Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC

""Sprightly, entertaining, surprising, and often wise."—Fergus Bordewich, author of The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extroardinary Men Invented the Government

"Once again, with several other topics, Tim Rowland has gathered entertaining stories, this time about our nation’s capital. Ranging from the obscure to the outrageous, Tim’s research skills and his gracious witty writing will delight and amuse all readers. I highly recommend it!"—Dr. Tom Clemens, President, Save Historic Antietam Foundation

"Legend says that Washington was built on a swamp, but the capital city’s real muck and mire are found in some of the characters of its history, from sleazy Federalist-era developer James Greenleaf, to Mary Ann Hall, whose opulent bordello catered to the highest of Washington society, to Orville Babcock, the brilliant military engineer who later proved to be an even more brilliant engineer of corruption. Tim Rowland tells their stories and many more, including those of some not-so-well-known Washingtonians who avoided the muck and should be remembered with admiration."—Thomas Firey, editor, Cato’s Regulation Magazine

"All of America—and probably all of the world—knows that Washington is strange. But Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, D.C. is my kind of strange – funny, illuminating tales that tell a lot about the city's history and how, physically and psychically, this crazy, ridiculous city got to be the way it is."—Josh Kurtz, founder of Maryland Matters, Maryland’s premier political news site

""Sprightly, entertaining, surprising, and often wise."—Fergus Bordewich, author of The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extroardinary Men Invented the Government

"Once again, with several other topics, Tim Rowland has gathered entertaining stories, this time about our nation’s capital. Ranging from the obscure to the outrageous, Tim’s research skills and his gracious witty writing will delight and amuse all readers. I highly recommend it!"—Dr. Tom Clemens, President, Save Historic Antietam Foundation

"Legend says that Washington was built on a swamp, but the capital city’s real muck and mire are found in some of the characters of its history, from sleazy Federalist-era developer James Greenleaf, to Mary Ann Hall, whose opulent bordello catered to the highest of Washington society, to Orville Babcock, the brilliant military engineer who later proved to be an even more brilliant engineer of corruption. Tim Rowland tells their stories and many more, including those of some not-so-well-known Washingtonians who avoided the muck and should be remembered with admiration."—Thomas Firey, editor, Cato’s Regulation Magazine

"All of America—and probably all of the world—knows that Washington is strange. But Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, D.C. is my kind of strange – funny, illuminating tales that tell a lot about the city's history and how, physically and psychically, this crazy, ridiculous city got to be the way it is."—Josh Kurtz, founder of Maryland Matters, Maryland’s premier political news site