Thank You to Richard Sloan!

[Linda Anderson]

(09-04-2012 05:42 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Found this photo of Ford's today - have never seen this particular view - taken in 1877 - at least that is what the website stated.... I love the old iron weight hitch that the horse is tied to! These were carried in the conveyance and then dropped to where ever you wanted to hitch the horse. No hitching post needed....

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(09-04-2012 05:19 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Richard just sent some more old Lincoln Museum snapshots. Thank you, Richard!

CLICK HERE

Thanks, Richard and Roger! These are priceless. It's always refreshing to see things as they once were....

I asked Betty for help in deciphering the name of the laundry next to Ford's. She told me the name is Yale Laundry so I did some research to see if we can date the photograph. The Yale Steam Laundry buildings on New York Ave closed in 1976 and have recently been converted into condos. According to Wikipedia, "The original buildings [on New York Ave] were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1999."

The application can be found online: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/T...000332.pdf "Frank H. Walker and Frank E. Smith established the Yale Steam Laundry Company in 1885...The first office/cleaning facility of the Yale Steam Laundry was located directly across the street from Ford's Theater and adjacent to the Peterson House (1849) where President Lincoln died. Although not originally constructed as a commercial building, the three-and-a half-story structure at 522 10th Street, N.W. (later identified as 518 10th Street) was renovated by Walker and Smith to provide cleaning and storefront facilities...By 1896, the company maintained a second store at 1104 14th Street, N.W. The expansion of the business prompted F.H. Walker and Company to have a laundry plant constructed at 43 G Street, N.W., directly behind the United States Government Printing Office at 708 North Capitol Street...While the majority of work taken in by the Yale Steam Laundry was always commercial and institutional, the company did maintain regular street routes and satellite offices throughout portions of the city to service household or "housewife" laundry (as it was called in the period).

"On April 15, 1902, F.H. Walker and Company was granted a building permit for the construction of a new cleaning plant at 437 New York Avenue, N.W. (Square 514, Lot 5)."

The 1905 City Directory lists Yale Steam Laundry at 518th 10th St. NW. However, in 1906 the address changed to 517 10th St. NW, next to Ford's Theater, where it remained until at least 1923. The application to the National Register of Historic Places never mentions the 517 10th St. NW address and Fold3's collection of City Directories ends in 1923 so that's as far as I can trace the 10th St. branch for now.

The above photograph was most likely taken between 1906 until at least 1923. It could have been taken during the Coolidge administration, as Jerry suggested. F. H Walker and Company sold the business in 1917 and the business was sold again in 1939 to the Conger family who in turn sold it in 1976. Any relation to Everton Conger, Rob?

Here are some more photos of Ford's Theater. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcplcommons/3420862749/