The Cradle of U.S. Presidents: The Buckeye State and the Presidency
By Chris Blubaugh, historian
William Henry Harrison: (1841): 9th U.S. President
Though Harrison was born into a prominent family in Virginia in 1773, Ohio claims him as its own. According to the American Battlefield Trust, “following his father’s death in 1791, with the help of family friend “Light-Horse” Harry Lee, Harrison secured a commission in the First American Regiment and relocated to present-day Ohio. He served as an aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers (Maumee, Ohio), where “Mad Anthony” commended Harrison’s “conduct and bravery, exciting the troops to press for victory.” The following year, he was a signatory on the Treaty of Greenville, which ended the Northwest Indian War and opened the area for settlement by non-native people.
Later, he lived in North Bend, Ohio, and was buried there. Harrison would serve as secretary of the Northwest Territory (1798), a U.S. Representative (1816–1819), and a U.S. Senator (1825–1828) from the Buckeye State. He ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Ohio in 1820. During the War of 1812, he commanded the Army of the Northwest. The first Whig Party President to be elected in 1840, he gave the longest Inaugural Address, 8,445 words, on a damp and cold day in 1841. Sadly, the newly elected U.S. President fell ill, and after 31 days in office, the shortest presidential term, passed away. Harrison was the last U.S. President born a British subject.
Fun presidential fact: William Henry Harrison is the only U.S. President with formal medical training, which he received at the University of Pennsylvania.
For further reading: William Henry Harrison by Gail Collins
Ulysses S. Grant: (1869-1877): 18th U.S. President
Born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, Ulysses S. Grant is one of Ohio’s favorite sons due to his military service in the Civil War and two terms as President during Reconstruction. The Grant family moved from Point Pleasant to Georgetown, Ohio, not long after Grant was born. You can still visit his birthplace, boyhood home, and the schoolhouse he attended in Georgetown. According to the Ohio History Connection, “Grant lived in the Georgetown home from 1823 to 1839, which is longer than any place he lived during his lifetime.”
During Grant’s formative years, he became an excellent horseman and worked in his father, Jesse’s, tannery, which his father had built. It is believed that the nature of working with raw animal hides and turning them into leather influenced young Grant to pursue a different career. He attended West Point from 1839 to 1843. After graduating, his travels took him to Mexico, where he served as a regimental quartermaster during the Mexican-American War, the Pacific Territory, California, Missouri, and Illinois.
After rising through the military ranks during the Civil War, in 1864, Grant became the first officer to hold the rank of Lieutenant General since George Washington. His “Let Us Have Peace” presidential campaign slogan in 1868 resonated with American voters following the destructive Civil War, and he was elected in 1868 and again in 1872. He made an unsuccessful attempt for the Republican presidential nomination in 1880.
Fun presidential fact: Originally born Hiram Ulysses Grant, on his application to West Point, Ohio Representative Thomas Hamer, who nominated him for admission, mistakenly listed his name as Ulysses S. Grant. Despite the clerical error, the name would remain.
For further reading: Grant by Ron Chernow and The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands.
Rutherford B. Hayes: (1877-1881): 19th U.S. President
Born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes would spend much of his lifetime in his native state. He graduated from Kenyon College, located in Gambier, Ohio, in 1842. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in Marietta, Ohio, and would practice law in various locations around the state.
Like several of the Ohio Presidents, Hayes served in the Union Army during the Civil War with the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. According to the Hayes Presidential Library and Museum, Hayes “Distinguished himself as an able field commander in the campaigns of the Twenty-Third Ohio in western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, rising to the rank of Brevet Major General of Volunteers.” During the Civil War, Hayes was wounded four or five times.
Despite his refusal to campaign, voters elected him to the House of Representatives in 1864 and again in 1866, where he represented Ohio’s Second District. He served as Ohio’s 29th and 32nd Governor from 1868 to 1872, and again from 1875 to 1877. At that time, he was elected to an unprecedented third term as Ohio Governor.
During his governorship, what eventually became the Ohio State University was established. Hayes narrowly won a contested presidential election in 1876 against Samuel J. Tilden by the closest electoral margin in history: 185-184. After his election, he promised to serve one term, which he did. He returned to his home in Fremont, Ohio, where he continued to advocate for educational reforms. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum was the first library to open to the public in 1916.
Fun presidential fact: Despite serving as the nation’s 19th President, Rutherford B. Hayes preferred the title Colonel, due to his honorable service during the Civil War.
For further reading: Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President by Ari Hoogenboom
James A. Garfield: (1881): 20th U.S. President
Born on November 19, 1831, in Orange Township (now Moreland Hills), Ohio, the state had a profound effect on James A. Garfield. Growing up in poverty due to the death of his father when Garfield was very young, he worked several jobs to support his family and fund his education. He worked as a farmer, carpenter, and boat driver for the Ohio and Erie Canal. He is considered the last U.S. President to be born in a log cabin.
