Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/163

 FORD

i-'OKU

27, I860, on the Mississippi river. He was after- ward on board the Estrella in Mobile bay and on the Sebaijo, Fensacola, Guerriere and Sacramento successively. On the last named vessel he was wrecked on Coromandel Coast, Madras, India, in June, 1867. In November, 1807, he returned to the United States and was stationed at Norfolk, Va., in charge of machinery afloat. He was promoted 1st assistant engineer in June, 1808. He served on the Franklin, Swatara, Miantonomoli and Hartford, successively, 1868-75; was promoted passed assistant engineer, Feb. 24, 1874; served on the naval examining board, Washington, 1876-78; was on board the Tennessee, 1878-83; and at the bureau of steam engineering, 1883-84. He inaugui-ated the Baltimore manual training school in March, 1884, and conducted it till Octo- ber, 1890. In December, 1890, he was promoted to the rank of chief engineer, and cruised on the Alert as fleet engineer of the Pacific station, 1890-94. In February, 1894, he was a mem- ber of the naval engineers examining board at Philadelphia and also started a course of me- chanical engineering at the Marvland agricultu- ral and mechanical college. In July, 1897, he was promoted commander, and in January, 1898,

•••Baltimore."*

•was fleet engineer of the Pacific station, on the flagship Baltimore. He joined the Asiatic fleet in March and took part in the actions of April 30, May 1, and August 13, in the destruction of the Spanish fleet off Cavite and of the batteries; the capture of the forts at Corregidor, and the cap- ture of Manila, P.I. He published: Manual Train- inr/ in Public Schools (1884-89); An American Cruiser in the East (1898).

FORD, John Thompson, theatre manager, •was born in Baltimore, JId., April 16, 1829; son of Elias and Anna (Greanor) Ford. He attended the public schools of Baltimore; and from 1844 to 18.50 he was in the employ of his uncle, Wil- liam Greanor, a toVtacco manufacturer in Rich- mond, Va. In ISol he became business manager for George KtrnkeFs nightingale minstrels and conducted the troup on a tour of the United States and Canada, at the same time writing letters to the Baltimore Clipper. In 1854 he formed a co-partnership with George Kunkel and Thomas Moxlev and leased a theatre at .Rich-

FORD'S THEATRE:.

mond, Va., also the HoUiday Street theatre, Bal- timore, Md. About the same time his theatrical venture in Washington, D.C., began. In that city he managed the National theatre, and erected Ford's opera house, and Ford's theatre, in which Pres- ident Lincoln was assassin ated. At the time of that tragedy the theatre was seized by the United States government, an order was is sued i>rohibit ing forever its use as a place of amusement and Mr. Ford was compen sated with

8100,000. In

1861 he became manager of the Holliday Street theatre, Baltimore, 5Id., which he controlled for twenty-five years, twice re- building it. He also managed the Front Street theatre, Baltimore, and the Broad Street theatre, Philadeljihia, Pa., erected the Leland opera house in xilexandria, Va., managed other theatres in southern cities, and in 1870 began the erection of Ford's grand opera house, Baltimore, Md., which was opened on Oct. 1, 1871. In addition to his duties as a theatre manager he served two years as acting mayor of Baltimore; was president of the city council, 1857-58; director of the Mary- land penitentiary twenty-five years; director in the B. & O. railroad; president of the Union rail- road; vice-president of the Humphrey Moore institute, and director of the Boys' home of Bal- timore. He was married to Edith, daughter of Jaiqes Andrews of Virginia. He died in Balti- more, Md.. March 14, 1894.

FORD, Paul Leicester, author, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., March 23, 1865; son of Gordon Lester and Emily Ellsworth (Fowler) Ford. In 1890 he became editor of the Lihranj Journal. His published works include: The Webster Geneal- orjy (1876); Bibliotheca Chaunciana (1884); Bibli- otheca Ilamiltoniana (1886); Pamphlets on the Constitution (10 vols., 1888); The Best Laid Plans (1889); The Origin, Purpose and PesnU of the Harrisburg Convention o/77SS (1890); The H>i«- ings of Thomas Jefferson (1890-99); The Writings of Christopher Cohimbns (1802); Essays on the Con- stitution (1892); Josiah Tnrker and His Writings (1894); The Hon. Peter Stirling and irhat People