Arizona republican., 1902-10-28
OLD FORD'S THEATER.

Ford's theater, the scene of the assas- sination of President Lincoln, aside from the interest it inspires because of that event, had quite a history, first as the site of the First Baptist church. for which it was purchased in 1888, and as Ford's, theater from December 1S61 until the date of the tragic event of April IA. 1865. The Baptists first locat- ed at the corner of Nineteenth and streets and in 1893 built a house of wor- ship on Tenth street. on the theater site. The pastor was the Rev. Obadiah Brown a clerk in the postoffice depart ment, and the principal clerk for some years; and among his members were Amos Kendall, who filled various re- sponsible office, among them that of postmaster general; Isaac Clarke. fath- CT of pr. John W. Clarke of the district government; pr. Joseph Berrows. Lambert Tree and J. W. Reynolds.
 Dr. Brown filled the pastorate till 1850 when Rev. s. P. Hill was called to the pulpit and served till the church was sold. He went with the congregation to the church on Thirteenth street, on the present site of the builders ex- change. In 1861 the Tenth stret build ing was purchased by MT. John T. Ford and converted into a playhouse. the building being reconstructed and adapted for that purpose.
 Under the name of Ford's atheneum the building was opened in December, 1861. and while on the bills the designa- tions theater and opera house we're used. the simple name of "Fords" was
 
 ing the war such talent as Edwin For est, John Mccullough, John Sleeper Clarke, Stuart Robson, MT. and Mrs. c. B. Bishop, MT. and Miss Couldock, and Caroline and Peter Richings trod the boards. December 30, 1862, during the engagement of the Richings. the building was destroyed by fire totally. and the members of the company lost all their stage property.
 Tn August following, the house hav- ing been rebuilt and fitted up, the drama had another start here. the spectacular "Naiad Queen" occupying the stage. Miss Maggie Mitchell and other star performers drew the largest audiences.
 The tragedy of April 14, 1S65 of course ended the career of the structure as d place of amusement. The military took possession and held it until after the trial of the associates of Booth. It was subsequently purchased by the govern ment, and the Army Medical museum was located there, as well as the record and pension division of the surgeon generals office.
 It is coincidence that it was in the alley in the rear through which Booth escaped that his body was brought af- ter being re moved from the arsenal for delivery to the family and that one of the specimens in the museum was a portion of Booths spinal column, show ing the course of the ball which killed him. It was also here that the body of Guiteau, the man who killed Presi- dent Garfield was dissected.
 June 19, 1893, another terrible event took place, in which "old Ford's thea ter' was a central figure. While the government clerks in the office were at work in the morning the floors gave way and a large portion of the build ing was wrecked, many of those in the structure falling and being covered by debris. There were twenty-two per sons killed and many were injured, a number of them for life.-Washington Star.