IMG_4071, courtesy of trentroche
And what a year it’s been. Here’s some of our favorites from our Flashback features, capturing images all across 2009. Enjoy.
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By Ben H. Rome
Category Archives: History
By Ben H. Rome
By Rebecca
Happy 110th Birthday Eddye Williams!!!
‘It’s Teddy’s birthday!’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
NBC 4 reports that Northeast’s Eddye Williams turned 110 yesterday and marked the event by celebrating with family, friends and D.C. councilman Harry Thomas Junior at her home.
Williams, the oldest known DC resident, enjoys writing poetry and banging on the tambourine. Happy Birthday Eddye and rock on!
By Rebecca
Snowpocalypsi of Yore
‘Ice mask, C.T. Madigan, between 1911-1914 / photograph by Frank Hurley’
courtesy of ‘State Library of New South Wales collection’
During this past weekend’s Snowpocalypse, when I was hunkering down in my blazing warm apartment, watching Mean Girls, eating curried pumpkin soup from Whole Foods and sipping on Macallan, I couldn’t help but wonder what a Snowpocalypse would have been like 100 years ago sans Goretex, Under Armour, Smartwools, central heating, snowplows/snowblowers, TV, etc. and without a widespread use of electricity. In a word, I surmised people were cold.
Fortunately, DC blog Shorpy features an particularly awesome photo post a 1918 Snowpocalypse that reminds me just how great this city and residents are. These DCers don’t look cold at all. They’re trudging through the snow, hats on, wool coats buttoned, on their way snow be damned. Of course, the photo doesn’t convey the intensity of the storm or the level of hardship endured, but it does show the resilience of our ancestors. DCites do their best when faced with heavy snow fall. We will not be cold. We will not let the snow win. Both the 1918 and 2009 Snowpocalypsi were storms well weathered by our nation’s capital.
By Kirk
The History of Bullets and Snow Balls
‘IMG_2384’
courtesy of ‘AJ Ashton’
By now, pretty much everyone in DC knows about the cop that brought a gun to a snow ball fight. Before casting aspersions, it should be noted that there is historical precedence for gun fire being exchanged during snowball fights. In 1770, the famous Boston Massacre was sparked, in part, by snowballs thrown at the British by angry Bostonians. Fortunately, this weekend didn’t bear the same political tension as late 18th century Massachusetts, but it’s still an interesting coincidence. Police forces don’t take kindly to snow balls.
By Rebecca
2010 Cherry Blossom Festival. Will the snow be gone by then?
‘Cherry Blossoms look like snow’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
Covered in 20″ of snow, it’s hard to imagine the beautiful spring weather common during the Cherry Blossom Festival, but let’s try anyways.
The 2010 festival will run from March 27 to April 11, and marks the 98th anniversary of Japan’s cherry tree gifting. Activity planning is underway with the opening night to take place at the National Building Museum, fireworks at the southwest waterfront on April 3, the parade on April 11 and many more events in the works.
By Kirk
A Repeal Day Celebration
‘West End Bistro’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
I can’t remember prohibition. My grandfather can barely remember prohibition. But that doesn’t mean that the anniversary of its repeal is bad excuse to drink. The 76th (thanks Nicole) anniversary of the 21st Amendment is less than two weeks away and DC’s Craft Bartender’s Guild is celebrating in style. They are hosting the Repeal Day Ball on Dec. 5 at PS7 in Chinatown. Tickets are available to the public at $100 a pop, which gets you in the door and lots of booze. If you’re really interested in DC’s bartending scene, you can throw down an extra $50 for VIP tickets, which gets exclusive demonstrations by DC’s best and a chance to meet your favorite mixologists. Tickets are available here.
By The Lincoln Memorial Goes Online
‘under the pillars’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
History buffs take note — there’s a new, interactive Web site being launched in honor of the 146th anniversary of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
This multimedia expansion of the pristine marble temple was launched today by the National Park Service. The site includes videos, panoramas and oral testimonials from the park rangers who have worked at the memorial for decades, according WTOP.
