In today’s world, John Wilkes Booth would be called a “rock star”. He was handsome, talented and well-paid. He came from a prominent family of thespians. He may have been an indifferent student, but he was skilled at fencing and horsemanship. He was well-known in Washington, D. C. from his many performances on the stage, and his stunning good looks certainly caught the attention of many.
On the morning of March 4, 1865, the day when Abraham Lincoln would be sworn in for his second term as President of the United States, it rained. In fact, it had rained nearly every day of the month just past. But the incessant downpour did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the 50,000 citizens who had gathered in front of the Capitol building in Washington, with its newly-completed dome topped by the statue of Freedom, to hear his inaugural address.
Read the entire article in the March 19th edition.
Capital District-On Saturday October 4th following a celebratory ceremony to kick off the day, the Leatherstocking Honor Flight set off for a trip to Washington D.C. The Honor Flight allowed many Capital Region Veterans to “experience and reflect together at their memorials.” The Leatherstocking Honor Flight was established in 2008. Leatherstocking is hub of the National Honor Flight Network, which serves the Greater Capital District of York, Western Massachusetts and Vermont. To date over 1,000 Veterans have been escorted to Washington D.C by way of the Leatherstocking Honor Flight. Currently there are hubs in almost all of the 50 states, each supporting the mission, “to recognize American Veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by flying them to Washington D.C to see their memorials, at no cost to them.”
Read the entire article in the Oct. 9th edition of the Express.
I will take a week off from Schaghticoke mill history to remind us all that 200 years ago at this time of year, New York State was being invaded by a large British Army via Lake Champlain. I was reminded of this because recently I heard an NPR radio broadcast recreating the invasion of Washington, D.C. two hundred years ago in August. The British Army, fresh from beating Napoleon at Waterloo, marched into Washington and burned the White House and Capitol buildings.
The annual 8th grade trip to visit Washington D. C. is always a much-anticipated and exciting time for the young students at Mechanicville Junior/Senior High School. They get to visit the renowned sites and experience the aura of this magnificent area where so much history has happened and is still happening today.
The trip was coordinated by 8th grade math teacher Mara Sweeter. It took the boys and girls to the Baltimore Aquarium and a Washington Nationals baseball game. They visited all the major monuments, took a trolley ride and narrated tour of Arlington National Cemetery, toured the Smithsonian Museums and delighted in the sights at the National Zoo.
Read the entire article in the May 22 issue of the Express.
Washington, DC is an amazing city. So many of the world’s great leaders have met here. So much history, triumph and tragedy, so much greatness have emanated from that 68.3 square mile area in the last 200 years! Today it is a veritable treasure trove of elegant architecture, impressive statuary, meaningful memorials, preserved old buildings and stylish new buildings. The written words recording the utterances of our nation’s greatest leaders over more than two centuries are to be seen and heard in many places in this great city. And here in the electronic age there are video terminals available providing an endless resource for film, photos and speeches which keep us in touch with the legacy of our capital city. You can feel the history everywhere you go.
We ventured to Washington two weeks ago to visit our son Marty and to see the sights. It was Cherry Blossom Festival weekend, so the capital city was teeming with tourists and school groups. The streets were crowded with pedestrians, buses, cars, taxis, trolleys and segways. Unfortunately, there was hardly a cherry blossom to be found. Mother Nature seems quite unwilling to give up on winter this year!
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