Welcome back to another blog post! This is day 10 of our trip, where we will explore into the history of two our our nation’s presidents, both hailing from Ohio…
Rutherford B. Hayes, and… Garfield!
No not that Garfield… President James A. Garfield!
Ah, thats better. Garfield was president for only four months before being assassinated by Charles Guiteau in 1881. I’ll elaborate later.
Let me be your guide as we tour both Spiegel Grove and Lakeview Cemetery!
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, at Spiegel Grove
Quite a long name, but the Hayes Library is nonetheless the first Presidential Library in the country! Others may claim it, but the Hayes Center is the real McCoy!
After a short drive from our hotel, we found the gates!
This place is truly unique from the others, as, you’ll see in a moment, is in a very nice woodland property.
This is just one view, but it’s gorgeous! From Google Earth (if anyone else has that hobby), its very easy to see looking over Fremont, as it’s a dark green wedge of trees in the town.
Like this.
We came in through the southwest entrance. The grounds are free to walk around, which also includes the tomb. Naturally, as we save our presidential tombs as the last thing to do, we would do the Hayes’ Mansion first, then the Museum/Library.
This is the front (and unused) entrance, mostly for ceremonial purposes (and that’s me on the steps).
This however, IS the main entrance for visitors.
After getting our brochures and information regarding the site, we walked over to the house.
And here it is! Believe it or not, this house actually has 4 floors and a basement! The Hayes family must have had pretty good wealth base. Spiegel Grove, it’s name, was derived from the word Spiegel, the german and dutch word for “Mirror”. When it would rain, the leftover puddles would reflect light, thus, “Spiegel Grove” was born.
We took a small walk around before we neared the house, and saw this gorgeous view! You wouldn’t even think that suburbs surrounded this property! Trees were towering over us on the small paths.
That house on the right belongs to the superintendent of the property.
I would also like to point out the uselessness of this sundial, in that, the shade prevents any light from it being able to tell time. Kind of defeats it’s whole purpose.
Here’s a better picture of Spiegel Grove (with me in it). Five generations of Hayes have lived here in a course of over 100 years, after it was constructed by Sardis Birchard, the uncle of the 19th president (The B in Rutherford B. Hayes stands for Birchard).
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house, where we explored the first two floors of the area. President Hayes lived here with his wife Lucy and his children after they left Washington D.C. Afterwards, the great-grandson of the president donated the house to the Ohio Historical Society in 1965, where it was restored. Rooms on the first floor included a very expansive library, a parlor, a dining room, the master bedroom where both Rutherford and Lucy died 3 years apart from one another, and an “inner sanctum”, where Hayes would go to relax.
Rooms on the second floor were largely different to what Hayes experienced, as 3 generations lived after him. There were numerous items that belonged to them however. A lot of the wood inside the house was made from Butternut, a hard type of wood indigenous to Ohio that has been relatively endangered. The house had undergone very extensive research and restoration to get it back to the look of when President Hayes resided here.
Anyways, we then explored the Museum, in the same stone building I showed earlier.
Here are some of Hayes’s inagurational effects, including his chair, and the bible which he swore his oath upon.
Have I mentioned that Hayes was the first president to own a telephone? His number was “1”. Just “1…” I’d imagine that if someone called him and got the wrong number, he would suggest for them to try “2.”
Hayes is not one of our more well known presidents, but he still has done a number of good things, including his work towards Civil Service Reform, fighting the Spoilage System (where friends who helped an official get a job could get a government job as well), his negotiations with American Indian Tribes, attempts to reconcile differences between the North and the South by pulling troops out of the southern states (thus ending the reconstruction period), he helped to quell the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 by sending Federal Troops, and overall restored public faith in the presidency following the corruption in the Grant administration.
This was the first Morgan Silver Dollar Coin minted in the U.S., and was given to President Hayes as a gift. I have a couple of Morgan Dollars, myself, two being from 1889, and another from 1921.
Some pieces of china on display owned by Lucy Hayes. Her nickname was “Lemonade Lucy”, because, as a supporter of the Temperance Movement, she served lemonade at white house receptions instead of alcohol. Naturally, this didn’t settle well with some guests. She was also credited with starting the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House Lawn.
And this is one of Lucy Hayes’ dresses. She and Rutherford were true sweethearts, having met while Lucy, a nurse, was tending to her future husband’s wounds during the Civil War. When she died, President Hayes noted that, “The soul had left Spiegel Grove”.
Some of Hayes’s accessories. He liked to dress sharp, even if it was a casual setting. He was also said to be a very personable and friendly man.
He had a flair for carriages as well, such as this one he owned throughout his career.
A Fremont “Pump Fire Wagon”. I’d imagine that the Hayes family played a lot into the history of Fremont, as several things are named after them. Hayes Road, Birchard Avenue, and the nearby church.
This was a scene depicting Lucy Webb tending to a wounded Major Hayes. A beginning to a truly tender and loving bond.
Hayes was one of numerous presidents to be a General, in his case, a Brigadier General. He was called into action to lead Ohio’s 23rd Regiment.