If this catches on as a web trend, similar sites may be launched in the coming months. The nonprofit Trust for the National Mall is currently raising money to build the sites for other Washington memorials.
The site should be viewed with a high-speed connection. Still having trouble viewing the site? NPS recommends downloading the latest version of FlashPlayer.
By Rebecca
2009 White House Christmas Ornament Poll: Naughty or Nice?
2009 Grover Cleveland White House Christmas Ornament
The 2009 White House Christmas ornament is upon us and this year’s edition celebrates the presidency of Grover Cleveland. Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, was the president from 1885-1889 and 1893-1897. He was also the first president to have electric lights on the White House Christmas tree.
The front of the (deep breathe) 2009 Grover Cleveland White House Christmas Ornament depicts a view of the South lawn and The White House on a winter night. A lit Christmas tree and holiday decorations in the Oval Room can be seen through a window. On the back, the ornament shows one of many famous Cleveland family Christmas parties.
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By Rebecca
Final Commemorative Penny Makes Its Debut
‘Lincoln in Illinois (2009 Proof Lincoln Cent)’
courtesy of ‘kevindooley’
This morning the U.S. Mint issued the fourth and final coin of the 2009 Lincoln Bi-Centennial One-Cent Program.
Despite the rainy, cold, miserable weather, coin enthusiasts of all ages patiently waited in line to be the first recipients of the special edition penny and to turn their hard earned paper currency into coin.
This final penny carries a special edition backside showing an unfinished Capitol Building representative of the divided union Lincoln presided over. The three previously issued coins feature the log cabin where Lincoln grew up, a youthful Lincoln reading on a rail post, and a young working Lincoln standing in front of the Illinois State Capitol (feature in the above picture).
By Rebecca
36th Annual Conference on Washington DC Historical Studies
‘Lincoln’s Cottage – Magnified Capitol – 4-25-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
This Saturday, November 14, rub shoulders with and pick the brains of prominent DC scholars, students, history buffs and collectors at Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives.
The 36th annual conference unites all those dedicated to collecting and sharing the history of our nation’s capital and its local history. This year’s highlights include newly uncovered findings on DC’s Underground Railroad, a photo history of the area, learnings from the restored Ford’ Theatre, and more.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Reservations are required. Call 202-383-1840 for more information.
By Cathy
Mystery Mansion in Dupont: The Heurich House
‘Hidden Bronze Lion’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’
Tucked away in plain view, the Heurich House is the most intact late-Victorian home in the country. Right in the middle of the action in Dupont Circle – on a corner you have probably walked by at least a dozen times – you are absolutely transported back in time – easily envisioning the family who lived there enjoying a meal in the German beer tavern-styled breakfast room and needle pointing doll clothes and tapestries in the ladies’ retreat room. The furniture, furnishings, wall and ceiling canvas paintings, and even the gas and electric lighting are all original to the house.
The Heurich House museum was home to Christian Heurich, who was regarded as the patriarch of the American brewing industry. After moving to America from Germany in 1872 at the age of 30, he purchased an old, declining brewery and within 10 years, became the largest and most successful brewer in the nation’s capital.
Nicknamed the “Brewmaster’s Castle,” the Heurich House sounds more like a Brickskellar’s with a spiral tower, but the initial disappointment you’ll have to get over first is: they don’t serve any beer. A more fitting nickname for the mansion might be “Fireproof Fortress.” Continue reading
By Rebecca
Life & Death On The C&O
photo courtesy of NPS.gov
This Saturday from 6:30-9pm, the National Park service will host the 13th Annual Life & Death on the C&O Canal at the Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center in Great Falls, MD.
Volunteers and park rangers will take visitors on a one-hour journey back in time, and recreate the trials and tribulations experienced by the men and women who built, lived and staffed the canal during its 96 year long history. Every interpretation is based on documented facts or legends, and interpreters will present various 15 minutes programs throughout the evening.
