“Hello again and thank you for checking out my post called Hail to the Chief.”
“Although this post isn’t very long, it does exceed the time our ninth President was in office.”
“That’s because William Henry Harrison served for only 31 days before his untimely death – making him the first President to die in office.”
BERKELEY PLANTATION – Built in 1726 and located on the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, Berkeley is one of the most historic homes in Virginia and is the birthplace of ninth President William Henry Harrison.
“William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773 in the second-story corner bedroom at Berkeley Plantation.Although I toured the historic mansion, the second-floor bedroom was off limits to visitors at the request of the owner whose mother died in that room.”
“I’m standing on the windowsill of Berkeley’s dining room where each of the first ten Presidents once dined.”
“George Washington was a frequent visitor at Berkeley, and it was common for him to dance the night away in the main hallway.Thomas Jefferson was also a frequent guest of the Harrison’s. Jefferson gave his architectural advice to his hosts, and he’d make changes to the interior without seeking permission.”
“My photographer captured this image of the Harrison’s historic dining room when he held his camera up to the window.”
“William Henry Harrison was tutored at Berkeley until the age of 14 when he left home for college. His father, Benjamin Harrison V, was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.”
ANNA SYMMES – William Henry Harrison, 22, and 20-year-old Anna Symmes eloped and were married on November 25, 1795 in the home of the presiding minister, Dr. Stephen Wood. Too ill to travel when her husband was inaugurated, Anna never set foot in Washington. At age 65, Anna had the record as the oldest First Lady in history until Jill Biden assumed the role at age 69 in 2021.
GROUSELAND – “Built in 1804, this was the Vincennes, Indiana home of William Henry Harrison during his term as Governor of the Indiana Territory. Harrison lived in this home until 1812.Harrison lived in this house with his wife Anna for 11 years. As a matter of fact, their son John Scott Harrison was born in Grouseland.”
“Harrison had two confrontational meetings with Shawnee leader Tecumseh on the front lawn of Grouseland.”
“This was a painting of Tecumseh, who would later put a curse on his nemesis William Henry Harrison.”
“Their differences were settled in battle as part of Tecumseh’s War. Harrison defeated Tecumseh’s brother at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 and Tecumseh himself in the Battle of the Thames two years later.”
TIPPECANOE BATTLEFIELD PARK – “Located in Battle Ground, Indiana, this monument marks the battlefield site where Governor William Henry Harrison’s troops defeated Shawnee Indian leader Tecumseh’s warriors in the Battle of Tippecanoe.Standing at only 8 ½”, I felt very short standing on the 85-foot-tall Tippecanoe Battlefield Monument.”
“Because of this battle, won by the Americans, Harrison became known as ‘Old Tippecanoe’, and it helped vault him to the Presidency in 1840.”
“I’m standing near the exact location of Harrison’s camp which was attacked by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his warriors.”
HARRISON’S HEADQUARTERS – Located in the East Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, this two-story brick house was built in 1807 by Jacob Oberdier on a lot owned by Colonel Robert Culbertson – a wealthy landowner.
“Culbertson and his wife Elizabeth owned the home when Franklinton boomed as the headquarters of the Army of the Northwest under General William Henry Harrison.”
“Our future ninth President used this house as his headquarters from 1813 to 1814.Can you see me standing on the windowsill?”
HARRISON FARM SITE – William Henry Harrison lived on a farm at this location in North Bend, Ohio shortly after the War of 1812. It was at this farm that he decided to run for President in 1840.
“When I made my second visit to the site, I discovered the house looked a lot different. I thought the gray siding was an improvement; but where did the front door go?”
UNITED STATES CAPITOL – “William Henry Harrison took the Oath of Office on the East Portico of the Capitol on a cold and wet Thursday afternoon on March 4, 1841. His wife, Anna, remained in Ohio due to her illness and didn’t attend the inauguration.“
“William Henry Harrison won the 1840 election by a landslide over Martin Van Buren with the slogan ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too’. That became one of the most famous slogans in political history.At age 68, Harrison was the oldest President-elect to take the Oath of Office until Ronald Reagan became President in 1981.It was overcast with a cold wind for the inauguration – the temperature was 48 degrees. Harrison chose to not wear an overcoat, hat, or gloves for the ceremony.”
“Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. It took him nearly two hours to read the 8,445-word speech, and that was edited down by his friend Daniel Webster.”
THE WHITE HOUSE – Once in the White House, William Henry Harrison butted heads with other Whigs when he refused to remove all Democrats from any appointed office. He said to them, “So help me God, I will resign my office before I can be guilty of such an iniquity!”
JANE IRWIN HARRISON – Married to William Henry Harrison, Jr., 36-year-old Jane Harrison performed the duties of White House hostess for her father-in-law when Anna Harrison was too ill to be in Washington. Due to the short nature of her father-in-law’s tenure as President, Jane hosted only two social events.
“Anna Harrison intended to join her husband at the White House in May 1841, but that never happened. President Harrison died in the White House at 12:30am on April 4, 1841 at the age of 68. He was the first President to die in office.”
“Harrison’s last words were spoken to his doctor, although they were likely intended for Vice President John Tyler. Harrison uttered:“Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more.”
EAST ROOM – On April 7, 1841, the invitation-only funeral for President William Henry Harrison was conducted in the East Room of the White House.
CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY – Following funeral services in the East Room of the White House on April 7, 1841, Harrison’s coffin was brought to Congressional Cemetery and placed in the receiving vault where it remained until June.
“After laying at rest in the Public Vault at Congressional for a little over two months, William Henry Harrison’s body was transported by train and barge to North Bend, Ohio for permanent burial.”
“I’m standing on the brick floor of the Public Vault where three Presidents had been temporarily entombed. The tables and other storage pieces made this tomb a bit less creepy!”
“In July 1841, Edward Bebb Hughes played the ophicleide below me during William Henry Harrison’s funeral procession from the river steamer Raritan to Harrison’s Tomb.”
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON TOMB STATE MEMORIAL – “William Henry Harrison’s tomb is located in North Bend, Ohio – at the crest of Mt. Nebo on the Harrison estate. After being originally buried in Washington D.C., Harrison was entombed here on July 7, 1841.John Harrison, the President’s son, had donated the property for the memorial to the state of Ohio in exchange for perpetual maintenance.”
“Today, the Harrison tomb is 60 feet tall. But when the President’s body arrived at North Bend on July 7, 1841, the tomb was a lot shorter.”
“After seeing what Harrison’s tomb had originally looked like, I’m so happy the 60-foot-tall memorial was added to the site.”
“When I was carried through the entrance to the tomb during my first visit on September 6, 2014, the inner crypt door was locked. In a strange way, I wasn’t very upset – it looked creepy inside.”
“John Scott Harrison, entombed in the wall near my left hand, was the only person in American history to be both the child and the parent of a U.S. President.To get this view, Tom held me between the bars of the fence. I was worried – had I fallen, I may never have gotten back out.”
“I had to admit, the blue sky on May 14, 2021 made for a lot better images than the overcast, dismal day I had during my first visit.”
“I was excited and nervous during my short wait for our tour guide just outside the entrance to the tomb. This time, I was going inside the crypt of President Harrison.”
“It was an honor for me to stand on the crypt of William Henry Harrison and his wife Anna. The interior of this tomb definitely wasn’t as spooky as the one in Congressional Cemetery.”
“During our entire visit, I had to pinch myself – I couldn’t believe where I was standing!”
“Finally, on my third visit to North Bend, I was allowed to pose behind the Harrison tomb.”
“Do you see my goofy-looking photographer standing at the entrance to Harrison’s tomb?”
“That’s Tom, trying to stay composed as he posed inside the tomb.”
“When Tom and I went to North Bend, Ohio for the first of our three visits, the Harrison Memorial was the 15th Presidential gravesite we had visited together.”
“We had a postcard view of the memorial during our second visit in 2021.”
“And the view was just as spectacular the following year when we paid our respects on Thanksgiving weekend.”
“That’s it for this post. Do you believe in Tecumseh’s Curse? Neither did Harrison who was elected in 1840; and Lincoln in 1860; and Garfield in 1880; and McKinley in 1900; and Harding in 1920; and FDR in 1940; and finally, Kennedy in 1960. Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980, snapped the curse.”
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!
