29: WRIGHT TO ARMSTRONG: A DAY OF FIRSTS

In U.S. history, four Presidents had been assassinated. After my visit to Ford’s Theater, I had stood on the site where three of the events had occurred:  Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas was the first; the location of the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York was my second site; and of course Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. was the third.  For my fourth and final assassination site, it was only a five-block walk to the spot where the old Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station was located in 1881.

But first, I had one stop to make at the northwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street.  In 1841, on the site across 6th Street from where the Newseum was located, stood the Brown’s Indian Queen Hotel.  After the death of William Henry Harrison on April 4, 1841, Vice President John Tyler took the Oath of Office as the 10th President of the United States at the Brown’s Hotel. It was going on 11:30am as I stood for a quick photo at the site of the Brown’s Hotel, which met its demise in 1935.  When I looked at old photographs of the Brown’s Hotel, the current structure had a striking resemblance to the actual historic building.  There was no doubt in my mind, however, that even thought there was a resemblance the old hotel looked better than the current building.

The site where the Brown’s Indian Queen Hotel once stood and where John Tyler took the Oath of Office on April 4, 1841 following the untimely death of President William Henry Harrison in the White House.
A painting of the Brown’s Indian Queen Hotel in Washington D.C. When I saw what the Brown’s Hotel looked like, I thought that someone made a huge mistake when they demolished the hotel in 1935.

One block away from the Brown’s Hotel site was my next stop; the James Garfield assassination site.  Since the actual Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station train was razed in 1908 by the order of Theodore Roosevelt; the exact location of the assassination has not been re-established with a plaque or historical marker.  Shortly after the shooting, however, a gold star was embedded in the station’s floor that marked the exact spot where Garfield was shot; but the star disappeared when the station was demolished.

In 1937, District city engineers estimated the exact spot of the shooting to be near the center of Constitution Avenue; roughly 30 to 40 feet west of the west curb of 6th Street.  That meant I had to stand in the center of Constitution Avenue, which was one of the main streets in Washington.  Once again I was going to run the risk of being run over by a car; but it was important for me to stand on the exact spot where Garfield was shot. My photographer paced out the 30 to 40 feet and then waited for traffic to clear.  It was shortly before noon, but since it was Sunday, traffic was lighter than it would be on a weekday morning. When there was a break in traffic, my photographer made a quick dash towards the middle of Constitution Avenue and placed me near a crack in the pavement where it was believed the shooting took place.  With the National Gallery of Art building in the background, I posed for the photo; and every second that I stood there, I worried whether or not I would be crushed to death by an oncoming car.

It was here, in the middle of Constitution Avenue, where President James Garfield was shot in the back by Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881. The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station once stood at this location, but was demolished in 1908.
Ready to leave by train for his vacation, President James Garfield was at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station on July 2, 1881 when he was shot in the back by Charles Guiteau. The station, pictured above, was razed in 1908 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt.
This drawing depicts the moment Charles Guiteau shot President Garfield in the back inside the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. I wanted to believe that where I stood in the middle of Constitution Avenue was exactly where Garfield was standing in this drawing.

As hard as I tried to think about the day that Garfield was standing on this spot when he was gunned down, I could only focus on the vehicles that were headed towards me.  Unlike Elm Street at Dealey Plaza in Dallas where my back faced oncoming traffic, I could easily see the fast-approaching cars and trucks that seemed to have me in their sights.  The fact that I could see my potential killers didn’t make me feel any less nervous. For me, death-defying chances were worth it.  I was proud of the fact that I had stood on the exact locations, or close to the exact locations, where the only four Presidential assassinations in American history had taken place.

As we arrived at Pennsylvania Avenue, my photographer captured this image of the United States Capitol Building; which was our next destination.

The clock struck noon and we were headed to the United States Capitol Building, which was only a few blocks away from the Garfield assassination site. The walk was uphill to Capitol Hill, but once again I had the luxury of riding in my camera case. Sometimes its great to be a helpless bobble head!

Since it was Sunday, we knew the building was closed and there would be no chance of seeing the interior of the Capitol.  There were a handful of places that I wanted to see inside the Capitol; including the spot in the Rotunda where JFK and Lincoln had laid in state after their assassinations.  I also wanted to see the place in the House of Representatives where John Quincy Adams had died.  But those sites would have to wait; at least until we returned from Baltimore on Friday.

At the East front of the Capitol, I was held above the steps where most of the Presidential inaugural addresses had occurred since Andrew Jackson took the oath in 1829. As I looked at the amazing building, I could almost hear Abraham Lincoln’s famous words that he spoke from those iconic steps on March 4, 1865: “With malice toward none, with charity for all …”

Also, from those very steps came another famous inaugural quote; one of which was delivered almost 96 years later by John F. Kennedy:  “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”  No one could have known or predicted that 1,038 days after those words echoed off the Capitol’s marble portico, JFK would be carried up those very steps to lie in state after his assassination.

