Ohio has always had an important role in politics as a swing state and its role as a birthplace for U.S. presidents. Out of the eight presidents who called Ohio home before moving to the White House, seven were born in the state. Check out our list of quirky, fun facts about the Presidents home to our great state.
1. William Henry Harrison:9th President of the United States (1841)
Harrison died on on his 32nd day in office. He was the shortest serving president in U.S. history. Harrison was known as a "simple Indian Frontier Fighter" and as an Indiana Governor, his primary task was obtaining titles from Indian settlements so settlers could seize wilderness lands.
2. Ulysses S. Grant:18th President of the United States (1869-1877)
Grant began selling magazine articles about his life and paired up with famous friend Mark Twain to produce and publish works about his life. In order to pay off his debts and due lack of success of civilian life, Grant began writing his recollections even during his battle with cancer. The two-book collection sold 300,000 copies and earned him and his family $450,000. He was also the first president to get a speeding ticket for driving his horse-drawn carriage too fast.
3. Rutherford B. Hayes: 19th President of the United States (1877- 1881)
Hayes was a man and president of many firsts. Hayes oversaw the end of the reconstruction and attempted to reconcile differences that resulted after the Civil War. His wife Lucy Webb Hayes carried out her husband's orders to banish wines and other liquors from the White House. Hayes held the first Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn that continues to this day.
4.James A. Garfield: 20th President of the United States (1881)
In his first 200 days, Garfield was assassinated by an attorney. Alexander Graham Bell, an inventor of the telephone, failed to locate the bullet with an induction-balance electrical device he invented. Garfield was the last of seven presidents born in a log cabin.
5. Benjamin Harrison:23rd President of the United States (1889-1893)
A light bulb went off in the White House. He was the first president to use electricity in the White House. At 5-foot 6-inches, Democrats called him "Little Ben" and Republicans responded by saying he could wear the hat of his grandfather "Old Tippecanoe."
6.William McKinely: 25th President of the United States (1897-1901)
Wealthy Cleveland businessman March Alfonzo Hanna assured the people attending the 1896 Republican National Convention that his friend, William McKinley, would be the anchor of prosperity. He met with delegations on the front porch of his Canton home and won.
7. William Taft: 27th President of the United States (1909-1930)
Taft was the first president to have a presidential car. He was appointed the 10th Chief Justice of the United States by President Harding, which made him the first person to serve in both of these offices.
8. Warren G. Harding: 29th President of the United States (1921-1923)
Harding embraced technology during his presidency. He was the first president to bring a radio into the White House. He was also the first president to pay federal income taxes on his presidential salary. Harding organized the Citizen Cornet Band, which was available for both Republican and Democratic rallies. He once said, "I played every instrument but the slide trombone and the E-flat cornet."
Check out John Kosich's piece on Ohio's role in presidential history:
