Lucy Hayes was one of the most popular first ladies of her time but is mostly unknown today. From being the first First Lady to graduate from college to being known as “Lemonade Lucy,” her life was one of laughter and love, but also one that didn’t escape the sad reality of 19th century illnesses and warfare. However, her true companionship with her husband and her devotion to her family is one that stands the test of time.
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Lucy Webb was born on August 28, 1831 in Chillicothe, Ohio to Dr. James and Maria Webb, their third child and first girl. When Lucy was just two years old, her father traveled back to his home state of Kentucky to free the enslaved men and women he had inherited. While there, he was struck with cholera and died. Left with three children to support, Maria was told to sell the enslaved but she refused, saying, “before I will sell a slave, I will take in washing to support my family.” This story made a strong impression on Lucy as she grew up, leading to her lifelong beliefs in abolition and the rights of African-Americans.
Her maternal grandfather was also a big influence on little Lucy, especially his promotion of the temperance movement. He had Lucy and his other grandchildren sign a pledge of abstinence that Lucy kept her entire life. Lucy attended local schools and was known for her winsome, dark-haired beauty and her kind, helpful attitude. Her teachers found her “ever diligent” and “anxious to excel” in her studies. She was afflicted with inflammatory rheumatism and severe headaches, but these ailments didn’t affect her day-to-day living.
In 1844, Lucy and her mother moved to Delaware, Ohio where they became good friends with Sophia Hayes whose attorney son, Rutherford, soon took note of almost 16-year-old Lucy and her “merry peal of laughter.” He believed the mothers were conspiring to create a romantic match between the two but since he was nine years older, he dismissed Lucy as a “bright, sunny-hearted little girl, not quite old enough to fall in love with.” Lucy soon left for college at Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College, and he often visited her there, enjoying her small-town charms.
She graduated with a degree in liberal arts in 1850, and Rutherford realized that Lucy had matured into a beautiful young woman. Even his beloved sister, Fanny, thought “joyous, intelligent” Lucy was a good match for him, “handsome” even though she had freckles! Throughout 1850 and 1851, he spent much time with her in Cincinnati and realized in the spring of 1851 that he was in love with her. He told her of his affections and she returned his sentiments, surprised since she thought herself “too light and trifling” for him. They had a secret engagement but everyone couldn’t help but notice the change in his melancholy demeanor to one of sheer happiness. He was a romantic and loved to hear her play guitar and sing sweet songs.
Marriage
Lucy and Rutherford finally set Thursday, December 30, 1852 for their wedding at her mother’s home in Cincinnati. She wore a simple white-figured satin dress with a floor-length veil fastened with orange blossoms. About forty guests were in attendance, including her new niece, Laura, who held Lucy’s hand during the ceremony. After the wedding, Rutherford and Lucy went to Columbus where his sister, Fanny, lived and remained there for a four week honeymoon. Fanny loved having Lucy there, calling her a “precious gift from heaven.”
Lucy and Rutherford eventually settled back in her mother’s Cincinnati home. They had a sweet start to marriage as he was aware of her sensitive nature while she loved keeping the home lovely. She didn’t nag him about her religious beliefs but influenced his views on slavery and alcohol. They enjoyed traveling to Fremont, Ohio to visit his uncle, Sardis, and to Niagara Falls.
She gave birth to their first son, Birchard “Birch,” on November 4, 1853. The growing family moved to a new home in Cincinnati where they welcomed a second son, Webb, on March 20, 1856. They had a charmed family life, but the ever-present dangers of childbirth took Rutherford’s beloved sister, Fanny, in 1856. Amidst this sadness, Rutherford and Lucy enjoyed their little family, welcoming another boy, Rutherford, on June 24, 1858. Lucy had a harder time with his birth as her inflammatory rheumatism flared up. With a successful law practice and growing family, the Hayeses were content.
Rutherford waded into political life in December of 1858 when he was appointed to be Cincinnati’s solicitor. He enjoyed this job and would have continued it except for the onset of war.
