Author Archives: Feather Foster

Thank You, John Tyler

The Whig party wasn’t really a political party per se, in 1840. It was more a conglomeration of frictional, factional and sectional needs and angsts, and would remain so for the rest of its short 12-year-run. The frictional part centered … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, John Tyler, William Henry Harrison | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

President and Mrs. Hoover at Rapidan Camp

Both Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover loved the great outdoors. The Outdoorsy Hoovers In the 1880s, when both Herbert and Lou Hoover were children transplanted to Oregon and California respectively, the Wild West was still “wild.” “Bert,” as he was … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Herbert Hoover, Presidential Sites | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

JQ Adams and the Honeymoon Disappointment

John Quincy Adams was a 30-year-old diplomat when he married. JQ the Diplomat John Quincy Adams was a recent graduate of Harvard College when George Washington became president in 1789. He had received an exceptional education during the 8 years he … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, John Quincy Adams | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Abraham Lincoln and the Leg Cases

Abraham Lincoln had very little military knowledge when he became Commander-in-Chief. Lincoln’s Military Experience… …was next to nothing in 1861 when he became President. Thirty years earlier, as a young man, he volunteered with some New Salem fellows to fight … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, American Civil War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Murder of Ida McKinley’s Brother

In 1898, First Lady Ida McKinley received shocking news. Her brother had been murdered. George Saxton, Libertine and Rake The Saxtons were one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Canton, OH. They had three children, born within three … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Nifty History People, William McKinley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harry Truman’s Mother-in-Law From Hell

Harry Truman was always an outspoken man who never minced words, but… Madge Wallace …Margaret Gates Wallace (1862-1952), called Madge from childhood, was perhaps the only exception.  Madge was the spoiled daughter of midwesterners George and Elizabeth Gates. George Gates … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Harry S Truman, Nifty History People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

George Washington’s Farewell to His Officers

“An army of asses led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by an ass.” The Quote and the Sentiment The quote about asses (donkeys) and lions is frequently attributed to George Washington, but it is … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, George Washington, Nifty History People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Six FLOTUS Widows of 1947

In January, 1947,  five (and maybe a “half”) widowed First Ladies were still living.  Frances Folsom Cleveland (1864-1947) Frances Cleveland was a First Lady of many distinctions.  She was First Lady two separate times, during the non-consecutive terms of Grover … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Benjamin Harrison, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment