In 1882, Congress approved the creation of a statue to honor John Marshall, fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The statue was sculpted by artist William Wetmore Story, whose father had served on the Supreme Court with Marshall. It was…

By 1870, after two years on the National Mall, the Department of Agriculture combined the functions of an office building, a research center, library, and museum. In this stereoscopic view of the mall, visitors chat in from of large iron and glass…

During the 1800s, the massive red brick Department of Agriculture, designed by Adolf Cluss, housed laboratories, agricultural specimens, seeds, plants, animals, geological artifacts, an extensive library, and a museum. Visitors came to see exhibits…

Pennsylvania farmer and dairyman, Isaac Newton served as the first United States Commissioner of Agriculture. Under Newton, the agency focused on research and education, disseminating information to farmers throughout the nation. Newton advocated for…

When President Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture in 1862, the agency consisted of only four scientists and agriculturists. By 1867, their numbers grew to 70 employees, indicating the rapid growth of the scope and influence of what is now…

This political cartoon was printed in New York in 1885. Complaining about all of the monuments being erected to honor our nation's history in the wake of the turmoil of the Civil War, the captions proclaims "No more of those hideous monuments!"…

In 1876 after sitting uncompleted for almost twenty years Congress passed a joint resolution taking charge of the completion of the monument. Taking control of the land and monument back from the Washington National Monument Society who had run out…

This Washington Post article from February 22, 1885 discusses the features of the newly completed Washington Monument. Including facts about height, weight, and marble used, the article shows the enthusiasm Americans felt that the monument was…

Between 1835 and 1855, a lockkeeper lived in a small stone cottage on the juncture of the Washington City Canal and the C & O Extension. The Canal closed due to competition from railroads, and decaying conditions, poor sanitation, and arguments…

These American bison, also known as buffalo, were part of the Smithsonian's Department of Living Animals. The Department was started by chief taxidermist William T. Hornaday, who was a spokesman for the conservation movement and very concerned about…