“It’s time to pay tribute to a man some called ‘Rud'”
“He was our 19th President, and likely not many people know who he was – some might think he was pictured on a package of Smith Brothers cough drops.”
“Even if you don’t have a tickle in your throat, or have trouble swallowing, I hope you enjoy my tribute to President Rutherford B. Hayes.”
“Rutherford B. Hayes was born on this site on October 4, 1822 in Delaware, Ohio. The original Hayes birthplace home was razed in 1929.Today, a BP gas station sits on the site once occupied by the home where Hayes was born.”
“I hope I’m not the only one who thinks the house where Hayes was born looks a lot better than a gas station.”
“The future President’s father, Rutherford, died ten weeks before he was born. His mother Sophia never remarried.”
“While I stood on this small monument, I thought to myself, “This gas station should be renamed Rutherford BP Hayes.”
“This site, now occupied by the William Street United Methodist Church, is located only one block from the birthplace site of Rutherford B. Hayes in Delaware, Ohio.Hayes lived in a house on this site from the age of one to fourteen.”
“After his father’s death, Rutherford’s uncle Sardis Birchard lived with the family and became a father-figure to the boy.”
“Sarah Hayes sold the property to the trustees of the William Street Methodist church in 1846. The Hayes home was used as a parsonage until 1861.”
LUCY WEBB – “On December 30, 1852, Rutherford married the love of his life, 21-year-old Lucy Webb, at the Cincinnati home of Lucy’s mother. The future President was nine years older than his bride. Following the ceremony, the couple honeymooned at the home of Rutherford’s sister and brother-in-law in Columbus, Ohio.”
STATE HOUSE OF OHIO – “Located in Columbus, Ohio, the State House was completed in 1861. Seven years later, after he served one term in the United States House of Representatives, Rutherford B. Hayes was elected as Ohio’s 29th Governor.After serving one term as Governor where he butted heads with Democratic congressmen, Hayes didn’t seek re-election and retired to his home, Spiegel Grove.”
SPIEGEL GROVE – “The estate of Rutherford B. Hayes, located in Fremont, Ohio, was built around 1860 for his uncle Sardis Birchard. Hayes inherited the estate in 1873 upon Birchard’s death.This image of me, captured in front of the Spiegel Grove mansion on July 10, 2013, was the first photo ever taken of me at a Presidential site.”
“Roughly ten minutes after this photo was taken, I had to hide in the Hayes Presidential Library due to a tornado warning and severe winds.What a way to start my first-ever Presidential trip!”
“In 1875, Ohio Republicans talked Hayes out of retirement and nominated him again for Governor – Rutherford accepted.After serving roughly 11 months as Ohio’s 32nd Governor, Hayes was elected President in November 1876 in a controversial election against Democrat Samuel J. Tilden.”
THE WHITE HOUSE – “After beating Samuel J. Tilden in a highly contested election by one electoral vote, 185-184, Rutherford B. Hayes became the first President to take the Oath of Office in the White House.Fearing an insurrection by the Democrats over alleged voter fraud, outgoing President Grant insisted Hayes be inaugurated a day earlier, as Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday in 1877.”
“On Saturday March 3, 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes took the Oath of Office in the Red Room of the White House in a private ceremony.The ceremony was kicked up a day when outgoing President Grant feared the public ceremony at the Capitol on Monday March 5th would be jeopardized by insurrectionists.”
UNITED STATES CAPITOL – “On Monday March 5, 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes stood on a platform on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol and publicly recited the Presidential Oath of Office.“
“The 1876 election was the most controversial in U.S. history up to that time. After the ceremony, Democrats nicknamed the new President ‘Rutherfraud’.”
“Rutherford B. Hayes placed his left hand on this Bible and took the Oath of Office during both the private and public inauguration ceremonies.”
“President Hayes sat in the chair behind me during the public inauguration ceremony held at the Capitol on March 5, 1877.”
“Hayes wore this suit and hat, along with the gloves, during the inauguration ceremony.”
“President Hayes purchased this carriage in March 1877 just weeks after his inauguration.The Hayes family used the carriage for daily travel and over the years, several former and future Presidents rode in it – including Grant, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and McKinley.”
