Famous Ohioans: the 8 presidents

Pick up a copy of this Weekender (Feb. 19-20) newspaper that includes a special section containing profiles of Famous Ohioans. White House portrait William Henry Harrison Vitals • Birthdate: Feb. 9, 1773 • Birthplace: Charles City County, Viriginia • Death date: April 4, 1831 • Age at death: 68 • Burial location: Harrison Tomb State Memorial, North Bend, Ohio • Spouse: Anna Symmes • Children: Elizabeth Bassett, John Cleves Symmes, Lucy Singleton, William Henry, John Scott, Benjamin Harrison, Mary Symmes, Carter Bassett, Anna Tuthill, Jamed Findlay William Henry Harrison was a Virginia native who became a war hero after defeating Native Americans in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in Ohio and the Battle of Tippecanoe, served just 31 days as president in 1841 after becoming ill and dying. He was succeeded by his vice president, John Tyler. He was living in Ohio when elected president. -- Public domain photo by Matthew Brady Ulysses S. Grant Vitals • Birthdate: April 27, 1822 • Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio • Death date: July 23, 1885 • Age at death: 63 • Burial location: Grant's Tomb, New York City • Spouse: Julia Dent • Children: Frederick, Ulysses Jr., Nellie, Jesse Born and raised in Ohio, Ulysses S. Grant led the Union army to victory in the American Civil War, then followed up that feat by serving two terms as president, from 1869 to 1877, as the Republican Party nominee. Grant's book, "Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant," written as he was dying of cancer, is considered a classic. -- Public domain photo by Matthew Brady Rutherford B. Hayes Vitals • Birthdate: Oct. 4, 1822 • Birthplace: Delaware, Ohio • Death date: Jan. 17, 1893 • Age at death: 70 • Burial location: Spiegel Grove State Park, Fremont, Ohio • Spouse: Lucy Ware Webb • Children: Webb Hayes, Rutherford P. Hayes, Fanny Hayes, Birchard Austin Hayes, Scott Russell Hayes, Joseph Thompson Hayes, Manning Force Hayes, George Crook Hayes Ohio native Rutherford B. Hayes served as president from 1877 to 1881. A Republican, Hayes served in the Union Army during the Civil War and also was a member of Congress and governor of Ohio. As governor, he helped establish The Ohio State University and found for equal voting rights for Black people. His home in Fremont is now a presidential library and museum. -- Public domain photo James A. Garfield Vitals • Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1831 • Birthplace: Moreland Hills, Ohio • Death date: Sept. 19, 1881 • Age at death: 49 • Burial location: James A. Garfield Memorial, Cleveland, Ohio • Spouse: Lucretia Rudolph • Children: Eliza Arabella, Harry Augustus Garfield, James R. Garfield, Mary Garfield, Irvin McDowell Garfield, Abram Garfield, Edward Garfield Ohio native James Garfield (1831-1881) served just five months as president in 1881 before dying from an assassin's bullet. A major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, Garfield as the Republican nominee. He was shot on July 2, 1881, and died on September 19, 1881, from an infection in the wound. Assassin Charles Guiteau was sentenced to death and hanged in 1882. -- Public domain photo Benjamin Harrison Vitals • Birthdate: Aug. 20, 1833 • Birthplace: North Bend, Ohio • Death date: March 13, 1901 • Age at death: 67 • Burial location: Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana • Spouses: Caroline Scott, Mary Lord Dimmick • Children: Russell, Mary, Elizabeth Ohio native Benjamin Harrison served one term as president, from 1889 to 1893. A Republican, he was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison and had served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He won the presidency in 1888 by defeating the Democratic incumbent, Grover Cleveland. -- Public domain photo William McKinley Vitals • Birthdate: Jan. 29, 1843 • Birthplace: Niles, Ohio • Death date: Sept. 14, 1901 • Age at death: 58 • Burial location: McKinley National Memorial, Canton, Ohio • Spouse: Ida Saxton • Children: Katherine McKinley, Ida McKinley William McKinley was elected to two terms as president as the Republican nominee, although he only served from 1897 to 1901; his presidency was cut short early in his second term by assassination. Born in Niles, Ohio, McKinley was succeeded after his death by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt. The murderer, Leon Czolgosz, was tried and executed. -- Public domain photo William Howard Taft Vitals • Birthdate: Sept. 15, 1857 • Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio • Death date: March 8, 1930 • Age at death: 72 • Burial location: Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia • Spouse: Helen Herron • Children: Robert, Helen, Charles William Howard Taft was the U.S. President from 1909 to 1913 and then served as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to hold both offices. He was a Republican born in Cincinnati. His great-grandson, Bob Taft, was Ohio's governor from January 1999 to January 2007. -- Public domain photo Warren G. Harding Vitals • Birthdate: Nov. 2, 1865 • Birthplace: Blooming Grove, Ohio • Death date: Aug. 2, 1923 • Age at death: 57 • Burial location: Harding Tomb, Marion, Ohio • Spouse: Florence King • Children: Elizabeth Warren Harding served as president from 1921 until 1923, when he died in office. He was a Republican and the publisher of the Marion Star newspaper. Suffering from heart disease and pneumonia, he became ill at age 57 and died in San Francisco. He was succeeded by his vice president, Calvin Coolidge.