George Washington

 

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on this date in 1732. When Washington died in 1799, Henry Lee delivered the funeral oration, saying that of all Americans, Washington was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

The message on the card says:

Dear cousin

Arrived home + heard that Eugene Lynch (?) housekeeper was dead + buried. maybe you have heard of it.  Mary

Streetcar Sunday - Albany, New York

Streetcar service began in New York's capital city in 1863.  Albany had an extensive streetcar system, which is evident even in the picture above. As in a number of other cities, there were ongoing labor issues. These issues resulted in a violent streetcar workers strike in 1921, and the National Guard had to be called in to keep the peace.
Albany's last streetcar ran in 1946.

Here you can see a later view, with the streetcar tracks still visible, but the streetcars themselves gone and replaced by buses.

If anybody else has any additional information on the history of the Albany streetcars, please feel free to post a comment.

Predecessors of the Olson Twins

People suspected that they were smoking behind the barn, but the truth was much worse...