Philadelphia Timeline, 1865

1865

• January 28. Delaware River frozen over; people crossed over to New Jersey.
• February 1. Passenger railway fares raised to 7 cents.
• February 8. Disastrous conflagration at Ninth and Washington Streets. Fire originated in coal-oil establishment. Fifty dwelling
• houses burned. Several persons perished. Streets filled with snow, and banked up the burning coal-oil, forming a sea of fire.
• February 23. Draft commences in First an Second Wards.
• February 24. Draft in Third, Fourth and Seventh Wards.
• February 27. Draft in Sixth and Ninth Wards.
• March 14. Mrs. Rachel Hancock dies from effects of a shot which the provost Guard was firing at a deserter in Fourth Street, near Buttonwood.
• March 22. Draft in Twenty-Fifth Ward.
• April 3. News of capture of Richmond, Va. Great rejoicing. State House bell rung. Blowing of steam whistles and ringing of hose carriage bells, and striking of gongs in front of Independence Hall. Parade of firemen. Mass meeting in front of Custom House. Illumination in evening.
• April 9. News of surrender of Lee's Army. Illumination, blowing of steam whistles and ringing of fire bells. Firing of cannon.
• April 15. News of assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on the evening of Good Friday, April 14, General mourning throughout the city.
• April 22. President Lincoln's body escorted to Independence Hall by a large military and civic precession.
• May 14. New Union League House, Broad and Sansom Streets, opened.
• May 17. Merrick's foundry partially destroyed by fire. Loss $75,000.
• June 10. Review of returned Philadelphia troops, General Meade commanding.
• June 24. Reception of General Grant at Union League House.
• June 27. Fire. Joseph B. Biddle & Co.'s fire works store, 108-110 South Delaware Avenue. Loss, $100,000.
• June 28. Fire. C.J. Fell & Co.'s spice establishment, 120 South Front Street. Loss, $70,000.
• July 1. Spire of German Reformed Church, Green above Fifteenth Street, blown down; no one hurt.
• July 3. Mary Ridey kills, by stabbing, two brothers, Joseph and Isaac Sides, at 1170 North Third Street, a house known as "The New Idea."
• August 10. Large sale of Government vessels at the Navy Yard.
• August 12. St. George's M. E. Church, fourth Street, Below New, partially destroyed by fire.
• August 28. Union and Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloons closed. Imposing ceremonies at the Academy of Music.
• October 3. Great fire. French, Richards & Co.'s drug establishment, Tenth and Market Streets. Loss, near $300,000.
• October 8. Fire, Coal-oil sheds, Dickinson Street Wharf. Loss, $100,000.
• October 16, Grand parade of volunteer Firemen. In line 102 hose carriages, 57 steam fire engines, 11 hand engines, 12 hook and ladder trucks, 26 ambulances, including 30 companies from other cities.
• November 29. Boiler explosion, Penn Treaty Iron Works, one man killed, three injured.
• December 2. Landreth Public School partially destroyed by fire.
• December 28. City Councils pass ordinance for the erection of a new court house on Sixth Street side of Independence Square.