This month’s Booking It Through History: First Ladies focus was a bit hard as there is not much written about Caroline Harrison, wife to one-term President Benjamin Harrison. She led a quiet but admirable life, one that ended tragically in the White House where she left a lasting legacy.
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
Caroline “Carrie” Lavinia Scott was born on October 1, 1832 in Oxford, Ohio to John and Mary Scott. Her father was a Presbyterian minister who began teaching chemistry and physics at Farmers’ College in Cincinnati in 1845. He eventually ran a school for girls and was a pioneer in women’s education.
Carrie enjoyed growing up in a college environment and loved reading, music, and painting. She was a petite, vivacious girl with kind eyes and brown hair. She attracted the attention of one of her father’s pupils, Benjamin Harrison, who was a frequent visitor to their home. He was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison and had grown up hearing stories about his famous ancestor from his grandmother, Anna Harrison, the only First Lady who didn’t come to Washington due to her husband’s untimely death just one month into his presidential term.
Benjamin was besotted with the slightly older Carrie whose playful sense of humor contrasted with his serious and introspective personality. When her father moved to Oxford, Ohio in 1850 to begin the Oxford Female Institute, Benjamin soon transferred to Miami University of Ohio in the same town. His mother and two younger siblings had just died, and he enjoyed being in Carrie’s company and spending time with her family, courting on the front porch and taking buggy and sleigh rides.
Benjamin thought about becoming a minister but decided to pursue law as it was a more lucrative career for a man who wanted to get married. He and Carrie secretly became engaged when he graduated, and he went to Cincinnati to start his law career where he missed her greatly, causing the post office clerks to make fun of him when he constantly came in for her infrequent letters. Carrie had one more year of schooling to complete and also had taken over for an ailing piano teacher. Her many duties, which included nursing the teacher, soon made her own health decline. After graduating with a degree in music, art, and literature, she traveled east to visit relatives in Pennsylvania which restored her health. Ben soon persuaded her father that marriage would also be beneficial to her health and assured him that he could provide for her by living at his family home called The Point in North Bend, Ohio while he worked in Cincinnati.
Marriage
Benjamin and Carrie married in her family home on October 20, 1853. Her father presided over the small wedding where Carrie wore a simple gray traveling dress. They had a wedding breakfast and then went to The Point to live. She became pregnant within a month, and by April, she and Benjamin moved their meager belongings to Indianapolis, Indiana where there was more legal work. They lived in straitened circumstances with little income even with Benjamin’s extreme work ethic.
Carrie needed rest and medical attention, so she went back to her parents’ house in Oxford to give birth. Russell Benjamin Harrison was born on August 12, 1854, and while Benjamin struggled to make ends meet, Carrie and baby Russell traveled back and forth from Oxford to Indianapolis. Benjamin finally started to earn more money the following year when a fellow Indianapolis lawyer asked him to become a partner. They soon were well-known divorce lawyers since Indiana’s law was lax (one historian called it the Reno of time!).
They welcomed their second child, Mary (called Mamey) on April 3, 1858 after twelve hard hours of labor. Carrie’s life revolved around home where she managed the children and entertaining and church where she sang in the choir and played the piano every Sunday. She and Benjamin were both deeply religious Presbyterians and maintained a strict adherence to the Sabbath.
Their religious beliefs influenced both Ben and Carrie’s political leanings, leading him to speak out against slavery and the plight of African-Americans. He was an early Republican, breaking with his father who was a member of Congress from the declining Whig party. Benjamin became involved in local politics during John C. Fremont’s 1856 campaign for president and was elected city attorney in 1857.
Civil War
At the beginning of the Civil War, Benjamin and Carrie were awaiting the birth of their third child. This, along with his important role as a judicial reporter, kept him from enlisting. Carrie took in relatives and kept the family afloat while he started a new legal partnership that resulted in long hours. They were devastated when their baby girl died at birth in July of 1861.
Just a year later, Benjamin felt the need to enlist, which Carrie supported. He left immediately for a Union camp in Kentucky while she threw herself into supporting the war through patriotic associations, visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals, and volunteering with the Sanitary Commission. He wrote her long letters from camp and told of the horrific things he saw in battles from Tennessee to Georgia. She visited him at the camp in the Nashville area in May and September of 1863, right before his regiment pushed into Georgia in Sherman’s March to the Sea.
