William Henry Harrison: Oldest President at the Time

  __By Tiffany Amber Stockton__

In January, The City That Never Sleeps received the spotlight focus. Today, I thought I'd cover a little known president and why not much is known about him.

THE SHORTEST TIME SERVED

American President William Henry Harrison came into this world on February 9, 1773, in Charles City County, Virginia. Coming from a very prominent and successful Virginia family, he received the best education possible by his parents. Harrison’s father desired that he pursue the medical field, and Harrison proceeded to study at the University of Pennsylvania.

He loathed the medical field, but he still obeyed his father’s wishes. The death of his father in 1791 changed many things. Since his parents financially funded his education, he no longer had the necessary funds to continue his studies and became rather impoverished. 

Harrison searched for a new path in life and found it in the U.S. military. From Virginia governor Henry Lee, Harrison received a commission as an ensign in the Army, and he travelled west with the U.S. 1st Infantry regiment to serve under General Anthony Wayne.

Harrison rose quickly with a natural talent for leading soldiers, and the General appointed Harrison as his aide-de-camp. As Wayne’s personal assistant and secretary, Harrison learned the skills needed to command an army on America’s frontier.

Almost 20 years later, Harrison put these skills to use as a General commanding troops during the War of 1812. Serving in the Northwest Theater of war in and around present-day Ohio and Michigan, Harrison led America’s troops against the British and Indians. He famously forced them back into Canada and won a crushing victory at the Battle of the Thames.

Following the war, Harrison used the fame he had won in battle to catapult himself into service as a politician, serving as a Senator, Governor of Indiana, and Minister to Columbia. His moniker of Tippacanoe during his military service gave him political advantage, and he used the slogan, "Tippacanoe and Tyler too!"

In 1840, Harrison was elected President and became the oldest Commander and Chief until Ronald Reagan.

After his election, Harrison was determined that his inauguration speech would be the best possible. He spoke for one hour and 45 minutes about his agenda in the midst of terrible winter weather. Just one month later, on April 4, 1841, William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia. This unfortunately earned him the distinction of having served the shortest time ever by a U.S. President.

It also created a conundrum, as no other president had died while in office. No one knew what to do. The Vice President, John Tyler, insisted he step into the role, which he did, but the United States didn't solve the issue of succession until the passing of the 25th amendment in 1967.

Quick facts:

• William's grandson, Benjamin, also became president, making them the only grandfather-grandson pair to serve in this role.
• In campaign antics, a group of Whigs pushed a 10-foot ball made of tin and paper slogans of Harrison’s for hundreds of miles (and thus the phrase “get the ball rolling” began).
• Other Whig supporters passed out whiskey in bottles which came from the E.C. Booz distillery, and from this comes the word “booze.”

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* A few notable tidbits about President Harrison. Which one did you find most interesting?

* Share about a time when you thought you traveled a secure path, only to have a sudden course shift that took you somewhere completely unexpected.

* What tidbits do YOU know about any of the U.S. presidents?

** This note is for our email readers. Please do not reply via email with any comments. View the blog online and scroll down to the comments section.

Come back on the 9th of each month for my next foray into historical tidbits to share.

For those interested in my life as an author and everyday gal, what I'm currently reading, historical tidbits, recommended reads, and industry news about other authors, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. The February edition was just sent out. Receive a FREE e-book of Magic of the Swan just for subscribing.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker who is also a professional copywriter/copyeditor. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, one dog, and three cats in southeastern Kentucky. In the 20 years she's been a professional writer, she has sold twenty-six (26) books so far and is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Minnie Cox, Postmistress

Minnie Cox
Wikimedia Commons

Minnie Cox, born in 1869 to former slaves, grew up in Lexington, Missouri. She graduated from Fisk University with her teaching degree at the age of nineteen. She married Wayne Cox, the principal of the Colored School in Indianola, Missouri, and began teaching. 

Wayne Cox was also the first black alderman in the city. Both Wayne and Minnie were very active politically and supported the Republican party. President Benjamin Harrison needed a Postmaster for Indianola. He appointed Minnie in 1891 when he couldn’t find anyone else qualified. Minnie became the first black postmistress in the United States.

President Harrison
U.S. Library of Congress

Minnie worked hard at her job. Indianola was one of the largest post offices and carried a lot of responsibility. Minnie worked long hours. She was the first to put in a telephone at the post office so the patrons could call to see if they had mail to pick up. She went out of her way to help people.

She did such an exceptional job that President McKinley reappointed her for another term in 1897. Theodore Roosevelt reappointed her again when he took office. Her salary of $1,100 annually was considered high pay at the time. Minnie was known to use part of her pay to cover costs when people were late paying for their post office boxes.

Very few complaints were made about Minnie until the political climate began to change. New laws discouraged allowing blacks to vote, and also prohibited appointing, black citizens into positions of power. In 1902, some of the white citizens of Indianola began to call for Minnie to step down. Minnie refused to do so, but did let them know she would not seek reappointment when her term ended in 1904.

In late 1902, James K. Vardaman, newspaper editor and white supremacist, gave speeches inciting the citizens against Minnie Cox. Threats were made against her and her family. It was suggested that as an appointed official, Minnie should be protected by federal troops. Minnie decided to tender her resignation.

President Roosevelt
U.S. Library of Congress

President Roosevelt refused to send troops for her protection. He also refused to allow Minnie to resign. Instead, he closed the post office in Indianola and rerouted the mail to a neighboring town, causing the citizens to have to go farther for their mail. He also continued Minnie’s salary until the end of her term in 1904. 

Minnie and her family left town in early 1903 because of the fear of people following through on their threats. She didn’t return until 1904 after her term of office ended and the post office returned to Indianola, although it had been downgraded to a lower class postal system.

The news about the hostility toward Minnie spread across the country. For four hours her situation was debated on the Senate floor. In early 1903, the Cleveland Gazette ran the headline, “Mrs. Minnie Cox, Postmistress of Indianola – A Faithful and Efficient Official Driven From Office by Southern White Brutes.” One of the "brutes" referred to in the headline, was James K. Vardaman, who went on to be elected governor of Missouri. 

Minnie and her husband quit teaching. When they returned to Indianola, they opened a bank that attracted both black and white patrons. Minnie passed away in 1933. In 2008, the Indianola Post Office was renamed the Minnie Cox Post Office Building by an act of Congress.

Have you ever heard of Minnie Cox? Did you find this story fascinating? I know I did. I loved how President Roosevelt supported Minnie by continuing her pay even after the post office was closed. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children and two grandsons. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.