Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1951-11-23
FORDrS THEATRE
Senator Young Wants Congress
To RehubiIitute Fords Theatre

UNI, consisting Of $50 relics Of the
life Of Lincoln, bought by the gov
eminent from Osborn H. Oldroyd,
a native Of Ohio and a collector of
Lincoln articles, for $4,000 in 1925.
There are footprints painted on the
floor tracing the path of Booth as
he ran across the stage and escaped
through a rear door to his horse.
A miniature has been constructed
Of the theatre as it looked that
night, and is displayed as part of
the museum collection.
In spite of all these efforts, how
| ever, the entire effect is a constant
disappointment to more than 100,-
900 visitors annually who walk in
and ask "Where's the theatre?"
After the assassination, guards
were posted at the theatre and it
was closed until the following June
when it was restored to John T.
Ford, the owner. Ford then tried to
reopen the theatre, but met with
such public disapproval that the
War Department ordered it closed
| again. Ford threatened to sue, after
| which the government rented the
| building and then bought it for
$780, 900 in 1866
The former theatre was then used
| for government office building.
| Another tragedy occurred in 1893
when the three floors collapsed fol-
lowing excavation in the basement
which weakened the structure.
Twenty-Five persons we're killed and
60 injured The building was re-
stored the following year and was
used for storage purposes. The pres
ent exhibit was opened to the public
| in 1882.
THE VISITOR is much more east
| ly transported back through the
years by viewing the house where
Lincoln died, just across the street
from Ford's Theatre. Its appear
ance today is substantially the same
as it was in 1865. Originally the
home of William Petersen, Swed-
| ish tailor, it was built in 1849. Be-
cause the three-story house had
more rooms than the family re-
quired, Petersen rented some Of
them. The room to which Lincoln
| was taken was then occupied by
young soldier. The Petersen house
was later purchased by Mr.. and
Mrs. Louis Schade, who for many
years were constantly asked by
tourists for permission to view the
room in which Lincoln died. Long
before they sold the property, they
had ronuoI orI rnrfnI tho
house. The Government purchased
the building from the Schade family
in 1896.
The house where Lincoln died was
refurnished in 1882 by several wom-
| ems patriotic organizations follow
ing as nearly as possible a diagram
made shortly after Lincoln's death.
Several pieces of furniture were
oringially in the Lincoln home in
Springfield, Ill. Both the exterior
and the interior of the house have
been so well restored that the ap-
pearance is very much the same
as it was the night Lincoln was
shot. The Petersen house was
chosen as place to carry the dying
President because the doctor in at
tendance had asked that Lincoln be
taken to the nearest house that had
light.
He had to be laid diagonally
across the small bed, his extreme
height not permitting any other
position. A meeting of the cabinet
was held in the back parlor, where
Secretary of War Stanton began his
investigation of the assassination.
At 7:22 the next morning April is,
1865 Lincoln died whereupon Sec
rotary Stanton voiced the historic
words: Nov he belongs to the
ages"