No day passed over her head without her doing something for someone.” What a great tribute to this special First Lady! A friend wrote about Ida Saxton McKinley, “Her greatest charm was her perfect sincerity and thoughtfulness for others. Often we hear stories about our presidents, so it was refreshing to hear stories about their First Ladies and catch a glimpse at their lifestyle. During his presidential campaign, they moved to a more modest home, which more closely matched William’s background. The McKinleys only lived at the Saxton McKinley House for a short time between 1878-1895, while William was serving in the US House of Representatives and then as Governor of Ohio. Grover Cleveland was a friend of the family’s and actually bought Francis her baby carriage. Many interesting facts were given about various First Ladies, for example, Francis Cleveland happened to be America’s youngest First Lady. Today the walls of that ballroom display short stories and pictures regarding the life of each First Lady. If she had an attack out in public, William would put a handkerchief over her face so people would not glimpse her facial contortions during seizures.Īlso on the third floor was the beautiful ballroom for entertaining. These two problems made it necessary for Ida to sit as much as possible and this petite lady with a 20″ waist, 18″ when corseted, attempted to hide her afflictions as much as possible. Medication for her seizures often made her listless. To ease her migraine headaches, her hair was cut because the weight of the braids was considered a possible cause. Consumed by her grief, Ida’s headaches became more severe, accompanied by seizures and tremors. Their second child, Ida, died at six months of age and two years later Katie, their three year old, contracted typhoid fever and passed away. On the third floor, William had his office across the hall from Ida’s room so he could be close to her. In the Formal Parlor you get a glimpse of a music box purchased on Ida’s trip to Switzerland as well as the piano topped with Victorian sheet music, which she enjoyed playing. The Library held William McKinley’s chair and a large collection of Ida’s fans, which numbered over 250. Fortunately, there are still original walls and woodwork throughout much of the home. Almost everything inside the house today is a reproduction, but based very carefully on the Victorian style used in the original 1800’s house – after extensive research at the Smithsonian. Her affluent background made it possible to lead an extravagant lifestyle. Her other grandfather, John Saxton, was founder of the Canton Repository newspaper. The Saxton McKinley House was originally built in 1840 by Ida’s maternal grandfather, George DeWalt. However they met, William indulged her every whim and was seldom far from her side, which turned out to be a major political asset. Or perhaps they met during a picnic at Myers Lake Park. Another story said that both Ida and William were Sunday School teachers at different churches, and passed each other on the way to church. Some said Ida was a cashier in the bank where William transacted business for the law firm he joined when moving to Canton. To add a little mystery, there are conflicting stories as to how Ida and William McKinley met each other. She was very knowledgeable regarding the history of the house and the family. Visitors were greeted by a young lady dressed in a replica of Julia Tyler’s gown. That seems quite possible as this was her family home where she lived for twenty-eight years.īeautiful gardens connect the Education and Research Center to the Ida Saxton McKinley House, both part of the First Ladies National Historic Site in Canton, Ohio. McKinley’s Victorian Style Home First Ladies Historic SiteĬould the sound of footsteps on the spiral staircase at the Saxton McKinley House be those of Ida McKinley? Once in a while the footsteps echo late at night, and the light step is attributed to Ida.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |