Zachary Schrag, an assistant professor of history at George Mason University, used materials in the Virginia Room and the Arlington Community Archives while writing The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro. The book is a general history of the Washington metro system, and believes the system grew out of the Great Society beliefs of the 1960s and 1970s. Above is a diagram used in the book, which can be found in the Virginia Room’s vertical file. This set of folders holds clippings, brochures and other ephemera on a wide variety of subjects about Arlington and the state of Virginia. The Virginia Room also holds many county publications from throughout the 20th century, covering topics such as population, finances, community planning and education, which also helped with the author’s research.

Congratulations to Mr. Schrag on the publication of his book!

What About You?
What you do remember about the creation of the Washington Metro? What was traveling in the area like before it? Let us know what you remember!