Civil War
While anxious about hostilities, Lucy was excited that the coming war would mean freedom for the enslaved. She even said she wished she had been at Fort Sumter with a garrison of women! Rutherford joined up with 23rd regiment of Ohio volunteers and was sent to camp near Columbus with her physician brother Joe. Lucy went to see the review of his regiment on July 24, 1861, and that evening Rutherford came to her to say goodbye before being sent to western Virginia. She decided to spend the night with him at the camp and was very emotional as she saw him march away to battle.
She was pregnant for the fourth time, and their son, Joe, was born December 21, 1861 with Rutherford finally getting leave in February. He was injured at the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862, and Lucy went to Washington, DC to locate him. Her frantic search led her to finally find him in Middletown, Maryland where she helped nurse him and other soldiers back to health.
She and the younger boys came to his camp in West Virginia in winter and spring 1863, enjoying their time riding horses and playing in the picturesque mountain streams. She brought supplies to the soldiers and comforted them as they were wounded or sick, leading them to call her “Mother Lucy.” However, she couldn’t prevent the death of little 18-month-old Joe at camp in spring of 1863. Lucy’s heart broke as she watched the barge leave with her son’s coffin on it, taking him to a cemetery in Ohio.
Lucy and the boys went back to Ohio, spending time with family in Cincinnati, Delaware, and Fremont where Uncle Sardis was helping to raise the older boys. She returned to Rutherford’s side during the fall/winter of 1863-64, saying a final goodbye as he marched off to Virginia and what he hoped was the final campaign in April of 1864.
Lucy left his camp pregnant again, giving birth to another son, George, on October 2, 1864. Rutherford was injured two other times and it was erroneously reported that he had died at Battle of Cedar Creek. As the end of the war drew near, Rutherford was elected congressman, and Lucy accompanied him to Washington to view the victorious military parades. They also visited Richmond and Petersburg in May of 1865.
Political Life
Lucy enjoyed spending time in Washington as a congressman’s wife. She attended debates at the Capitol and social events throughout the city. Rutherford and Lucy soon were back in Ohio, though, as he decided to run for governor in 1867.
This was also a sad period in their lives as little George died of scarlet fever on May 24, 1866, followed by the deaths of their mothers. 1867 promised to be a better year since Lucy was again pregnant, giving birth to a daughter, Fanny, on September 3. Rutherford returned to the campaign trail the next day, winning the governor’s election in November.
Lucy enjoyed being the governor’s wife and was involved in charity works such as taking over the Soldiers and Sailors orphanage. She accompanied Rutherford to prisons, hospitals, and other institutions, her empathy for children and families evident in her works. She stayed away from controversial policies, such as women’s suffrage and even her own beliefs in temperance. She didn’t want to imbibe but wasn’t a proponent of Prohibition and didn’t want to impose her views on others.
As the older boys went off to college at Cornell, Lucy and Rutherford continued adding to their family with the birth of Scott Russell on February 8, 1871. He weighed 11 pounds, leaving Lucy in poor health. Rutherford and Lucy jointly decided to leave politics the next year, relieved that their time in the spotlight was over
They moved to Cincinnati into small rooms at Carlisle House and dealt with family health issues including Scott’s seizures. Over the next few years, they traveled between Cincinnati, a family farm in Delaware, and Sardis’ home in Fremont, which would soon be their home. Rutherford ran for Congress again, but Lucy was glad he lost so they could sit under their “own vine and fig tree.”
They moved full-time to Spiegel Grove in Fremont in May of 1873 and soon, Lucy found herself pregnant for the eighth time at age 42. She had a difficult pregnancy and had three seizures during childbirth. The child, Manning Force, was weak but eventually they both improved. However, little Manning died of a “summer complaint” (probably dysentery) at 13 months old on her 43rd birthday.
