History of Hiram, (Portage County) Ohio United States of America

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Lucretia (Rudolph) Garfield, wife of the 20th president of the United States, was born in Hiram, Portage county, Ohio, April 19, 1832; daughter of Zebulon Rudolph. While a pupil at Geauga seminary, Chester, Ohio, she first met James A. Garfield who was also a pupil there. They were married, Nov. 11, 1858, and made their home in Hiram, Where Mr. Garfield was president of Hiram college. After he had served as representative in congress two terms they purchased a modest cottage facing on the green. They made their winter home in Washington, D. C., in apartments until 1868, when they built a house on Thirteenth and I streets. In 1877 they purchased a farm of 160 acres at Mentor, Lake county, Ohio, which they gradually improved and beautified. The place was named "Lawnfield" and here the mother of the President made her home after the death of her son, and died there, Jan. 21, 1888, in the eighty-eighth year of her age. Here also Mrs. Garfield's father died on Oct. 20, 1897, in the ninety-fifth year of his age. Congress provided for the widow of the martyred President by voting her the President's salary for one year, $50,000, and by granting her a pension of $5000 per annum during lief lifetime. The citizens of the United States through a popular subscription contributed the summ of $363,000, the income to be paid to the widow during her lifetime and the sum at her death to be diviled among the children. Seven children were born to James A. and Lucretia Garfield. The eldest, Mary, died while her father was in the army, and the youngest, Edward, died in Washington in 1876. Harry Augustus and James Rudolph were graduated at Williams in 1885 and settled to the practice of law in Cleveland, Ohio. James R. was an Ohio state senator, 1895-96; was married to a daughter of John Newell of Cleveland, resided with his mother at Mentor, and in 1898 was named as an available candidate for representative in congress from his father's old district. On June 14. 1888, Harry A. was married to Belle, daughter of James Mason of Cleveland, and on the same date, Mollie, the only daughter, was married to J. Stanley Brown, who was her father's private secretary during his time of service as President of the United States. The two younger sons, Irvin McDowell and Abram, were graduated at Williams college, and Irvin McDowell was admitted to the bar and became a lawyer in Boston Mass.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Hiram, (Portage County) Ohio

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