Trip #3 Northeast Ohio



Marble statue of Garfield in his Tomb




Presidential Gravesites seen on this trip: #25 William McKinley Canton, Ohio 6 of 38
                                                            #20 James A. Garfield Cleveland, Ohio 7 of 38


In a matter of a few weeks I had seen 5 Presidential Gravesites. With my big trip down to Texas coming up in June, I wanted to get more of the easy ones out of the way. I had just 2 left to see in my home state of Ohio. On the Saturday after Memorial Day my wife was working. I gathered together all who wanted to go that day. My Mom, Cousin, Aunt and Khloe all went on the days trip.

May 30, 2009 William McKinley

Oddly enough the 2 Presidents that we saw on this day were both assassinated. So both were given very large tombs as memorials to them. The first we came to was William McKinley's Tomb in Canton, Ohio. I remember visiting once as a kid. We made a weekend of seeing the 2 Presidents Tombs as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is in Canton not far from McKinley's Tomb.

On the morning of May 30, 2009 we arrived around 9:30 am. The place was crowded with runners using the many steps for exercise. Of course when we climbed to the top of the steps and entered the monument we were the only ones interested to see what was inside. It made we wonder if all of the people running the steps ever took the time to pay their respects to the martyred President.

McKinley was a good President who led us through the Spanish American War. His administration is oftain overshadowed by Theodore Roosevelt. Who was McKinley's Vice President and assumed the Presidency upon McKinley's death. After we spent a little time at McKinley's Tomb we were on our way to Cleveland to see President Garfields Tomb.

On this particular trip I forgot my good camera and only took cell phone pictures. This caused me to want to return sometime to get better pictures. So in October 2009 I returned to McKinley's Tomb one Sunday afternoon with my wife and Khloe. It happened to be a beautiful day at the peak of fall foliage and so we took some family pictures which turned out really good. So far we repeated this trip 2 more times for the specific purpose of getting family pictures done in October 2010 and October 2011.




William McKinley's Tomb Canton, Ohio





May 30, 2009 James A. Garfield

It was around 11: 30 am when we arrived at Garfield's Tomb in Lake View Cemetery. The Tomb really is amazing. The architeture of the Tomb is very unique. We took our time walking around and through the Tomb. There is a 2nd story balcony that offers a good view of Lake Erie. President and Mrs. Garfield's caskets are on display in the basment.

Lake View Cemetery is also the final resting  place of Lawman Elliot Ness, John D. Rockefeller and Sec. of State John Hay.

After Garfields Tomb we headed to Garfields home 'Lawnfield'. The site of the first from porch campaign. We took the tour and I would definatly recomend it. There is also a little museum on the life of Garfield in the visitors center that I enjoyed. Garfield was a brilliant man and I think that history may of been different if he had survived. But he was assassinated in less then a year in office.

As I metioned before I forgot my camera, so in September 2010 I returned with my wife and Khloe. Along with Lake View Cemetery and Lawnfield we also visited Garfield's birthplace.

When we left Garfield's home in the evening of May 30th, 2009 I was already starting to get excited about the next trip which would be much bigger. Going down to Texas was just a few weeks away.

Me at Garfield's Tomb