Washington, D.C. as our nation’s capitol, has been the scene of many famous and infamous events over the past 200 years. This past week have witnessed one of the most famous continuing events with the inauguration of a new President. Today we look at another location in the city that has a less than stering history, but still is a very significant landmark in our history.
Ford’s Theatre, now a National Historical Site, has elements of both the old and the new in Washington. The old, in that it is maintained as close as possible as it was on the Night of April 14th, and the day of April 15th. The new, in that it is a functioning theatre, presenting entertainment, as it has for over 100 years, using state of the art stage techniques. At this site you can explore the events of the assassination, such as a biography of John Wilkes Booth, the elements of Lincoln’s (non-existent) security force, and a history of the physical building. It is currently owned and maintained by the National Parks Service.
It is a fitting stop that we make today. Bringing historical sites and events up close and personal in sites like this really show off the usefulness of the Internet. This helps to put events of the past into perspective, and realize how far we have come as a country.
http://www.nps.gov/foth/index2.htm