DC Sites

[L Verge]

A mystery - at least to me - that needs solving: Exactly where did the Harrises and Henry Rathbone live on April 14, 1865. As you can tell from above postings, I have always assumed that they lived together in a lovely house on Lafayette Square and were picked up there by the Lincolns en route to Ford's. I believe that it was Roger who earlier thought that maybe Clara and Henry went to the White House to leave from there.

Joan Chaconas and I did a little debating today, and she (who is a D.C. history nut) believes that Henry may have been the one who lived on the Square and that the Harrises lived in a suite of rooms at the Willard Hotel. What we need is the 1865 City Directory for D.C. We know that the D.C. Historical Society has/had one and so does the Martin Luther King Public Library's Washingtoniana Room. However, getting anyone from either of those two institutions to respond to questions has proved useless.

Researching in D.C. with all its wonderful archives used to be much easier fifty years ago. You actually had wonderful personnel who were eager to help. I guess some like that still exist, but it's frustrating when you can't get anyone to help you.

[Linda Anderson]

Fold3 has DC City Directories.

Senator Ira Harris is listed as living at "15th west cor H north" in the 1866 Directory. There is no Directory for 1865 in Fold3.

Wouldn't 15th St. west be a block away from Seward's house on 15 and 1/2 Street?

Henry is not listed in the 1866 Directory but in the 1867 Directory he is listed as boarding at the corner of 15th West and H North.

[RJNorton]

(05-07-2013 05:36 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I believe that it was Roger who earlier thought that maybe Clara and Henry went to the White House to leave from there.

Laurie, full credit for this possibility goes to John Fazio. I was just suggesting an idea from an article he wrote. John's article on this topic is here.

[Jim Garrett]

John O'Brien, who produced a map called "Lincoln in Washington has the Harris house at 333 H St, the northeast corner. He also has Henry Rathbone living at 712 Jackson Place at the time of the assassination. I think that it has always been a fair assumption that Rathbone still lived in the Harris household since it appears that it was from there that Harris and Rathbone were picked up. I believe I have seen conflicting accounts that Rathbone was taken back to the Harris home and also his home after the attack. I talked with Rae Emerson about this map when it was approved for sale at Ford's and she was very much impressed with Mr. O'Briens research and product.

[Rsmyth]

Roger, thank you for reposting that article. It is well researched but, why do we discount Rathbones own testimony about how he and Clara were picked up and transported to the theater? I was also under the impression that Senator Harris lived near the corner of Lafayette Square and Rathbone in the middle of the block on the same side, opposite the Seward residence.

[RJNorton]

Good morning, Rich. I will contact John and see if he would like to post in this thread.

[Laurie Verge]

I just want y'all to know that Joan Chaconas and I are getting precious little done at work while we try to solve the mysteries of the moveable Rathbones and Harrises! Joan also found a note that she had made years ago that Henry and Clara went to the White House to await the trip to Ford's.

This is becoming as much of a mystery as the one about who gave Booth his marching orders...

[Linda Anderson]

According to the DC City Directory, in 1866 Maj H. R. Rathbone was working in the Disbursements, Accounts, Returns, etc. department in the Provost-Marshal General's office. There is no home address for him.

In 1867 he is listed as living at the corner of 15th west and H north.
I couldn't find a listing for him in the 1868 Directory.
1869 - Henry Rathbone, Major USA, 266 Vt av
No listing in 1870.
In 1871 he is living at 8 Jackson pl nw.

Here is a photo from Findagrave of the Rathbones' son, Henry Riggs Rathbone, who was born on Feb 12, 1870.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[KateH.]

On the bottom of the sign, do the numbers 27 and 30 go with the admission price?

[JB Banning]

Kate,

Although blurry when blown up, I think the sign say 27 cents admission, 3 cents tax and 30 cents total.

Joe

[KateH.]

Thank you, Joe

It's interesting to remember a time when admission to anything was 30 cents. It brings back memories of listening to my great-grandfathers tell stories.

[BettyO]

I'm telling my age - but I remember when candy could be bought for a penny....and a 16 oz bottle of Coke was only .15 cents! I was also 10-12 years old.....!!

[RJNorton]

(05-09-2013 01:23 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I was also 10-12 years old.....!!

Wow, Betty, that was almost 30 years ago.

[BettyO]

More like 50 years!! HA!

[KateH.]

The world was a much simpler place in many ways. Looking at the clothing of Henry Riggs Rathbone, it was a well dressed time too. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to wear all the clothes People had such a great style. Not sure about where you all are, but on my campus it's just sweatpants and sneakers. What happened to hats and suites and pearls? Just the opinion of a vintage clothing lover