On this day in Arlington history, November 13, 1929, Sara Collins was born in Detroit. She became a librarian, graduating from Catholic University with a Masters of Library Science in 1966. She enjoyed a long and illustrious career at the Arlington County Public Library where she established the Arlington Community Archives in what was then the Virginia Room—now called the Charlie Clark Center for Local history.
On this day in Arlington history: Nov 11, 1931, Arlington Unveils War Dead Tablet: 2,000 See the Daughter of One Who Dies Bare Monument.
On this day in Arlington history: Nov 10, 1919: The cornerstone for the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department’s “Central Station House” was laid with elaborate ceremony. The 2most important speakers that day were State Senator Ralph Walton Moore, and Commonwealth Attorney Crandall Mackey who has been called the “Father of the County Fire Department.”
On this day in Arlington history, November 9, 1921 An unknown American soldier killed in Europe in World War I is returned to the United States on the USS Olympia. He will become the first Unknown Soldier to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
On this day in Arlington history, November 7, 1925, Milton Isiah Rowe, Sr. was born in Washington, DC. Raised in Arlington, he served in the US Coast Guard on the USS Pocatello during World War II and returned to work for the US Army at the Pentagon for 37 years. After retiring from that career, he became a butler for some of the DC area’s more renowned residents.
On this day in Arlington history, Nov 5, 1874: John D. Nauck, Jr. a former Confederate soldier and immigrant from Germany bought 46 acres of land from Rudolph & Emma Jane Buckley.
On this day in Arlington history: Nov 4, 1873, Robert “RD” Davis Ruffin was elected to be the Alexandria (now Arlington) County sheriff. He became the 1st African-American to take the oath as sheriff in Virginia. Ruffin also was a lawyer and member of the House of Delegates (1875–1876) & achieved financial success in real estate.
On this day in Arlington history, October 31, 1934, the Washington Evening Star reported that a Witch would be riding through the sky with a broomstick and would land at Washington Airport in Arlington.
On this day in Arlington history, October 30, 1938, Arlington and the DC region and indeed much of the east coast were still reacting to Orson Wells’ “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast from the previous evening. Most people who were within radio range of the New York City Broadcast were still not sure if aliens had invaded a small town in New Jersey.
On this day in Arlington history: October 29, 1907: The Alexandria Gazette advertises a sale to begin on October 31st at 9:30 A.M.