 1911 — by the...
The War of 1812 and Relocating the Nation’s Capital
Why is the capital in Washington, DC? After the British burned the White House and Capitol in the War of 1812, the capital almost moved back to Philadelphia.
Planes Collide Near National Airport Killing 55
A horrific air disaster occurred on November 1st, 1949 near National Airport. An inbound passenger flight from Boston collided with a small military plane, killing everyone on board. This was the front page article of the Washington Post the following...
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