Leonard Byron Grover (December 9, 1833 – March 7, 1926) was a nineteenth-century

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

comedic playwright, theatre manager, opera impressario, and sports promoter, best known for his association with President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. His best known plays are ''Davy Crockett'' and ''Our Boarding House'', believed to be the origin of the phase "make no mistake". ''Our Boarding House'' premiered to great success January 31, 1877, at the Park Theatre in Brooklyn, and was the launch of the comedy duo

Stuart Robson Stuart Robson may refer to: * Stuart Robson (actor) * Stuart Robson (speedway rider) See also * Stewart Robson Stewart Ian Robson (born 6 November 1964) is an English former football player and TV and radio football pundit. He played for A ...

and

William H. Crane William Henry Crane (April 30, 1845March 7, 1928) was an American actor. Early years Crane was born in Leicester, Massachusetts on April 30, 1845. He grew up in Boston and graduated from Brimmer School. Career He made his first professional ap ...

. His play ''Cad, the Tomboy'' was a big success for the actress Carrie Swain for whom he wrote that work. Grover established his own touring company, the Grover German Opera Company, which presented '' Faust'' and ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...

'' in New York and Philadelphia. He also established Grover's Theatre in Washington, D.C., where President

frequently attended performances with his wife and Secretary of State

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senate, United States Senat ...

. Grover was reported to have "saved Lincoln's life" outside the theatre; on one occasion after a performance, the president's carriage was surrounded by an angry mob and his driver was unable to move, and Grover jumped up, took the reins, and drove the president and his party to safety. He was told afterwards that the president felt he owed his life to Grover's quick thinking. The president's son,

Tad Lincoln Thomas "Tad" Lincoln (April 4, 1853 – July 15, 1871) was the fourth and youngest son of Abraham Lincoln, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. Early life and education Thomas Lincoln was born on April 4, 1853, the fourth son of Abraham Lincoln and Ma ...

, was attending a performance of ''Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp'' at Grover's Theater on April 14, 1865, when his father was

assassinated Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...

a few blocks away at Ford's Theatre. In 1909, he wrote a lengthy piece for ''

The Century Magazine ''The Century Magazine'' was an illustrated monthly magazine first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City, which had been bought in that year by Roswell Smith and renamed by him after the Century Associatio ...

'' titled "Lincoln's interest in the theater." As a sports promoter, he organized the 1860 fight between English boxing champion

Jem Mace James "Jem" Mace (8 April 1831 – 30 November 1910) was an English boxing champion, primarily during the bare-knuckle era. He was born at Beeston, Norfolk, Beeston, Norfolk. Although nicknamed "The Gypsy", he denied Romani people, Romani ethn ...

and American

John C. Heenan John Camel Heenan, also known as the Benicia Boy (2 May 1834 – 28 October 1873) was an American Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle prize fighter. Though highly regarded, he had only three formal fights in his career, losing two and drawing one. ...

44 Union Square 44 Union Square, also known as 100 East 17th Street and the Tammany Hall Building, is a three-story building at 44 Union Square East in Union Square, Manhattan, in New York City. It is at the southeast corner of Union Square East/Park Avenue So ...

, as well as wrestling matches between Scotsman

Donald Dinnie Donald Dinnie (10 July 1837 – 2 April 1916) was a Scottish strongman, born at Balnacraig, Birse, near Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Sometimes regarded as "The Nineteenth Century's greatest athlete", Dinnie's athletic car ...

and New Yorker

William Muldoon William A. Muldoon (May 25, 1845 – June 3, 1933) was the Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion, a physical culturist and the first chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. He once wrestled a match that lasted over seven hours. Nicknamed "Th ...

. Grover was born in 1833 in Springwater, New York. He died in Brooklyn, aged 92.

Theatre invitations to Abraham Lincoln

References

1833 births 1926 deaths People from Springwater, New York 19th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century American male writers American impresarios American boxing promoters {{US-dramatist-stub