Inside was also a temporary exhibit on medicine and doctoring during the 1800’s, which were often gruesome and ineffective, ranging from leeches and sloppy amputations, to the belief that bad air caused infections, not germs. 
In that temporary exhibit was also the death mask of James A. Garfield, Hayes’s successor. Garfield is a classic example of being subject to barbaric medical methods that made his last few days very strenuous. I’ll talk on this later as we get to Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland.
Nearby was also this statue of Hayes himself!
If there’s one thing that most people remember about him, it’s his beard. He certainly had the (or one of the) longest beard(s) in the presidency. He had it for 32 years, starting after he went to fight for the Union in the Civil War.
And this is a replica of the Resolute desk! If no one is familiar with that name, it’s the desk that nearly every president since Hayes has used. Some might recall the picture of the Kennedy children peeking out from under the cubby in the desk while President Kennedy worked. This replica represents is that same desk that is currently used in the White House. It was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Hayes, in a sign of thanks for returning the wreckage of the HMS Resolute to Great Britain (the actual desk was made out of timber from the ship).
While I admire the men who have served in the nation’s highest office, I usually wouldn’t seek to sit behind the desk myself. This of course, is an exception.
One of Hayes’s hobbies was collecting the signatures of every U.S. President! These are medals commemorating each one, with anything from letters to official documents making up the papers.
Starting from George Washington…All the way to Barack Obama. Naturally, Hayes isn’t alive anymore, so we can presume that the museum continued to collect these after his passing.
There was one last thing to do… the tomb.
So on we walked.
These squirrels are among the most fearless I have ever seen. There are about three or four visible in the picture. They’ve been known to have a fondness for peanuts..
Uh oh, we’ve been spotted.
Soon enough, we came to the approach.
It’s a very pretty spot actually, in the midst of all these trees. Definitely unique from anything we’ve seen so far in our trip.
In contrast to the Ohio Trend (where most Ohio presidents die in office, and get elaborate tombs or memorials), Hayes’s is rather simple. I like that.
Behind was the grave of his son, Webb Cook hayes, and his wife.
This rock has many of the awards that Hayes was bestowed.
Hayes is sadly one of our past presidents that has fallen into relative obscureness. He certainly doesn’t have the tallness of Lincoln, or the stern gaze of Washington…. but then again, there’s his beard!
Ok seriously though… it’s good to study these lesser known presidents, as it not only connects the dots between more well known eras in history, but it also aids the fact that presidents are people too, and have their own joys, sorrows, and great moments! Every individual that has stepped up to serve in the White House deserves some measure of respect, they didn’t just get there by doing absolutely NOTHING after all (heck, even poor James Buchanan, often considered the worst of our 44 Presidents, deserves some merit), And Hayes is certainly no exception… serving in the military, as congressman, as three-term Governor of Ohio, and finally as President. And that, is a life worth celebrating.
And so, we took our leave of Spiegel Grove, and of Fremont. Our next destination took us to Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, where we would see the graves of both President James A. Garfield and monopoly magnate John D. Rockefeller (a little bit of alliteration for my English Teacher Mrs. Jones, if your reading this 🙂 )
Driving through Cleveland, we were awed by the size of the city.
Before too long, we found the gates!
Lakeview Cemetery (Cleveland)
And so, we drove in, and looked around for some sign of the memorial.
Nothing yet… though it’s a very pretty cemetery.
Nope, not there either.
Ah. Here it is!
This memorial is probably the largest structure in the cemetery… nearly on par with the majesty of Grant’s Tomb in New York City.
There’s me, on the front steps.
Though Garfield was only president for four months… he was a pretty popular guy. Hence this large sandstone monument.
First, lets look at the intricate carvings around the monument. 
This one on the left side of the monument depicts Garfield giving a lecture at the Geauga Academy in Ohio. He rose through the rankings from a carpenter’s assistant, to the college’s president. Now THAT, requires dedication.
This carving on the front left of the monument depicts Garfield as a surviving soldier of the lost Battle of Chattanooga. Here, he is giving a message to other officers to aid in the retreat to prevent more casualties at the hands of the Confederacy. He later became Major General in the Union Army, but was recalled by President Lincoln to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The central front carving depicts Garfield giving one of his many speeches on the House Floor. Garfield was a widely known and respected politician, even among rivals. Also, mind the bird defecation on the right side of the president’s head.
Here on the front right mural is the inauguration of Garfield. Leaning against the chair is his vice president, Chester A. Arthur, and sitting in the right chair is his predecessor, Rutherford B. Hayes.
In we go.
This gorgeous statue was carved by the same person who designed the buffalo nickels, James Earle Fraser. He apparently received his art training in Italy. And no, this is not the actual tomb, the burial crypt is one floor below.
There was definitely some admiration for Garfield.
Surrounding us were stained glass windows representing 14 states. Each of the original 13 colonies, and Ohio.
Some may think that they went overboard with the design, but remember, not only was that normal in the Victorian Era, but Garfield was a martyr, who died in office. Presidents that die in this fashion are often bestowed memorials like this. (Particularly the Ohio ones).
