President Warren G. Harding, Memorial, Home, and Library (Ohio Road Trip, Marion, Ohio...part I)

President Warren G. Harding

• Born Nov 2, 1865 Blooming Grove, Ohio
• Moved to Caledonia, Ohio
• Moved to Marion, Ohio
• Attended Village Schools
• Purchased the bankrupt Marion Star newspaper with 2 friends when 19 yrs old.
• Owened the paper he turned around for 40 years after buying out his friends.
• Married  Divorced Florence Kling DeWolfe July 8th 1891
• Became involved in politics is 1900
• Served 2 terms in the Ohio Senate
• Serveds at Lt. Governor of Ohio
• Served in The US Senate in 1914
• Won the ballot to be the Republican Presidential Candiate at the 1920 convention with Calvin Coolidge as his running mate, ran against Ohio's Democratic Governor, James Cox and FDR
• Served as President for 29 months, died in San Francisco from a heart attack
• 600,000 people came to hear him speak in his front porch campaign, which was ONLY 3 months long.
• Transistioned the country from WWI to peacetime
• Created The Veterans Bureau
• Created The Bureau of Budget, and was the first President to present a budge to congress

These 12 plagues are loaded with information about the President and is wife Florence, above are just a few of the highlights in bullet points. (I've cropped and posted each plaque separately in order so that you can read them, remember to click to enlarge the pictures to aid your efforts.)

These plagues are posted in order as you walk the circle to read them...and yes, they had raindrops on them while we were there.  The plagues are centered in the walk way down the steps from the beautiful momument.

I actually forgot to get a picture of momument while there, so this is a copy from their website.(on a non raining day, lol)

The inside of round momument.  Notice the tree to the right of the gravestones.  President Harding wanted to be buried under an open sky...thus the non inclosed memorial, and next to a tree.  When I was a child living there in Marion, there was a much larger tree that stood inside the memorial for many years.  However, it was hit by lightening and removed and replaced.

A close up of the stones.  The Memorial is located at 898 Delaware Avenue, Marion, Ohio.  There are two parking areas, and admission is free to the public.

Continuing on around the 2nd half of circle of plagues.

These words are from his March 4th, 1921 Inaugural speech, and quite interesting.  In case you can't read them from the plaque (though remember you can click any picture to enlarge):

Trump was obviously NOT the first to say American first, and Kennedy perhaps borrowed some sentiment from Hardings speech?

"In the great fulfillment, we must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it, and more anxious about what it can do for the nation."

President Harding's Home is located at 380 Delaware Avenue and is opened for tours from 9 am til 5pm, most days.  Tours start at 10:00 am and are on the top of each hour.  Tours are limited to 10 people at a time, tickets are required.  Our senior rate would have been 15.00 each, but due to our membership in The Ohio History Connection (previousl known as Ohio Historical Society), our admission was free.  This is a map of the grounds showing the Press House, Christian Home, and The Harding House.

The Christian Home

The side of the Harding Home, showing the porch which is the front of the house.  I wasn't able to get a front view as traffic on the road was too heavy to get across the street to do so.  Picture are NOT permitted inside, as most of furnishings are originals.

The Presidential Library and museum is located at 355 E. Church Street, this property is right behind the Home, and is where you check in and park.  Entrance to the library and museum is included with your ticket and well worth the time.  There is also a gift shop inside.  This is their picture from the website, another photo I forgot to snap.

The state of Ohio ones and operates the Memorial, Home and Library.  The state has owned The Memorial and Home since 1978, and the library was built in 2021.

**This is a bit long, but there was so much to see.  Stayed tuned, there will be additional posts from my Road Trip to Marion to follow.