Norman Gasbarro | April 15, 2012
The lot numbered 41 in the original Simon Gratz layout of the town of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was sold in 1816 to a farmer, Peter Ritzman, an early settler of Lykens Township. Ritzman built the house shortly afterward and by 1818 sold the property to Jacob Hoover. Hoover continued to live in Lykens Township […]
Norman Gasbarro | April 14, 2012
Today’s post is a look at the credibility of Abraham Lincoln assassination witness, William J. Ferguson. Ferguson was the longest surviving member of the cast of Our American Cousin, the Tom Taylor comedy that was playing at Ford’s Theatre the night that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. As a witness to the assassination, his tale of […]
Norman Gasbarro | April 13, 2012
In February 1900, while skating Lake Whitney in Connecticut, William J. Ferguson, said to be the only surviving member of the cast of Our American Cousin from the night of the Lincoln assassination, rescued a fellow cast member of The Girl From Maxims, a play in which he was performing in New Haven. This is […]
Norman Gasbarro | April 12, 2012
In 1930, William J. Ferguson, actor and Abraham Lincoln assassination witness, published a book entitled, I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln. Ferguson, who died that year was the oldest surviving member of the cast of Our American Cousin, the Tom Taylor comedy that was being performed at Ford’s Theatre on the night of 14 April 1865, […]
Norman Gasbarro | April 11, 2012
In the post yesterday, the story of the silent film, The Battle Cry of Peace” (1915) was given and how that film related to the issue of preparedness for the United States possible participation in the world war that was already taking place in Europe. In that post, it was noted that William J. Ferguson, […]
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