James Garfield.  He was one of our US Presidents who was assassinated.  That’s all I knew about James Garfield.  His name was just an answer to a trivia question.  But, I learned much more about James Garfield during a recent visit to his home in Ohio.

While on my recent Colorado Roadtrip, I bought a National Parks Passport book.  I’ve visited many National Parks and Monuments in my travels.  Having seen other RVer’s with Passport books, I figured having one of my own would be a fun way to record my visits.  The Passport comes with a map that helps you find National Park system properties to visit.

So, after stopping in Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I checked my Passport book and found that the James A Garfield National Historic Site was nearby.  The site contains his summer (later the permanent home of his widow) house and is located in the town of Mentor, which was on the route we were taking home.

We had some extra time after leaving the Hall of Fame so I said, “what the heck”, lets stop and visit this site.  I’m glad we made the stop.  Here’s some interesting things that I learned about James Garfield.

Garfield Facts

• Garfield was the last President who was born in a log cabin.  Born in 1831, he was raised on a Ohio farm by his widowed mother.  As a young adult, he worked on canal boats and was often mocked for his meager upbringing.
• Garfield worked his way through college with jobs as a janitor and part-time teacher.  Ultimately, he graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1856.
• Garfield had a short career as a college professor and college president before being elected to the Ohio state senate.
• During the Civil War, Garfield served as a Major General in the Union Army and fought in battles at Middle Creek, Shiloh, and Chickamauga.
• Garfield was elected to the US Congress in 1862 representing Ohio’s 19th District. He served in Congress for over 18 years.  He was also briefly elected to the US Senate in 1880.
• Garfield was an unexpected President.  In the election of 1880, he was working as the campaign manager for his friend John Sherman who was seeking the Republican nomination.  At the convention, Sherman failed to get the nomination.  There were many negotiations and trial ballots.  On the 36th ballot Garfield’s name was put forth and he won the nomination.  He narrowly won the general election against Democrat (and former general) Winfield Scott Hancock by less than 10,000 votes.
• Garfield was shot by a political operative (Charles Guiteau) who was disgruntled for not being given a political appointment.  Garfield was shot at a Washington DC railroad station as he waited for a train to take him back to Ohio for a vacation.  At that time, Presidents had no guards or security details.  He was at the train station with two of his sons and two cabinet members who were seeing him off.  He was shot twice in the back.
• The shots were not fatal.  Garfield remained conscious and was brought to the White House.  Over the course of several weeks, he suffered from infections, anemia, pain and fevers.  He remained alive for 11 weeks.  He ultimately died from a ruptured artery after being moved to the New Jersey shore to recuperate.
• Garfield served as the 20th US President for 200 days.  He was just 50 year old when he died in 1881.

Garfield Historic Site

Garfield bought the property in Mentor in 1876.  He purchased the property to be a summer residence and a place where he could teach his sons farming.  He expanded the original farm-house adding 11 rooms and porches.  A carriage barn was also added.

During his presidential campaign, he gave speeches from his front porch.  Hundreds of people would take trains to Mentor and gather to hear him speak.

After his death, his widow Lucretia expanded the house to include a library wing.  She paid for the addition with donations.  She housed Garfield’s presidential papers and memorabilia in the library.  Although it was kept private, it was the first presidential library.

Lucretia lived full-time in the house until her death in 1918.  In 1936, Garfield’s children donated the house to the Western Reserve Historical Society.  In 1980, Congress declared Garfield’s home a National Historic Site.

The National Park Service undertook a major renovation of the house in 1990.  They restored the house to its original condition when Garfield lived there.  The wall papers and furnishings were all brought back based on photographs, research, and samples found on the property.  Over 80% of the furnishing are original.  The restoration took 6 years and cost $12.5M.

There is a small visitor center / museum on the property.  The park service gives hourly tours of the house.  We took a tour and it was very informative.  The restoration details and the library room are impressive.

Legacy

I’m glad we made this stop. I learned many new things about our 20th President.  No longer is he just a President who was shot.  Although born into poverty, Garfield sought an education, became a teacher, served his country, served the residents of Ohio, was a leader in the US Congress, and became a very accomplished man.  While only serving as President for 200 days, his legacy is that anyone can rise up and become President.

Our National Park properties are special places to learn and appreciate the history and greatness of our country.  I especially like the historic sites where I can learn something new versus just seeing something beautiful.  Getting an National Part Passbook has given me renewed incentive to visit more of these properties.

The James Garfield National Historic Site is a worthwhile stop if you’re traveling on I-90 just north of Cleveland.