According to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, “He attended first the Geauga Seminary, and then the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, now known as Hiram College. After finishing his studies at those two schools, he decided to explore the world beyond rustic Ohio. He was admitted as a junior to Williams College in Massachusetts in 1854.” After spending time as a preacher and educator, Garfield joined the Ohio Senate in 1859. After a brief stint in the Senate,
Garfield joined the Union Army during the Civil War after being appointed Lieutenant Colonel by Ohio Governor William Dennison. He recruited men in his area for the 42nd Ohio Volunteers. He rose to the rank of Major General following his heroic service during the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.
He served in the Union Army from 1861 to 1863 before taking his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served nine consecutive terms. Already a foe of slavery, Garfield became an adamant supporter of civil rights during his time in Congress. In 1880, James A. Garfield became the third consecutive Republican President elected from Ohio. Sadly, he died on September 19, 1881, 200 days into office (the second shortest term), following an assassination attempt. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Fun presidential fact: Although Ohioan William McKinley is widely considered the first presidential candidate to conduct a front porch campaign, James A. Garfield used his front porch at his home in Mentor, Ohio, during the 1880 presidential campaign.
For further reading: President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C.W. Goodyear
Benjamin Harrison: (1889-1893): 23rd U.S. President
Born on August 20, 1833, in North Bend, Ohio, both Indiana and Ohio claim Benjamin Harrison as their own due to his time spent living in both states. Harrison attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before practicing law in Cincinnati.
According to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Harrison “Argued five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court (the most of any lawyer-President).”
Like many of the Ohio Presidents of the era, Harrison fought in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving from 1862 to 1865, leading the 70th Indiana Regiment, and rising to Brevet Brigadier General by the war’s end. Like his grandfather, former President William Henry Harrison, his military service allowed him to pursue a career in politics.
He served as a U.S. Senator from 1881 to 1887 before deciding to run for president in 1888. After winning the Election of 1888, Harrison’s inauguration occurred 100 years after the nation’s first president, George Washington. Six states were added to the Union during his presidency, the most of any U.S. President.
Fun presidential fact: When electricity was first installed in the White House by Thomas Edison in 1891, understandably, the 23rd President was afraid of the new technology and refused to touch the light switches, leaving it to the domestic staff to operate.
For further reading: Benjamin Harrison by Charles W. Calhoun
William McKinley: (1897-1901): 25th U.S. President
Born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio, William McKinley was deeply connected to the Buckeye State. He attended Poland Seminary primary school in Poland, Ohio, in 1852. He was teaching school when the Civil War broke out in 1861. McKinley quickly enlisted in the Union Army as a private in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was under the command of fellow Ohioan Rutherford B. Hayes.
He witnessed intense combat action during his service, especially at the Battle of Antietam in 1862, the single bloodiest day in American History. During the battle, McKinley was renowned for serving hot coffee and food to soldiers during the intense fighting. Today, he has a monument on the battlefield dedicated to his service. He mustered out of the Union Army as a Brevet Major of volunteers and was hailed by Hayes for his valor during the war.
After attending law school, his legal profession took off. First serving as the Stark County, Ohio, prosecutor, he then opened a law office in Canton, Ohio. At 34, McKinley was elected to Congress, where he served from 1877 to 1891.
According to the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, “During his 14 years in the House, he became the leading Republican tariff expert, giving his name to the measure enacted in 1890, the McKinley Tariff.
The next year, he was elected Governor of Ohio, serving two terms.” He joined Rutherford B. Hayes as the only Ohio Presidents to serve as Governor. With the assistance of fellow Ohioan Marcus Hanna and McKinley’s front porch campaign, he won the presidential elections of 1896 and 1900. He was the last U.S. President to have served in the Civil War.
Sadly, McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition, and died eight days later from his wounds, becoming the third president (and second from Ohio) to be assassinated. He is buried in Canton, Ohio.
Fun presidential fact: When William McKinley’s first Vice President, Garret Hobart, died in 1899, the office remained vacant for the duration of McKinley’s first term because there was no constitutional provision to fill the vacancy. Eventually, Theodore Roosevelt was added to the 1900 presidential ticket and succeeded McKinley upon his death.
For further reading: President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry
William Howard Taft: (1909-1913): 27th U.S. President
He was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a dedicated public servant to his hometown and state. After graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1880, he began his judicial career. He served as a lawyer, assistant prosecuting attorney, and a judge on the Ohio Superior Court.
His sharp legal mind allowed him to advance in both his judicial and political careers. According to the National Park Service, “His federal career began in 1890 when he was appointed U.S. Solicitor General by President Benjamin Harrison. In the 1890s, he served as a judge on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Taft’s political career essentially began when he was appointed Governor General of the Philippines by President William McKinley in 1900.” In this position, he worked diligently to bring law and reforms to the Philippines following the Filipino Conflict, which occurred from 1899 to 1901.
