William McKinley ~ January 29, 1843 - September 14, 1901

25th President 1897-1901

William McKinley sites visited:

McKinley's birth site and Memorial Museum are located in Niles, Ohio. The birth home is a replica.

The library and museum are located across the street. Both were closed at the time of our visit but the outdoor space is always open.

McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, New York, and this marker is located on the spot where it happened (Fordham Drive).

He lay in state in what is now the Old County Hall at 92 Franklin Street.

Teddy Roosevelt, who was sworn in as President in Buffalo, also has a marker in the old county hall.

The Buffalo History Museum has the assassination revolver, surgical tools, and the ball and chain that were worn by the assassin, Leon Czolgosz.

This is a photo of the room in which Teddy Roosevelt took the oath of office.

The 96 foot tall McKinley Monument was erected in 1907 and stands in Niagara Square in front of City Hall. On the day of our visit it was being cleaned 😏

On a trip through Canton, Ohio, we visited both his museum and his tomb.

As far as Presidential museums go, this one is on the small side but it still holds interesting artifacts.

We left the museum and steeled ourselves to climb the 100+ steps to the tomb.

Hats off for the McKinleys, literally.

It's a beautiful structure dedicated to the third president to have been assassinated, and his wife, Ida. Their two daughters, both of whom died in childhood, are entombed with them. It's a sad but lovely setting for these tragic lives.

William McKinley was shot on September 6, at the beginning of his second term, and died on September 14.

Shortly after his assassination, sculptor Charles Neihaus, funded by lumbar baron, Charles Hackley, created what is now the oldest statue of McKinley, unveiled in 1902. It stands in Muskegon, Michigan. Remarkably, the statue lists 1844 as McKinley's birth year 😮 

Rapid City, South Dakota, City of Presidents statue:

McKinley was the last Civil War veteran to be elected president and he was the first president to ride in an automobile. He is one of seven presidents to have been alive for two presidential assassinations (Lincoln and Garfield, in his case). And there were eleven former or future presidents alive when McKinley was killed in 1901. McKinley is one of twelve presidents without a college degree. 

"War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed."