Tag Archives: Feather Schwartz Foster

Martha Washington’s Agony: Patsy Custis

When Martha Dandridge Custis married George Washington, she had two little children, ages four and two. George Washington, Stepfather Martha Dandridge had married Daniel Custis when she was eighteen. Eight years later, he died, leaving his widow with a vast … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, Nifty History People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dolley Madison’s Son Payne Todd: The Final Blow

Dolley Madison’s son, Payne Todd, had always been a disappointment. Payne Todd in Brief Dolley Madison (1768-1849) had been married to John Todd, a Quaker lawyer, for three years. Then he died, leaving her with a two-year-old son. When she … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, James Madison | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Nellie Taft Writes Her Memoirs

This is a sad story with a delayed happier ending. Nellie: Discovering the Ambition Helen (Nellie) Herron (1861-1943) was smart as a whip, and as ambitious as Caesar. She had the ambition to want things, and the ambition to work … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, William Howard Taft | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Death of George Washington

George Washington died in late 1799, two months shy of his 68th birthday. The Health of George Washington Anyone who had seen George Washington a few weeks before his death would have remarked how well the General looked. They would … Continue reading

Posted in A POTUS-FLOTUS Blog, George Washington | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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