Our Most Perfect President

For years I have told people our most perfect president was William Henry Harrison. Teasingly I tell them that he only made one mistake during his term in the White House .... he did not wear a hat to his inauguration. It was cold and he caught pneumonia and died about a month after taking office. This man, known as Tippecanoe, spoke for an hour and forty five minutes on the cold day, the longest inauguration speech on record, He was also the oldest president until Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

William Henry Harrison built a home near North Bend, Ohio

After years of talking about the man, I decided to learn something about him. William Henry Harrison is buried in the county where my oldest daughter goes to school, Hamilton County, Ohio. Four of our presidents have ties to this area: William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati; Ulysses S. Grant was born one county east; William Henry Harrison is buried in North Bend; and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was born in Hamilton, County. Because I am interested in history, I have visited sites related to these men when I visit my daughter.

William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati

My visit to the gravesite of William Henry Harrison occurred on a cold day in March of last year. We attempted to visit a museum near his home first, but the facility was closed. It seems the curator was on vacation in Europe (I know because I wrote to ask why the museum was closed during opened hours). We went on to the grave, which is close to where he built his home. It was an enjoyable day seeing the countryside and learning a bit about the man who served as our president for thirty-one days.

Tippecanoe built a home with a view!!

When I inquired about why the museum was closed, the people I talked to told me about a wreath hanging program instituted by Gerald Ford when he was president. Every year a president’s birthday, a representative of the current president hangs a wreath at the grave site. I decided to visit the tomb of Tippecanoe once again this year to participate in the ceremony. The event happens on February 9.