What's Past Is Prologue

Since getting back to DC on Sunday, all I've heard about is the upcoming historic Inauguration. Traffic patterns for the historic Inauguration, crowd control for the historic Inauguration, Metro access for the historic Inauguration, and even a news story about how hospitals will only be offering emergency care that week, because of the historic Inauguration, so your stomach virus or diagnostic testing had better wait. Because it bugs me when people write history in the present - the future cannot yet be history, no matter how important it is - here are a few cool links about the actual past.

http://wardepartmentpapers.org/
The reconstructed papers of the War Department, 1784-1800. An 1800 fire destroyed the War Department offices, and this project by George Mason University attempted to piece together what was lost by retrieving alternate copies.

http://architecture.about.com/od/usa/tp/WhiteHouseFacts.htm
This just popped up in the "Web Clips" at the top of my Gmail, but it includes a handful of cool and interesting facts about the history of the White House.

http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Skins/BEagle/Client.asp?Skin=BEagle
I've already linked to the Brooklyn Eagle's online archives, but I think it's cool enough and relevant enough to do again.

http://archives.gov/75th/
The National Archives is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2009. This site should be updated throughout the year with information about events happening not just at AI (the main building in DC) but also at regional archives and presidential libraries throughout the country.

http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/
Free search of Ellis Island's records of incoming passenger ships. Go find your ancestors!

http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/
Did you know the Lincoln family dog was named Fido? 2009 in the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, and this site includes cool facts and information about Lincoln as well as links to exhibits and programs celebrating his 200th birthday.