Have you ever wondered what happened to John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865? Well, wonder no more. On May 15, 2022, my photographer, Bob Moldenhauer, and I spent the entire day following in…
Author: 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!
193: THE WAIT’S FINALLY OVER, I WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE OF STOVER
Even though my photographer had his alarm set for 5:50am on Tuesday May 10, 2022, he woke about twenty minutes earlier and never went back to sleep. Perhaps Tom’s premature rise was due to him being extremely anxious to visit…
192: I KISSED THE HISTORIC BRICKS IN INDY – BUT NOT AT THE BRICKYARD
It’s been three long months since I returned home from my Winter Dance Party trip to Wisconsin and I was itching to get back on the road again. During that time span, my photographer had organized a high-octane rigorous 12-day…
191: THE FINAL DAYS OF AMERICA’S GREATEST HERO ON ‘HAIL TO THE CHIEF’
A wise old Scarecrow once said: “With the thoughts that you’ll be thinkin’, you could be another Lincoln, if you only had a brain.” The fact is: There has never been another Abraham Lincoln; at least in Washington D.C. Some…
190: REFLECTIONS OF LINCOLN FEATURED ON ‘HAIL TO THE CHIEF’
After Tom and I presented four ‘Hail to the Chief’ episodes of rather obscure and lackluster Presidents (Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan), the moment has arrived where we salute the greatest President in American history – Abraham Lincoln. I even…
189: THE BACHELOR PADS OF JAMES BUCHANAN ON HAIL TO THE CHIEF
Although James Buchanan, our 15th President, is considered by most historians to be the worst Commander-In-Chief in American history, my photographer and I were honored to have walked in his footsteps where he lived, worked, and died. Buchanan’s biggest claim…
188: A TOAST TO AMERICA’S SADDEST PRESIDENT – FRANKLIN PIERCE
Our 14th President Franklin Pierce was handsome, dashing, and very debonair. Secretly, however, Pierce was extremely depressed and became afflicted with alcohol consumption – especially after he witnessed his 11-year-old son get killed. Or did his wife drive him to…
187: CAN’T CALL FILLMORE “MR. IRRELEVANT” AFTER ‘HAIL TO THE CHIEF’ SHOW
On St. Patrick’s Day, the ‘Luck of the Irish’ was shining bright on a President who had been considered by most historians to be irrelevant; and quite feasibly inept. I’m talking about our 13th President Millard Fillmore. Since 1850, poor…
186: A PRESIDENT’S HOME IS WHERE HIS HEART IS – ONE THROUGH FORTY-FIVE
During my travels, which began on July 10, 2013, I’ve had the honor and privilege of visiting hundreds of Presidential sites associated with every one of our Commander-In-Chiefs from George Washington to Joe Biden. While some of those sites consisted…
185: MY GRAVE SITUATION ONE THRU THIRTY-NINE
There are many folks who have a goal of visiting every Presidential gravesite in our nation, but only a few have accomplished the feat. As far as I know, I’m the only bobble head who has been to all 39…