I am standing at the east front of the Capitol Building where 35 Presidential inaugurations had taken place. In 1829, Andrew Jackson became the first President to be sworn-in there. Others before Jackson took the oath in the House or Senate Chambers, with the exception of Washington and Adams who took their oaths in New York City and Philadelphia.
During President Lincoln’s second inauguration on March 4, 1865, John Wilkes Booth stood and watched the ceremony from a platform near where I am standing in this photo.
John Wilkes Booth stalked Abraham Lincoln during his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865. Forty-one days later, Booth and Lincoln crossed paths again at Ford’s Theater.
My photographer captured a reflection of the Capitol, which I thought looked cool. I was surprised the Segway’s on the right weren’t in the reflection. Did I mention that I dislike Segway’s and the people who ride them?
The Statue of Freedom has crowned the dome of the Capitol since 1863. It’s original name was Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace and her crest peaks at 288 feet above the East front plaza.
As we walked around to the West side of the Capitol, my photographer captured this image of the building framed by the branches of a tree.
The West front of the Capitol has been the site of every Presidential inauguration since Ronald Reagan’s first ceremony on January 20, 1981. For the inauguration, a platform is constructed over the fountain behind me. The Presidential inauguration was moved from the East front to cut costs and to provide more space for spectators.
As we made our trek towards the National Air and Space Museum, my photographer snapped a photo of the James A. Garfield Monument that was unveiled near the Capitol on May 12, 1887.

Although there were no Presidential sites inside the National Air and Space Museum, my photographer left the cover of my case open so that I could see some of the historic aircraft.  That Sunday was special for one craft in particular: The Apollo XI Command Module ‘Columbia’. After all, it was July 20, 2014 and was the 45th anniversary of Apollo XI’s crew landing and walking on the surface of the Moon.

Our plan was to see the famous air and space vehicles as quickly as possible; then get to our land vehicle and make it to George Washington’s Mount Vernon before it closed at 5:00pm. I was impressed by the way Tom and Bob travelled together – they waste little time and get the most out of their sightseeing day; and at the end of that day, they simply collapse from exhaustion. I stand by the television set and laugh at them!

The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution is the most visited museum in the country and fifth most visited in the world.
As the most popular museum in the United States, the place was crowded and was swarmed by enthusiastic school-aged children who would rather be swimming or playing video games.
‘Columbia’, the Apollo XI Command Module, was the main attraction on the 45th anniversary of Mankind’s first steps on the Moon – July 20, 1969.
The Gemini IV space capsule that was in Earth’s orbit on June 3, 1965 when astronaut Edward White became the first American to successfully complete a spacewalk.
While none of this display had any authentic artifacts, my photographer thought it was necessary to snap an image as it was the 45th anniversary of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface.
Speaking of Apollo XI; this was Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin’s spacesuit that he used while walking on the surface of the Moon on July 20, 1969. Aldrin was the second man to walk on the lunar surface.
Apollo XI astronaut Buzz Aldrin as he stood on the surface of the Moon on July 20, 1969.
John Glenn’s spacesuit that he wore while piloting Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. During the three-orbit flight, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.
David Scott, commander of Apollo XV, was the seventh human to walk on the Moon. Scott used this spacesuit while on the lunar surface when he demonstrated Galileo’s theory by dropping a hammer and feather to see which would hit the Moon’s surface first.
On October 14, 1947, USAF Captain Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 rocket-engine-powered aircraft and became the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound. The plane was named ‘Glamourous Glennis’ after Yeager’s wife.
On May 20-21, 1927, pilot Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York to Paris, France.
There were a lot of “firsts” when it came to air and space craft at the museum. None compared to the Wright Brothers ‘Flyer’ which was the first airplane – PERIOD. The plane made history on December 17, 1903 when Orville Wright took to the air at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina for the first powered-flight of a heavier-than-air craft and he stayed airborne for an impressive 12 seconds while he covered a distance of 120 feet.
Basalt Moon rock that was collect by the astronauts of Apollo XV.

We had made good use of our time inside the National Air and Space Museum; we saw a lot of historic artifacts in a short period of time.  I had felt fortunate to have been up close to the full gamut of flight “firsts” – from the first airplane all the way to the capsule that took astronauts to the Moon for the first lunar stroll.

As we headed out of the front door to the Air and Space Museum and walked to the Optima, I was extremely excited. It was time for another “first” – a visit to the home and tomb of our first president, George Washington.

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Thomas Watson

My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!

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