After the huge battle at Peachtree Creek where he was called a hero by his superiors, he became depressed, especially upon learning of Carrie’s serious illness. He was sent back to Indiana to stump for Republican candidates and was able to spend just over a month at home. Carrie delighted in his visit and was soon better.
Benjamin went back to the army after the election, and after the battle of Nashville in December of 1864, he was sent home on furlough. When it was time for him to go back to the army via Washington, he brought Carrie and the children with him. They visited Carrie’s sister in Pennsylvania where she had to nurse him through a bout of scarlet fever. He made it back to Sherman’s army in Hilton Head, South Carolina where he spent the remainder of the war. None of his or Carrie’s letters made it to the other during this time. He marched with the army to Washington through Richmond where he received a promotion to Brevet Brigadier General on May 20, 1865.
Post-War Prosperity
Benjamin threw himself into work after the war, and they became a wealthy family, building a new home on North Delaware Street. Carrie managed the household and children, pursued her art through painting and pottery, and became a society matron involved in local charities including the Orphans’ Asylum. She also formed the “Impromptu Club” to discuss books, and her favorite authors were Charles Dickens and Shakespeare.
Benjamin continued his rise in Republican politics, running for Senate in 1880. Carrie slipped and fell on ice during this campaign, impacting her health for the rest of her life. She moved with him to Washington when he won where she held small receptions for his political friends and their wives. She came back with him every year during his term until his final year when she stayed back home in Indianapolis with the children and grandchildren.
Benjamin got the Republican nomination for president in 1888, and Carrie found out when hundreds of people gathered on her front lawn. She stood by him during endless parades and front porch speeches and hosted many guests at their home. Their daughter, Mamey, also assisted but was confined during the campaign due to pregnancy.
Carrie asked her widowed 30-year-old niece, Mary Scott Dimmick (also called Mame) to come to Indianapolis to help with entertaining and childcare. Mame became close with Benjamin who enjoyed her company, especially on long walks, and she became Carrie’s trusted helper.
White House Years
Benjamin lost the popular vote to current president Grover Cleveland but won the Electoral College so the Harrisons were off to Washington. Carrie was sad to leave her home in Indianapolis where she had spent so many happy times. Inauguration Day in 1889 was cold and rainy, but the Harrisons enjoyed themselves, especially at the Inaugural Ball held at the Pension building ballroom (now the National Building Museum). They danced for the first time in years, and Carrie’s American-made inaugural gown was beautiful, emphasizing her small, tightly corseted waist.
They brought many family members to the White House, including daughter Mamey and her two children, Mary Lodge McKee and Benjamin Harrison “Baby” McKee (who became a pop culture celebrity!). Carrie’s son Russell, his wife, and daughter also lived in the White House along with Carrie’s 90-year-old father.
The White House was not big enough for such a large family, leading Carrie to promote a wholescale renovation. She thought it was important for the White House to be a beacon of good taste, especially as the centennial of the presidency occurred in 1889.
“Not for our own occupancy and enjoyment, but for the comfort and convenience of our successors, and for the provision of a home which may be creditable to the Executive of the greatest nation on the globe.” – Caroline Harrison
Her plans (available at the Library of Congress and at the TV show listed below) would have added two huge wings to the Executive Mansion containing a national art gallery and museum. It would have resulted in a grand building reminiscent of European palaces, but Congress did not approve even after former first lady Harriet Lane helped Carrie lobby for the funds. Congress only gave her enough money to redecorate, so she brought electricity to the White House for the first time, which frightened the Harrisons who refused to touch the switches! She also used a ladder to climb into the rat-infested attic and basement to find antiques to display.
“The rats have nearly taken the building so it has become necessary to get a man with ferrets to drive them out. They have become so numerous and bold that they get up on the table in the Upper Hall & one got up in Mr. Halford’s bed.” – Caroline Harrison
She also brought out old china pieces from former administrations and created a china room for display. Her china pattern was so popular that it was still being reordered through the Clinton administration! This china includes her own illustrations of cornstalks and goldenrod on the rim.