“President Rutherford B. Hayes served one term in office – he had pledged to not seek re-election. During his single term, Hayes saw the completion of Reconstruction of the South and he helped preserve the voting rights for Black Americans.”
LUCY HAYES – “During her time as First Lady, Lucy demonstrated her zest for the temperance movement and had her husband ban alcohol from the White House. This eventually led her to be nicknamed by the press as ‘Lemonade Lucy’.”
“Rutherford and Lucy Hayes ordered this mahogany sideboard and a companion table in 1880 for use in the private dining room in the White House. The decorative China plates behind me were used in the White House in late 1880, just months before Hayes left office.”
“After attending the inauguration of President James A. Garfield on March 4, 1881, Lucy and Rutherford returned to Fremont and retired at their beloved home, Spiegel Grove.”
“Since my first visit to Spiegel Grove on July 10, 2013, I’ve visited the impressive mansion three more times – in 2019, 2021, and on July 10, 2023 for my ten-year anniversary.”
“During those four visits, I’ve posed in a countless number of locations around the exterior of the mansion. And each time, I felt the presence of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes there with me.”
“One moment when I felt the Hayes’ presence was when I stood on the exact spot where Rutherford had posed alongside his wife Lucy on the veranda.”
“Rutherford and Lucy as they relaxed at Spiegel Grove.”
“Another time I felt their presence was when I posed on these steps where the President was photographed with his family.”
“As seen in this image”
“Of all the Presidential homes I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, and I’ve been to most of them, Spiegel Grove is one of my favorites.”
“I love hanging around this mansion, but now it’s time to open these doors and go inside. Please allow me to welcome you to the world of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes.”
“I’m standing in the Entry Hallway just inside the front doors where I had been hanging on the door knocker. The room to my left is the Large Parlor, which is where we’ll go next after I check out the unusual chair behind me.”
“Called the “Elkhorn Chair”, this chair was made of elk antlers and was given to Governor Rutherford B. Hayes by the self-proclaimed “Mountain Man” Seth Kinman.”
“President Hayes was photographed with Kinman as he sat in the Mountain Man’s chair.”
“This is the Large Parlor, or Library Parlor, which Rutherford added during the renovation of 1880 during his final year as President. He wanted a larger room where he could entertain guests.On September 1, 1897, Fanny Hayes married Ensign Harry Eaton Smith U.S.N. in the Large Parlor of Spiegel Grove. Although Fanny’s father had passed away four years earlier, the ceremony was attended by President William McKinley.”
“Another reason this room was built larger than any other during the renovation was because Rutherford needed a place to display his life-sized portrait of himself.”
“Rutherford’s library, which was located near the Large Parlor and built at the same time, was his favorite room in the house.”
“While the books in the cases were from the same time period, they were not owned by the President. Hayes’ personal collection of more than ten thousand books were in secure storage in the Presidential Library and are still used for research.”
“Hayes was a huge Abraham Lincoln admirer, and it was evident by the number of Lincoln artifacts that were on display throughout the house and museum.”
“When the President wasn’t reading in his Library, he was likely reading in the bathroom, which is where I’m posing in this photo.”
“Rutherford named this room the ‘Red Parlor’ because he was inaugurated in the Red Room of the White House. The portrait above the fireplace was of Fanny Hayes, the President’s only daughter.”
“Rutherford had the lavish Dining Room added to the home in 1890 for his wife Lucy. Unfortunately, the room wasn’t completed before Lucy’s death in June 1889. Fanny’s wedding reception was held in this room.”
“From the first floor, I had a chance to look up to the skylight above, which served two purposes in the mansion. The windows were opened in the summer months to allow heat to escape; and Lucy Hayes kept some of her plants near the windows, which also gave her a 360-degree view of the grounds.”
“This second-floor room was Uncle Sardis Birchard’s bedroom when he lived at Speigel Grove. The mansion was originally built for Sardis in 1860 when it featured just 20 rooms and only two stories.”
“Usually, I don’t care too much about the bedrooms of Presidential children, but this room was different. I’m standing in the bedroom of Fanny Hayes, the President’s only daughter and his favorite child.”