Climbing up a long flight of stairs, we reached the second floor, and looked down… I am not taking this picture again. Please do not make me take it again, or I might make an early return home from the trip, not necessarily in as good condition as I am in currently. After climbing up a good way and looking down like that can make anyone dizzy and nauseous, so there.
We climbed a bit more to the overlook of the monument, and…
Wow. It was a perfect overview of downtown Cleveland. You could see for miles!
In case you were wondering, the tallest building there is Key Tower. It provides financial security services (and yes, I looked that up).
While the overlook was above, the actual crypt is located under the memorial. Lets have a look see.
Back down to the ground floor, then down more flights of steps, we found a little room before the crypt.
Various memorabilia of the Garfields and of the memorial.
The children of Cleveland also hold Garfield in high regard I see.
Let’s enter.
Here they are… James and Lucretia Garfield.
And in case you were wondering, yes. These are the actual caskets. This is the only place in the country where you can see the real casket of a president. Garfield’s is the one with the flag draped over it.
Here’s a better view.
As the document says, the urns by the caskets hold the remains of daughter Mollie and her husband, seen above.
The crypt chamber is in an octagonal shape, with vantage points in every side. That’s me on the north side.
Naturally, theres that solemnity that goes with any famous gravesite.
I might as well tell the story of how Garfield died… it’s an intriguing, yet sad one.
This is Charles Guiteau, Garfield’s killer. Guiteau was the kind of person that drifted through life, trying everything but with little success or zeal. He tried to be a college professor, a religious head, the leader of some free-love communion (women nicknamed him Charles “Get out”), and even tried applying for the job of Minister to France. When turned down, he supposedly got a “vision from god” that told him to kill the president. He certainly wasn’t a mentally stable person.
At a Washington D.C. train station, Garfield was shot by Guiteau twice in the back. Observers immediately converged on Guiteau, who was taken away to custody. Meanwhile, doctors began to operate on Garfield with unsterilized fingers and tools, with the first operation taking place on the train station floor.
Generally, doctors in this time period didn’t believe the germ theory provided by Dr. Joseph Lister (namesake for Listerine), so, as a result, Garfield’s wounds became septic, and infected. Garfield was taken to a cottage in Elboron, New Jersey under the care of doctor D. Willard Bliss (the D stood for doctor, his first name. Tells you a bit already about his personality), who immediately took charge, with no second opinions.
They tried many methods to extract the bullet, but with little success. They even called in the actual inventor Alexander Graham Bell to try to find the bullet with a metal detector. As the bedsprings were made of metal however, that provided little success. Furthermore, Dr. Bliss, not wanting to be proven wrong, said that the bullet was on the left side of the body, and would only let doctors examine that particular area. Garfield’s weight plunged from 220 lb to 130, until at last, after 11 weeks of excruciating pain and discomfort, Garfield passed away as the second president to die in office. Bliss’s ignorance was later discovered when the autopsy revealed that the bullet was on the right side, contrary to his suggestions. It is from Dr. Bliss that we received the saying, “Ignorance is Bliss.”
Guiteau protested that “The doctors killed him, I just shot him”.
It’s hard to think that this insane man could have said something factual… He was hanged, but the harm was already done.
Garfield didn’t have to die, he was a victim of ill-advised medicinal procedures, and the supervision of an arrogant doctor. His service was cut short, and i’m sure that he would have been of great asset to the Union had he been able to go on.
But some good did become of Garfield’s death, believe it or not. Not only did doctors adopt the use of antiseptics and the germ theory of Europe, but, if only for a time, his death reunited the North and South as one, in mourning of their fallen son, and their common hero. In the very least, it eased simmering tensions of the different factions.
President Garfield, thank you for your service, not only as president, but as a congressman and general. Many today regard you as a historical footnote, but you still played a part in our history regardless, so thank you.
However, our trip to Lakeview Cemetery isn’t over just yet.. there’s one more major player of the Gilded Age that we need to see.
Across a couple of streets, and up a hill, we came to one of the tallest obelisks in the cemetery.
The Rockefeller Dynasty… headed by John D. Rockefeller, arguably the wealthiest person in modern history (definitely in American History).
look how short I am compared to this goliath! This is just the marker though.
Here is the entire den of Rockefellers! Those three nearest the marker and covered by flowers belong to Rockefeller, his wife, and his mother.
Kind of simple… which is ironic, considering his wealth, and also considering the grandeur of Garfield nearby.
We finally left Lakeview Cemetery, and found our way to Independence, which is technically a satellite city of Cleveland, so i’ll say Cleveland (Unrelated to Independence, Missouri).
Now, for today, we are about to leave for an unexpected destination… The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! I know little about it, so we’re eager to see what we can see. We also have adjusted our plans a little bit! Instead of going to Mentor (as we’ll pass through it later to make a more convenient manner, I think we’ll make it to Buffalo, one of the farthest points on our trip!
I can’t wait! See y’all soon!
Mark's Historical Roadtrips! 