The Lincoln tablets were unveiled April 29, 1924: the exercises began at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The invocation was by the Rt. Rev. Mongr. Cornelius F. Thomas. A History of the Ford Theatre Site was presented by Allen C. Clark. Eloquent addresses were made by the Hon. Henry R. Rathbone and by Frederick L. Fishback, Esq., of the Washington Bar. Mr. Rathbone vividly described and minutely, the scene of assassination. Mr. Fishback touchingly told of the last hours and of the funeral journey to Springfield. The tablet on the Ford Theatre site was revealed by Miss Maud Burr Morris; and Mrs. Osborne H. Oldroyd drew the cord which held the drapery to the tablet on the house where Lincoln died. It was the American flag which draped the tablets. The band from the Military School under the direction of Prof. W. J. Stannard interspersed selections. Frederick D. Owen was in charge of arrangements. Allen C. Clark presided. Abraham Lincoln Was Assassinated In This Building April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln Died In This House April 15, 1865, at 7:22 A.M. Purchased By The United States. in 1896. THE OLDROYD LINCOLN MEMORIAL COLLECTION. An organization, the Washington Memorial Association, secured an appropriation by Congress to acquire the house where Lincoln passed away. Osborne H. Oldroyd in the house has the Oldroyd Lincoln Memorial Collection. Mr. Oldroyd has with enthusiasm, energy, industry and intelligence gathered a Lincoln museum which is no less than marvellous. It contains three thousand articles. The articles include furniture, household goods, likenesses, cartoons, advertisements, books, manuscripts, everything which can appertain. The collection should belong to the people of the nation and forever be preserved with greatest appropriateness in the national city and where the martyr was in life the last. Mr. Oldroyd has offered the collection to the people, to remain where it is, upon terms of remarkable liberality. Yet Congress is strangely laggard in action. The collection should always carry the name, Oldroyd, for him, who created it. So praiseworthy is Mr. Oldroyd's creation, that adequate words of praise do not come to the writer and the line of the poet, he takes "In praise so just let ev'ry voice be join'd." FIRST RAILROAD INTO WASHINGTON THE AND ITS THREE DEPOTS By WASHINGTON TOPHAM (Read before the Society, March 20, 1923.) HE period of Jackson's presidency has been said to have been one of the most remarkable in history. In the events and transitions that took place during the '30's Washington City shared generously, and in the march of improvements began to occupy a more important position among the leading cities of our country. The coming of the iron horse was hailed with excited joy by the residents of the National Capital and prompted an operetta entitled: "The Railroad," written by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of the first president. One of the songs in the operetta began: "Of each wonderful plan E'er invented by man, That which nearest perfection approaches Which horses ne'er tire on, And traveled by steam, in steam coaches." This song was occasionally sung at festive boards. by its author and the elder Joseph Jefferson repeated it before delighted crowds when the company of players, of which he was a member, performed in Washington. During one of these performances the younger Joseph Jefferson, then a child of six years, made his appearance upon the stage.' In the year 1831, the father of Joseph Jefferson became manager of the old Washington Theatre, afterward the Canterbury, on Louisiana Avenue, just east of 6th Street, and the famous actor, whose home was in the rear part of the building, began his stage career there at the age of four.2 The entrance of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad into Washington in 1835 was one of the greatest events that had taken place in the city since its beginning. As affecting the business life and commerce of the city, it was the most important. This year witnessed other events of signal consequence to Washington. Morse had invented the telegraph; anthracite coal, such a valuable commodity today, was then just coming into use to displace wood fires, and the Treasury Department had just ordered a change in its heating arrangements. The National Theatre was then built and began its long, historic career of public entertainment. McLeod had just opened his school for the instruction and correction of the youth of the city. January 31, 1835, Alexander R. Shepherd was born, the man who was to change the entire physical appearance of the city, and to occupy a place in the local hall of fame above that of any other citizen. October 11, 1835, James Croggon first saw the light in his native city. Perhaps no one has written more about the Capital City, and no one was better qualified from long personal contact and experience than he. His 1R. R. Wilson in "Washington, the Capital City." 'Bryan's "History of the National Capital.” series of articles on "Old Washington," written during his 50 years connection with the Evening Star have been widely read and quoted. During the "Reconstruction" period, after the Civil War, he was the teacher of a class of boys, of which I was one, in our Sunday School, and many of the boys of those days needed instruction and some "reconstruction" as well. Mr. Croggon has written some interesting history of the first Baltimore and Ohio depot and its neighborhood, which was published years ago in the Evening Star. For many years he was familiar with this old structure, before it was torn down in 1869. In view of these facts, and as a tribute to his memory and his strong personal interest in his native city, I have incorporated some of his interesting story of the old depot, in this paper, with due credit to the author. "In the early years of the city when the Tiber crossed Pennsylvania Avenue at 2nd Street, there was public ground on the north side of the avenue, as well as on the south. Between 2nd and 3rd Streets, south of C Street, as the maps showed, there were two public reservations made by B Street cutting through the area. With the Tiber at this point flowing over a gravelly bed, and with no indications of improvement thereabouts, excepting the trees and bushes had been cut within the street lines, nature had full sway, and the national legislators, representing rural districts did not have far to go to enjoy a home-like scene. "These reservations, numbered 11 and 12, were in that portion of the domain, which by congressional act of 1822, to drain the low grounds, etc., was transferred to the municipality and converted into city squares. "They were platted into lots which were disposed of and built upon, and by reason of the location of our first railroad depot, at the corner of the Avenue and 2nd |