Rutherford and Lucy missed life in Columbus so he was grateful to be nominated again for governor in 1876. They weren’t there long before Rutherford was nominated to head the Republican ticket for president. Lucy was “so happy, so proud to be his wife,” and the newspapers extolled her virtues, especially since Rutherford’s opponent was a bachelor.
On Election Day, the early results didn’t look promising so Lucy went to bed with a headache. It would continue over the next four months as the election results were contested in several states. The actual president was not decided upon until 2 days before the inauguration in March! Lucy got an inkling of how fraught this life would be when a bullet was fired through her Columbus home’s window and threats on their lives were made.
White House Years
Lucy’s time as first lady was during an important transitional period in American history. As the Gilded Age got its luster from business and manufacturing, women also were gaining power – the “New Woman” era. At 45 years old, Lucy was in the middle age of life and caught between the generations.
She represented a change in women’s clothing as dresses became less frilly but more refined. She wore a black silk dress and bonnet during inauguration and was almost entirely unadorned. In describing her, one newspaper referred to her as the “ first lady” – the first time that nickname had been used in print. There was no inaugural ball, but she and Rutherford attended a reception at the Willard Hotel.
The White House was full with the large Hayes family and their relatives who stayed to help Lucy with her correspondence. Lucy enjoyed entertaining and was a good hostess; however it was her lack of providing alcohol that got her the nickname of “Lemonade Lucy” in modern times even though the spirits ban came from her husband (she wasn’t called this during her lifetime). They served wine at their first state dinner for Russian Grand Duke Alexis, but Rutherford banned it afterwards, believing that government officials should conduct themselves with discretion and dignity at all times. Lucy got the majority of the blame but it wasn’t her decision.
The family attended Foundry Methodist Church, and Lucy continued her focus on charitable works, helping raise funds for the completion of the Washington Monument and to send African-Americans and Native Americans to college. She didn’t, however, take on any controversial issues such as women’s suffrage as she didn’t want to interfere with Rutherford’s policies.
She often traveled with Rutherford on his trips throughout the country, and they were the first sitting president and first lady to visit the West Coast. They also spent their summers at the Old Soldiers’ Home cottage that was so beloved by the Lincolns where she visited with the old soldiers. They renovated the White House economically, adding running water and a telephone even though they had trouble getting appropriations due to Congress’ political machinations. She spent most of the money on the greenhouses that grew her favorite flowers. She also ordered new White House china that is still one of the most unusual ones today!
She loved the history of the White House and began acquiring presidential and first lady portraits in the first significant art collecting. She held informal Saturday afternoon receptions and the newspapers lauded her entertaining and conversation skills. She did break with tradition by having the first African-American woman to perform at the White House. She also hosted the first official White House Easter egg roll and ensured that every staff member received a personal card and present at Christmas.
She did all of this while having headaches and flare ups of her rheumatism. She was known for her kind, humble ways, even sewing on a veteran’s stripes when he lost them at a reception.
A happy event took place at the White House when Lucy and Rutherford renewed their wedding vows on their 25th anniversary. Her beloved niece, Laura, held her hand again just as she had done as a child at their wedding.
The only real controversy about Lucy occurred when a women’s temperance society wanted to use her portrait to raise funds. They asked for as little as 10 cent contributions, embarrassing Lucy. Even with her personal beliefs in not drinking alcohol, the movement was upset with her and eventually kicked her out! Click here to see the portrait.
Post-White House
Since Rutherford had promised to only serve one term, he and Lucy were happy to leave the White House in 1881, turning it over to fellow Ohioan James Garfield and his wife, Lucretia. On the way back to Ohio, their train had a crash resulting in two deaths. It had to be an unsettling return to civilian life!
Rutherford and Lucy enjoyed being back at their Fremont home and enlarged it but they continued to travel for work and pleasure. She also stayed busy by serving as president of the Woman’s Home Missionary Service for many years.
