Category Archives: Nifty History People

Benjamin Harrison: Cold Man in the White House

Most politicians excel at the glad-hand. Benjamin Harrison was the exception. BH: POTUS Grandson William Henry Harrison died after only one month as President of the US. His grandson Benjamin Harrison (1832-1901) was only nine years old. His memories were … Continue reading

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Andy Johnson and His Father’s Statue

President Andrew Johnson was barely two when his father died. Jacob Johnson, Hero Jacob Johnson (1778-1812) was poor as a church mouse. Born and raised in Raleigh, NC, he had no education, training or skills. Although he served in the … Continue reading

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George Washington: Officer and Gentleman

Of all the residents of 18th Century American Valhalla, George Washington was arguably the one whose character and demeanor were consistently above reproach. Braddock: The Making of An Officer The teenaged George Washington’s first career choice was the British Navy. … Continue reading

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William Henry Harrison: The Windy Inaugural

William Henry Harrison was a well-known “dark horse” President – if such a thing is possible. WHH: Virginia Patrician Contrary to the myth, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) was as well-born as any First Family of Virginia could be. His family … Continue reading

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Florence Harding’s Hatpin Story

Florence Harding loved politics – and she was a very savvy woman. The Harding: Introduction to Politics Florence Harding was thirty when she married Warren Gamaliel Harding. He was five years younger, the publisher of a weekly newspaper and the … Continue reading

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Eleanor Roosevelt: The Red Cross Uniform

Eleanor Roosevelt begged to visit the soldiers in the Pacific. The Red Cross Uniform Circa WWI The American Red Cross, begun following the Civil War, had its antecedents in Europe even before the Civil War. Clara Barton had been a … Continue reading

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VP Thomas Marshall and the Flag

Thomas Marshall is one of the unknown and generally disregarded Vice Presidents….but… About Tom Marshall Thomas Riley Marshall (1854-1925) was an attorney, and like James Madison, diminutive in stature – perhaps only 5’2 or 3”. An Indiana Hoosier, he gravitated … Continue reading

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Tad Lincoln and The Doll Jack

All kids need toys.  Tad: A Child With Problems Tad was the Lincolns’ fourth and last child born after a grueling two-day labor. He was born with a cleft palate, a not-uncommon malformation in the mouth routinely corrected in infancy … Continue reading

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Nan Britton, Part II: Harding’s Tell-All Mistress

The bad news was that President Warren Harding died in 1923. Without a will. Nan Britton, Nymphette Nanna Popham Britton (1896-1991) had been obsessed with Warren G. Harding since she was a child. She fixated on him like today’s teeny-boppers … Continue reading

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Nan Britton: Harding’s “Lolita”

This is Part One of a very nifty story! The Marion Publisher Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) was a rural Ohio fellow, who, following a mediocre education, gravitated to Marion, Ohio where he purchased an interest in The Marion Star, a … Continue reading

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