Reservations are recommended and the program is not for young children. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, and $4 for seniors and children (4-14). Call 301-767-3714 for information and reservations.
By Rebecca
Host a National Park Premiere Party
photo courtesy of pbs.org
This Sunday evening, September 27 at 8pm, the long awaited Ken Burns documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea premieres on PBS. The documentary stories the inspiring individuals who dedicated themselves to establishing our National Park System and to protecting America’s cultural, natural and historic heritage. The series will air a new episode every night next week with the concluding episode on Friday, October 2.
To spread the word about this awesome documentary and get park lovers to share their parks stories with friends and family, the DC-based non-profit, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is organizing nation-wide viewing parties for the Sunday premiere, and they’ve made it super easy to host your own get-together with customized evites, your own personalized party page, helpful party tips and innovative ways to share this documentary with people around the country. “Our goal is to inspire all Americans to dedicate themselves to protecting and preserving our national parks,” says Tom Kiernan, NPCA President, “so that the parks can be enjoyed, explored, and cherished by our children, our grandchildren, and by all future generations.”
Register to host a (private or public) party, and you’ll be entered in a raffle to win 1 of 5 signed copies of award-winning, conservation photographer Ian Shive‘s The National Parks: Our American Landscape. This new, visually stunning photo journey highlights the beauty and majesty of our national parks from Alaska’s Denali to Florida’s Everglades. RSVP’ed guests will also be entered in the drawing, and you, as the host, will get a bonus entry for every guest. Woot! Continue reading
By Rebecca
American Girl Series & Michael’s Craft Store Free Event
‘American Girl Place Los Angeles’
courtesy of ‘Smart Destinations’
Local Michaels’ stores will be hosting FREE crafts event this Saturday, September 19, inspired by the American Girl series. Participants will create three American Girl® projects that are focused on various periods of American history from the viewpoint of pre-teen girl characters. It would also be a great time to check out the Halloween supplies they have for costumes.
By Cathy
Tourist Season Projected to Last for Next 25 Years
‘see no evil’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’
Just when we thought tourist season was winding down, this week Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, is releasing his latest book The Lost Symbol, a fictional novel about Masonic symbolism in Washington, DC.
While Freemasonry is a fascinating part of DC’s history, Brown’s typical mention of imagined artifacts is expected to majorly increase traffic at the local historical sites that he describes in the book. Their names have not yet been released, but a few, like the Masonic Temple in Alexandria, can obviously see it coming. I wonder if he used the mini map of the city at Freedom Plaza? Continue reading
By Cathy
Monumental: Freedom Plaza
‘Freedom Plaza’s Mini Scale’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’
“Put yourself in the map”. That’s what I always tell my friends when they’re feeling turned around and lost. But not everyone has the appreciation for maps that I do, which is why I was so excited that I could literally put myself in the map at Freedom Plaza, and maybe take a friend or two with me to show them how it’s done.
Located just east of the White House at 14th and Penn between the Ronald Reagan building and the National Theatre, Freedom Plaza is one of those places in DC that you’ve probably already been to and never really noticed. The first time I was there was for the “Light the Night” walk for blood cancers which used the plaza as the basecamp for the start of the walk. It was dark out, and I had that feeling of: “This is probably somehow important – I mean it IS in the heart of Washington – but I can’t really tell in the dark.”
Different colored stones and brass inlays create a smooth, flat, and rectangular depiction of L’Enfant’s plan. The layout, the inscriptions, and the history are subtle and easily missed – unless you know why you’re there. Similarly, ironically shaped patches of grass stand out as awkward additions to the plaza until you realize they symbolize the National Mall.
By Corinne
Monumental: Robert Emmet
Emmet statue in DC by Corinne Whiting
On a recent return trip to Dublin, Ireland, I happily killed some time strolling through the city oasis of St. Stephen’s Green. On my way out of the lush park, I meandered past a statue so familiar it brought me to a screeching halt. There stood a petticoat waistcoat-clad Robert Emmett (1778-1803)–bold jaw, foot forward, ready for battle. Now where I had seen this Irish patriot before?
But, of course. Where else but in DC, where memorials and monuments are so ubiquitous that many get passed without so much as a second glance. I too had been guilty of repeatedly strolling by this mystery man who reigns over a cozy triangular park near Massachusetts Avenue and 24th Street NW, having never stopped to learn his story. I vowed to visit him next time I found myself on embassy-lined Mass Ave.
Nestled beneath the branches of a Yoshino cherry tree, the DC Emmet stands on a granite pedestal just a few blocks from the Irish Embassy. This “boy martyr of Erin” appears mid-speech, one hand open in rhetorical gesture, the other somewhat clenched to display his “revolutionary spirit.” Emett’s father instilled in his sons a passion for Irish independence at a time when men and women-Catholic and Protestant-fought for freedom from Britain. Trinity College expelled the young Robert for his involvement in the 1798 rebellion and, in 1802, Emmet traveled to France as a member of the United Irishmen’s Party. Here he unsuccessfully appealed for French aid from Napoleon and Talleyrand. The following summer Emmet led an uprising outside of Dublin that British troops swiftly crushed. Emmet was executed (either hung or beheaded, accounts vary) on September 20, 1803 at the ripe age of 25.
By Ben H. Rome
Scribblings: Haynes & Klehr
‘Soviet Unterzoegersdorf’
courtesy of ‘boklm’
In 1993, former KGB officer Alexander Vassiliev was permitted unique access to Stalin-era records of Soviet intelligence operations against the United States. Vassiliev subsequently shared the notes he took with Library of Congress historian John Earl Haynes and Emory University professor Harvey Klehr. Together they have written an extraordinarily detailed and shocking account of the KGB’s espionage successes in America, including penetrations of American government and industry at the highest levels. The authors expose Soviet spy tactics and techniques and shed new light on many controversial issues, including Alger Hiss’s cooperation with Soviet intelligence, KGB recruitment of muckraking journalist I.F. Stone, and Ernest Hemingway’s meetings with KGB agents. Join John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, authors of Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, at a special free lunchtime chat and booksigning event at the International Spy Museum on Thursday, August 20 from noon to 1 p.m. (No tickets required.)
A special Q&A with the authors after the jump. Continue reading
By shannon
DC Mythbusting: Boundary Stones
‘Takoma 1791 Boundary Stone’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
Welcome to another week’s DC Mythbusting. This week we’ll talk about a myth I heard when I first moved to DC– that the city’s boundaries are marked off, every mile or so, with stones. I heard that these stones had been placed long ago when Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker were surveying the city, and that they’re mostly still there. I’d never seen them or heard of them outside of that once, so I assumed it was a myth. But I was wrong– this myth is confirmed!
Back in 1791 and 1792, Andrew Ellicott and friends went around the 10-mile square of the planned City of Washington and placed a boundary stone every mile. The stones had four sides– facing inward towards DC (which read “Jurisdiction of the United States” and a mile number, facing outward (which showed the name of the bordering state, either Maryland or Virginia), and the other sides showed the year the stone was placed and the compass variance at that point.
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By Ben H. Rome
Monumental: Fort Marcy
Driving the George Washington Parkway north along the Potomac, you can almost miss the entrance to Fort Marcy Park. It’s not a well-known Civil War fortification, not being a sight of one of that war’s destructive battles, but it was one of the key components of the Union’s defense of the capital. (It’s also known as the place where White House Counsel Vince Foster’s body was discovered in 1993, but that’s not really relevant today.)
At the beginning of the Civil War, there was only one operational fort (Fort Washington, over in Maryland) to defend against Confederate encroachment. A huge effort was made to establish a defensive ring of forts around the capital, eventually resulting in a ring of eight enclosed forts and over 90 gun batteries by 1865. These preparations made DC one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world at that time.