He returned home and served as President Theodore Roosevelt’s Secretary of War, and with his popularity and Roosevelt’s support, easily won the presidential election of 1908. He was defeated in his reelection bid in 1912 but quickly turned his focus back to the legal profession.
He taught law at Yale Law School and served as the Dean of the University of Cincinnati Law School. In 1921, fellow Ohioan President Warren G. Harding appointed him as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a position he always wanted, even more than the presidency. He held that position until he died in 1930.
Fun presidential fact: William Howard Taft is the only person to have served as both President and Chief Justice. According to the National Park Service, “After his death, his funeral was the first presidential funeral to be broadcast over the radio. He is also the first President to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.”
For further reading: The William Howard Taft Presidency by Lewis L. Gould
Warren G. Harding: (1921-1923): 29th U.S. President
He was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. To date, Warren G. Harding is the last of the Ohio Presidents. When Harding was young, the family moved to Caledonia, where he became an apprentice in a local newspaper business.
This experience in newspapers influenced him later in his career. After attending Ohio Central College in Iberia, Ohio, according to the Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites, “During this time, his love of the newspaper business never subsided, and at the age of 19, with two partners, Warren purchased the Marion Daily Star, one of several newspapers in the small town. The Star was struggling and losing money, and soon Warren’s friends decided to leave the business. But Warren continued, and eventually The Star began making money. Through the articles that he wrote for the newspaper, Warren promoted new businesses in Marion, supported the town’s progress and growth, and generally became an important voice in the city as it grew in population and importance. Harding owned The Star for nearly forty years.”
Harding decided to enter politics, becoming a State Senator of Ohio in 1899 and a Lieutenant Governor in 1903. He lost his bid for the governorship in Ohio in 1910 but ran for the U.S. Senate in 1914. According to the Presidential Sites, “This time, he was successful, becoming Ohio’s first senator elected by direct vote of the citizens,” the passage of the 17th Amendment had made this possible.
Harding held the U.S. Senate seat from 1915 to 1921. Harding ran a successful campaign for the presidency in 1920 on a motto of “Return to normalcy,” which promised peace and stability in the U.S.
Like Garfield and McKinley before him, Harding used an effective front porch campaign strategy to win support. The passage of the 19th Amendment made it possible for women to vote for the first time in our nation’s history. 26 million women voted in the 1920 presidential election. Sadly, President Harding died while on a trip in San Francisco, California, in 1923. He is buried in Marion, Ohio, not far from his home.
Fun presidential fact: In 1920, Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. President to be elected while serving in the U.S. Senate. Future presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama have accomplished this in their respective elections. Harding’s election was also the first to be broadcast on the radio.
For further reading: Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding by Ryan S. Walters
Works Cited: Content and Images
- “William Henry Harrison.” American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/william-henry-harrison?ms=googlepaid&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23493154238&gbraid=0AAAAADfvU_MzwkL3JJdc1-rwBXJ6V6hqP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4_6KvNGukgMVkizUAR1dqx8kEAAYASAAEgIgYfD_BwE. Accessed January 27, 2026
- “U.S. Grant Boyhood Home and Birthplace.” Land of Grant, https://www.thelandofusgrant.org/visit-us/. Accessed January 28, 2026
- “Grant Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse.” Ohio History Connection, https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/u-s-grant-boyhood-home-schoolhouse/. Accessed January 28, 2026
- “Ulysses S. Grant.” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/ulsg/learn/historyculture/people.htm. Accessed February 4, 2026
- Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, https://www.rbhayes.org/. Accessed January 28, 2026
- “A Chronology of Rutherford B. Hayes Life.” Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, https://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/timeline/. Accessed January 28, 2026
- “Overview of the Hayes Presidency.” Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, https://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/overview-of-the-hayes-presidency/. Accessed February 4, 2026
- “James Abram Garfield: 1831-1881.” James A. Garfield National Historic Site, https://www.nps.gov/people/james-abram-garfield-1831-1881.htm. Accessed February 2, 2026
- “Benjamin Harrison.” Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, https://bhpsite.org/learn/benjamin-harrison/. Accessed February 2, 2026
- “Benjamin Harrison: 23rd” American Experience, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/presidents-bharrison/. Accessed February 4, 2026
- “William McKinley: 1843-1901, Our 25th President (Biography).” McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, https://mckinleymuseum.org/william-mckinley/. Accessed February 3, 2026
- “William Howard Taft.” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/people/william-howard-taft.htm. Accessed February 3, 2026
- “President Harding.” Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites, https://hardingpresidentialsites.org/president-harding/. Accessed February 4, 2026