WASHINGTON DC January 19, 2022
WASHINGTON DC
January 19, 2022
Today I deiced to return to the National Capitol to see what I missed a week ago. First I drove to the Rock Creek Park, which is in a lovely neighborhood and old family farm. When I arrived I realized I’ve
been here when I had to visit the Hungarian Embassy last year. If you’re in this park, basically you’re walk in the footsteps of the Piscataway Indians. Beside of the beauty of the nature, you can see trough history here. Once the land of this Indian tribe later became the Pierce Mill. You find a several buildings here,some information about these buildings but unfortunately this year just like last year was closed. No further information I could get. Now I have to plan another trip here another time.
From I drove to Ford’s Theater National Historical Site. This is the place where president Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed, just five days after General Lee’s surrender. I parked near by and walked in
there just try my luck. I was surprised it is FREE and I was able to come in the there without schedule.Online says otherwise. So if you walk in the building across the front door there is a small gift shop, then to the right there is the ticket office and you can get your Passport stamps as well. Once you’ve got your free tickets you able to get into back to history. The walk path takes you down to the basement, This is the only original part of the building except the front wall. Here you can find a pretty good exhibition about the incident of killing the president and also about the era and about the Ford’s theater. Also you can find some statues, information boards and other interesting and original items. From here you have to go up on
steps, that leads you to the theater. First you have to go trough a long red carpeted hallway, and both side of the hallway there is information and time line of the last day of the president. Its very rich in
information like a history lesson. Once you passed the hallway its connects you to another room, where you can find the entrance to the actual theater where the audience sits. Once you walk in there, its hits
you, how beautiful is this inside. Of cores do not compare to an opera house of Paris or Budapest, but compare to a modern average theater this one has a feeling, that you’re back into the mid 19th century. The
carpet is red, the chairs are red with a cast iron metal frame, and the stage ahead of you. I walked in slowly, and seen the second floor for the audience which is only a half floor like everywhere else. When I
reached the stage I continued to the second floor which is the most interesting part of all. So I walked up the satires, and there is a person with original photos and information, however he was busy so I walked toward to the edge of the balcony, so I can look down to the stage. It felt amazing, because I’m in the place where the history of America was written by blood, and also because this theater is look amazing from the balcony. Both end of the balcony have a privet room. To the right was where Abraham Lincoln was murdered. I walked there and looked in trough a glass window because the room is closed. You can see red sofas and chairs. Of cores these furnitures aren’t original like the rest of the theater, however when they built back the theater they built it just as use to be. The original rocking chair what the president set on that day is no longer here, somehow it was sent to Michigan. Sadly. I spent a few more minutes inside this gorgeous building before I walked out, and I felt I’ve got richer, I was before I walked in.
FRODS THEATRE OUTSIDE
How come, the president’s bodyguard wasn’t aware f John W Booth attack? – you could raise the question,like I did. Back at the time, the president didn’t have bodyguard. Till this point, presidents didn’t needed bodyguards. Interesting. Also How come door wasn’t closed, or Booth was able to just walk into the president’s room? Well, back at the time everything was different. Nobody thought the president would need any protection, also John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor, so even president would’ve a bodyguard he would be able to get trough.
So here is what happened back at the time: John Wilkes Booth a well-known actor and a southern sympathizer, he think, the south’s problem is the current president, so 1964 he planned to kidnap the
president. But by next year, the plan was changed. The conspirators decided to kill the president. They tried to get close on march 17th
but they failed. However the president April 14, 1965 about 11AM the
president sent a message to Ford’s Theater that he will attend at the evening’s performance. Booth sized the opportunity and with his partners quickly planned out the assassination. Therefore at Noon at a stable near Ford’s theater Booth arranges to rent a horse for fellow conspirator. The president spent the rest of the day with the Cabinet, then with the first lady, and lather on with his old friend from Illinois. 8:30 PM
Lincoln Arrives to Ford’s Theater . Everybody yells: “Hail to the Chief”. 9PM Booth approach to the Ford’s theater trough a narrow passage known as Baptist Alley. At 10PM Booth enters the lobby of the
theater and walks up the stairs to the dress circle. He hand out his card to Lincolns footman and enters the back of the president’s theater box. At this time around 10:15PM the President and his wife was holding hands. She was asking the president what young Clara would think and the president answered: “She won’t think anything about it” (These were Abraham Lincoln last words ). And Boot pulled the trigger at the back of the president’s head. And stabbed Major Rathbone in the left arm. From here Lincoln was carried to across the street, 453 (today 516) Tenth street, where 9 hours later he died April 15, 1965 at 7:22AM. When Booth shot the president , he leeped from the theater box, and from the jumping he broke his left leg. Somehow he managed to get on his horse and fled to Maryland. From here he rode to a Garrett farm near Port Royal, VA and hid in a tobacco barn. Here Dr. Samuel Mudd had to set Booth’s leg on April 26. The troops find Booth and shot him, 3 hour later he died. The conspirators were arrested, the doctor was sentenced and sent to Fort Jefferson on Florida, that today is known Dry Tortuga National Park. Mary Surrat was executed. In her Tavern Booth picked up a weapon on April 14. She was the very first woman who was executed by the government in the United Sates.
VIDEO OF FORDS THEATRE
The Ford’s Theater that used to be a Baptist Church after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln,was no longer a Theater. John T. Ford wanted to continue his business but he was told the building will be burned off if he wont close his business here. SO Fords left to Baltimore where he had other theater to take care of. In 1864 the government leased the building from Ford and it was used as a three story office building. Lather the government bought the building from Fords, and everything was gutted and renovated. In 1893 the three interior floors collapsed, killing 22 clerks and injuring 68. After repaired and it was a government office. February 12, 1932 on the 123 anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, the Lincoln’s Museum opened on the first floor and finally 1933 became the part of the National Park Service. Today you can visit the theater during the day and enjoy the performance again at evening.
PHOTO OF FORDS THEATRE INSIDE
When I finished with Ford’s Theater, I walked across the street where the president died. The building was closed. So from here I had my last visitation today and that was the Theodore Roosevelt Island.
Just about 15 minutes drive you can park at the Theodore Roosevelt Island’s parking lot. A long footbridge takes you to the island, across the Potomac river. The island is about 88 acre of wooded conservation. This is probably the best place in the city to honer the naturalist president, who had the idea of founding National Park System across United States, and the rest of the world was follow him. The 1930’s this island use to be a farmland and finally it became a forest with the statue of the president. Of cores everything was winterized. And with a nice walk oin the island and reading the information boards was the end of my visit in Washington DC.
PHOTO OF ROOSELVELT ISLAND BRIDGE AND STATUE