“Following the death of Lucy Hayes in 1889, Fanny became her father’s constant companion until his death in 1893. Speaking of their deaths, let’s go back downstairs and visit the final room in the house, the first-floor Master Bedroom.”
“I’m now standing in Rutherford and Lucy’s bedroom. Almost all of the furnishings in the house were used by the former President and First Lady.Just to my left was Lucy’s sewing machine. When Rutherford was at winter camp during the Civil War, Lucy brought the sewing machine to the camp to mend the soldier’s uniforms.”
“It was an honor for me to stand on Lucy’s dressing table where I watched the former First Lady as she sat in her favorite chair.”
“Lucy Hayes sat in her favorite chair on June 22, 1889 as she looked through the window while her grandchildren played in the yard.”
“As the kids played outside, Lucy was suddenly stricken with a stroke. Moments later, she was placed in her bed next to the chair.”
“Lucy Hayes died in this bed on June 25, 1889 at the age of 57.”
“Throughout my entire stay in this bedroom and on this bed, I had no paranormal encounters – and that was disappointing! I didn’t even see the ghost of Lucy’s pet Siamese cat, which she first had named Miss Pussy – then changed it to Siam. That was likely a good choice!”
“As Tom snapped another image of me in the Master Bedroom, I looked up at the portrait of Lucy Hayes – the same portrait Rutherford looked at for the last four years of his life.When Lucy passed away, the love of his life was gone. The President wrote: “The soul had left Spiegel Grove.”
“Less than four years after his wife’s death, President Hayes laid on this bed when he said to his son, Webb: “I know that I am going where Lucy is.”
“At 11:00pm on January 17, 1893, Rutherford B. Hayes died in the arms of his son on this bed after complications suffered from a heart attack. Hayes was 70 years old.”
“Following the President’s death, a brief funeral was held in Spiegel Grove – likely in the Large Parlor. The service was conducted by Reverend J.L. Albritton of the local Methodist Church.”
OAKWOOD CEMETERY – “Rutherford B. Hayes was originally buried alongside his wife Lucy in Oakwood Cemetery, which was located a short distance from Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio.”
“Several of the Hayes’ children and family members lie buried in Hayes Circle at Oakwood.”
“On April 3, 1915; the bodies of the President and his wife were moved from this site and re-interred at Spiegel Grove.”
“This image shows workers as they were in the process of moving the Hayes’ from Oakwood Cemetery on April 3, 1915.”
“On April 3, 1915; Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife Lucy were re-interred on their favorite knoll at Spiegel Grove.This was the first Presidential gravesite I visited in 2013, just before a tornado warning cut my stay short.”
“The final resting place of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes is the closest Presidential gravesite to my home in Michigan.”
“Webb Hayes had spear-headed the effort to have his parent’s re-interred at their beloved Spiegel Grove.”
“Following Webb’s death on July 26, 1934, he was laid to rest directly behind the monument that marked his parent’s grave.”
“This is the grave of Old Whitey, a war horse that belonged to Hayes in the Civil War. The horse died at Spiegel Grove in 1879.The inscription on the worn stone marking the horse’s grave read: “Old Whitey, A Hero of Nineteen Battles 1861 – 1865.”
“And thanks to grounds worker Steven Stacey, I took a moment to visit the grave of ‘Old Ned’, the Hayes’ workhorse who died in the spring of 1871.”
“During a ten-year period, my photographer and I visited Spiegel Grove and the gravesite of President Hayes four times.”
“I stood on the monument for the first time in 2013, just a few minutes before Tom, Vicki, and I had to take shelter from a tornado.”
“Even though Spiegel Grove is only 142 miles from where I live, it took me nearly six years to make it back. This squirrel must have thought I was nuts to be standing on the monument.”
“The weather was ideal during my third visit in 2021.”
“I celebrated my tenth anniversary with my photographer and Bob Moldenhauer by once again standing on the gravesite of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes. Happy Anniversary to me!”
“I hope you have enjoyed my tribute to Rutherford B. Hayes. And if you somehow couldn’t choke down the photos, I hope you will try a Smiths Brothers cough drop to make this tribute less painful.”
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
