BUFFALO BILL AND ANNIE OAKLEY Various dates, 1888-1913 William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody, a former member of the Union cavalry and civilian scout for the U.S. Army, and Annie Oakley, a woman from humble beginnings who hunted to support her family, became professionally intertwined in 1887. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show was wildly popular across the country and in Europe. The duo appeared repeatedly in … Continue reading BUFFALO BILL AND ANNIE OAKLEY
ABRAHAM LINCOLN April 4-5, 1865 On April 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and his son Tad disembarked the USS Malvern at Rocketts Landing in the fallen capital of the Confederacy and were instantly recognized. “No electric wire could have carried the news of the President’s arrival sooner than it was circulated through Richmond…” said Admiral David D. Porter, who landed with Lincoln. Newly freed men … Continue reading ABRAHAM LINCOLN
JENNY LIND December 20, 1850 On a wet, foggy day in December 1850, a steamer navigated up the Potomac River bound for Richmond with the “Swedish Nightingale’” onboard. Later that evening the international celebrity Jenny Lind glided across stage into the spotlight. When Lind voiced the enchanting Bird Song, Richmonders welcomed her exquisitely soft voice resembling “the music of pearls in a golden basin.” The … Continue reading JENNY LIND
CHARLES DICKENS March 16-17, 1842 Charles Dickens crossed the Atlantic in 1842 to tour America. From Washington, Dickens rode the stagecoach to Fredericksburg, then traveled on by rail. He stayed at the Exchange Hotel on 14th and Franklin Streets, where there was an extravagant dinner given in his honor. In Richmond, the acclaimed English novelist discovered “pretty villas and cheerful houses in its streets, and … Continue reading CHARLES DICKENS
SOLOMON NORTHRUP April 1841 A free African-American farmer and violinist from upstate New York, Solomon Northup was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Slave traders brought Northup from Fredericksburg by railcar to Richmond, then one of the largest slaving-trading hubs in America. Northrup joined the 300,000 to 350,000 slaves sold, bought, and traded in Richmond between 1800 and 1865. Northup was likely held at … Continue reading SOLOMON NORTHRUP
