Discover the rare U.S. Census record from 1900 that shows the Johnson family of Humbolt, Kansas, including a 12-year-old boy who would grow up to be one of the greatest baseball pitchers ever: Walter Johnson. View the full page here!

Discover the residents of the Mayflower Hotel in 1940 with this collection of U.S. Census records from the same year. Click on each image to see a larger version and read through the names. Source: Ancestry.com.

If you’re not a genealogy buff, you may not know this, but much of the 1890 U.S. Census was destroyed in a massive fire in January 1921. It was a tragic loss for genealogists and historians alike. 1300 block of Corcoran St. NW I was walking down 14th St. and turned onto Corcoran St. NW with Mrs. Ghost and Ghost Dog this past weekend, admiring the late 19th-century architecture and thought...

Faithful and extremely patient GoDCer Jeff requests some time ago that we do a piece on the Northumberland, just north of U St. Our apologies for the long delay in getting to your request, but hopefully you’ll agree that it’s better late than never. The building at 2039 New Hampshire Ave. NW, was built in 1910 by the famous local developer Harry Wardman and architect Albert H. Beers....

Get to know the life and times of Walter Spangenberg, a Washingtonian and Naval Aviator during WWII. Read about his journey from Wilson High School to the Korean War and beyond. Plus, see photos from the Library of Congress!

The District's peacetime population exploded as government grew and workers - men and women - flocked to new jobs.  It was 1940.  Census employees hit the streets in April.  They determined that D.C. had grown rapidly.

Learn the wild story of William F. Matteson, a real estate dealer in Washington D.C. who filed a divorce and two suits against his wife's lovers for the alleged alienation of her affections. Find out the results of the tumultuous legal battle and the drama that unfolded.

In this post, we explore 3 things that have happened at Chevy Chase Circle in DC, from the tragic suicide of a local tailor to a tornado knocking down poles and outhouses, to a cricket match between Washington and Baltimore clubs.

Tivoli Theater at night You can’t walk past the Tivoli Theater in Columbia Heights and not admire it, imagining what the surrounding streets were like in the late 1920s. The arrival of Harry Crandall’s new theater was a big deal for the area and let’s not forget that just a couple of years earlier, his Knickerbocker Theatre was the site of the catastrophic roof collapse that killed...

Take a journey back in time to explore the opium dens and interracial marriages of Washington DC's Chinatown in the early 1900s. Learn more about the people involved in this unique history in this Ghosts of DC article.

A deep dive into the stories of the victims of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic in Washington, DC. Learn about the families affected and the heroic efforts of charities to save the children who were left behind.

Every time I see an old photo like this on Shorpy, I want to know more about the person staring back at me. Where did they live? What was their occupation? Who were their family members? Who were their neighbors? I started this blog eight weeks ago (wow, feels a lot longer than that) with the intention of focusing on stories of regular Washingtonians. We’ve had the chance to meet some interesting...

Discover the anonymous story of Robert Muir, the Cairo Hotel Manager from the 1910s. Learn about his life, marriage to Marie, and his tragic death in 1931.

Smith Commons Curious about Smith Commons on H St. in DC? Check out our latest “If Walls Could Talk” post. The winner of our second IWCT poll is the H Street hot spot, Smith Commons (I don’t think I like that acronym). I came across some interesting stories related to the spot at 1245 H St. NE, not to mention my favorite D.C. police officer. The next time you hit up happy hour...

Step back in time and discover the thrill of Washington Roller Hockey in 1926. Learn about the Whiting brothers, Harry & William, and their incredible 24-hour roller skate race. Photos & stories from the historic Arcade Market on 14th St. in Columbia Heights.

This post takes a look at the 1907 Franklin Model D, an early automobile in Washington, DC. Learn more about Mary A. Bliven, her 7-year-old daughter Bertha, and Frank S. Bliven, an early adopter of the automobile in Washington.

This next installment of “If Walls Could Talk” will be the Petworth watering hole, The Looking Glass Lounge. This is one of my favorite places for a Sunday afternoon beer, especially in the warmer months, out on their back patio. I imagine the place will be packed this evening, and now you guys have another interesting conversation topic … what’s the story of the building inside...

Get to know the history of the Boulder Bridge of Rock Creek Park, designed by Captain Lansing H. Beach and constructed in 1902. Learn about its designer, Major General Beach, and the Melan method of construction used for the span.

Discover the strange history of Coke Dandruff Cure in Washington, D.C. at the turn of the century. Find out more about Henry Evans, a druggist on F St NW, and how he used cocaine as an ingredient in his dandruff cure. Explore the Carnegie Institution and its founding on January 28th, 1902.

A wild ride in Dupont Circle that ended in an attempted suicide led to the arrest of Leon Woodrow Rice, 21 of Shepherdstown, W. Va. on December 7th, 1930. A look into his past revealed a connection to the same orphanage as Babe Ruth. Read the full story here.

Corte Salon is a great place to get a haircut, but did you know that its building has seen its fair share of history? Learn more about the history of 1019 U Street NW in Washington DC, home to Corte Salon.

Delve into a night out in Washington D.C. in 1912, from dinner with President Taft to a local engagement party. Read the excerpt from the Washington Post and photos of the guests. Plus, find out what happened two years later.

In 1911, Henry Elphinstone from Baltimore won the marathon from Laurel to D.C., two minutes faster than the second-place runner. Read to learn more about the race, Henry Elphinstone's background and the results.

Learn about Nick Altrock, former Major League baseball player who gained fame pitching for the Chicago White Sox in 1906, helping them win the World Series.