They enjoyed this quiet time with their children and eventual grandchildren as Birch had two children. Lucy’s health continued to decline, probably from gallbladder disease, which often kept her at home as Rutherford traveled. It was on one of his trips in June of 1889 that he was met by his son at the train station. Lucy had suffered a stroke. He stayed by her side until her death on June 25th at almost 58 years old.
She was buried on their property where Rutherford joined her 3 ½ years later.
Legacy
Lucy Hayes was well-respected and loved by her countrymen and women. Even during the divisive political times, she remained a symbol of American womanhood with her kind, gracious personality. Even though she went through hard things in life (her father dying while she was young, three children dying, living through war, etc), she kept a positive attitude that enabled her to rise above the challenges. She seemed to be a wonderfully matched helpmeet for her husband, who needed her love and stability as he dealt with military and political upheaval.
She was staunchly anti-slavery her entire life and believed in the rights of African-Americans, which had to influence her husband. She was devoutly religious but didn’t seem to push her morals on others, especially Rutherford who wasn’t particularly religious. She led by example, a true servant leader. It’s easy to disparage her accomplishments in today’s fast-paced world, but her devotion to her family and the plight of the needy is one that should be celebrated.
As her biographer said, Lucy’s activities as First Lady and her advanced education enhanced the role of women in the American social and political spheres. For the first time, a woman’s education was something to be celebrated.
My Time with Lucy
I really enjoyed getting to know Lucy as I had no real idea about her before this project. She suffers from being one of the wives in the line of unknown presidents with beards after the Civil War. With Hayes only serving one term and with the controversy surrounding his election, Lucy gets lost in the shuffle.
She seemed like a delightful woman who never met a stranger and who was kind to everyone. She rose above politics which is refreshing to read about in today’s rough and tumble world of politics.
One biographer said she and Rutherford led a charmed life to have made it through the Civil War and politics unscathed. I don’t believe that’s true. To read about her grief over the loss of her babies and the worries she had when Rutherford was injured three times during the war tell a different story. Much like Harriet Lane, Lucy didn’t allow the sadness to take her down with it. She was a strong and admirable woman.
Travels with Lucy
Lucy spent most of her life in Ohio but also traveled extensively in the growing United States
Ohio
Lucy Webb Hayes Heritage Center, Chillicothe
Visit Lucy’s birthplace!
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums at Spiegel Grove, Fremont
You can visit Lucy’s home where she and Rutherford spent the last years of their lives. I am excited to see his library full of 12,000 books! They both died here and are buried on the property. The family opened the first presidential library here in 1916 (which includes Lucy’s letters as well) and there is also a museum to visit.
Statue of Rutherford and historical marker, Delaware
This is where Rutherford was born but also where Lucy met him while visiting the nearby sulfur spring.
Soldier and Sailor Orphans Home, Xenia
Lucy was heavily involved in this charity.
West Virginia
Site of Camp White, Charleston
This is where Lucy stayed with Rutherford during the Civil War and where little Joe died.
Washington
Lucy and Rutherford attended every Sunday (as did another first lady, Hillary Clinton!).
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
You can see Lucy’s china and inaugural dress here!
To Learn More
Books to Read
There are not many books written about Lucy or even Rutherford! There were no fiction books and just one nonfiction about Lucy.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction
First Lady: The Life of Lucy Webb Hayes by Emily Apt Geer
The only book about Lucy, it’s hard to find in print. My state library had it but I had to stay there to read it! I really enjoyed it.
Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President by Ari Higgenboom
Detailed biography of Rutherford with many historical facts of Lucy.
TV Shows/Movies
C-SPAN First Ladies Influence & Image
Websites
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum
White House Historical Association
- Ornament: The Hayes Christmas ornament depicts Rutherford and Lucy on a snowy sleigh ride in 1880. He loved the Christmas season and enjoyed taking family and guests out on sleigh rides around the hills of Washington.
Lucy Hayes isn’t well known but was a pivotal First Lady whose charm and warm personality helped calm down a a scandal-ridden Washington. She was a delight to study!
This was so interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! It was fun to learn about her!