New Booth Pic?

[HistoryFan]

I certainly don't have all the answers here!

I can't explain the barber's story or why he maintained throughout his life that Booth was at his barber shop in Tamaqua, apparently telling enough people about it that when he passed away, his story was published not only in his Tamaqua obituary, but in Philadelphia newspapers, and even in the Cleveland, Ohio newspaper above (cited by Susan). Incidentally, Cleveland is 356 miles from Tamaqua, but his story made it into their newspaper.

I only know that the story exists; the story has existed since the time of Lincoln's assassination and 20 years thereafter; and we can't dismiss out of hand a contemporary account.

I like to keep an open mind and I certainly would love to vindicate Simon Jefferson and have his unmarked grave get a tombstone one day.

I don't know if anyone else has thought about this, but Simon Jefferson was asserting genealogical ties to Thomas Jefferson long before I believe it was generally accepted that Thomas Jefferson had fathered children with his slave(s). So if Simon was right about that (?) back in the mid-1800s ... (I haven't even begun to delve into the genealogy there, so have no idea) ... who knows what else he may have been right about?

I also know nothing about the rail lines in Tamaqua, apart from the fact that, "As of February 2, 1850, the fare from Tamaqua to Port Clinton was 75 cents and from Tamaqua to Philadelphia, $3.50." Wouldn't that be a passenger train, inasmuch as the fares were published?

I also know that Asia Booth Clarke lived in Philadelphia. Beyond that, I have no idea.

But I do believe that the study of history is an evolving art, so I am always open to new ideas and channels of thought.