Criticized by the press for being overly domestic, she taught china painting classes that were very popular among the Washington society ladies and continued her love of needlepoint and orchid cultivation.
She was interested in women’s rights and civil rights and became involved in a campaign to admit women to Johns Hopkins Medical School. She held receptions in the White House for a Maryland women’s group (which included former first lady Louisa Catherine Adams’ granddaughter!) to help raise money for the medical school if they would admit women. Carrie also became the first president of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and gave the first public speech by a first lady at a DAR convention.
Carrie kept a diary during her White House years and brought in a female photographer to document her family’s life there, hoping this would keep the press from intruding on their lives.
“I am disgusted with newspapers and reporters. Truth is a characteristic entirely unknown to them. But the paper proprietors and editors are alone responsible for these things as they encourage all misrepresentations and no lies they may tell are ever contradicted.” – Caroline Harrison
She escaped Washington by traveling to the Maryland or Pennsylvania mountains or the New Jersey shore where they purchased the home pictured below (it was a bit of a scandal as it was first given to them by political allies).
She didn’t go back to Indianapolis while in Washington as they had rented out their home there. They enjoyed celebrating holidays in the White House, being the first family to bring in a Christmas tree to the mansion!
They made the White House their home with grandchildren playing on the grounds and by offering a home for extended family, including her niece, Mame, who assisted Carrie with her correspondence. Mame also became a confidante of the president, having access to the government codes to translate cipher messages for him. Even when Mame moved out of the Executive Mansion, she came to help every day.
The Harrison administration was productive, passing the first antitrust bill and silver bill. Benjamin attacked the brutal lynchings happening across the south, and Frederick Douglass called him the “greatest president.” He dealt with tragedies including fifteen deaths of prominent administration officials and the horrific battle at Wounded Knee. He traveled over 9,000 miles and through twenty-one states as president (including the six states added during his term), and Carrie often traveled with him, even christening a ship in San Francisco. She was his helpmate in every way, her warm personality compensating for his frostiness.
A Sad Ending
As Benjamin began his reelection bid, Carrie was sick with an ongoing respiratory illness. She spent the summer of 1892 in the Adirondack Mountains, hoping the cooler air would be helpful. He was very anxious about her health and joined her in August as soon as Congress adjourned. He stayed there through the convention, writing a reelection letter to the American people so he didn’t have to leave her side.
The campaign between Benjamin and Grover Cleveland was subdued with Carrie’s worsening health. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis in September, and they traveled immediately back to the White House. Just one month later on October 25, 1892, sixty-year-old Caroline Harrison died at the White House with Benjamin by her side. Her funeral was held in the East room and her body was taken back to Indianapolis for burial.
“Yet with the faith she knew, we see her still, even as here she stood, all that was pure and good, and sweet in womanhood, God’s will her will” – James Whitcomb Riley, poet
Benjamin was heartbroken and didn’t care about losing the election two weeks later. He couldn’t even bring himself to go back to Indianapolis to vote. He did eventually go back and return to his legal practice. Just a few years later, he married Carrie’s niece and his confidante, Mame, much to the consternation of his children who refused to accept her. Mame gave birth to a daughter when he was 63 years old. He died of pneumonia just four years later, writing his older children out of his will. He was buried beside Carrie in an Indianapolis cemetery.
Legacy
Caroline Harrison is not well-known by most Americans and that is a shame as she was a well-educated woman who bridged the years between the Civil War and the 20th century. Her work on behalf of women was revolutionary for a first lady, and her willingness to lobby Congress was something not seen in the White House since the Polk administration. She would have had an even bigger legacy had Congress approved her plans for the White House! With her work through charities and the DAR, Caroline’s intelligence and political savviness shines through.
Caroline is hampered by her place between the two administrations of Grover Cleveland whose flashy wife, Frances, was the Jackie Kennedy of her day. The older and more staid Caroline couldn’t capture the country like the young and beautiful Frances. Plus Caroline’s husband is one of the more forgettable presidents which leads us to forget about her as well.
It is interesting that as the wife of the first (and to date only) grandson of a president to become a president, she must have known Anna Harrison (who died in 1864) but didn’t benefit from her experience as first lady since Anna never made it to the White House.
Each first lady leaves their mark on the office, and Caroline’s focus on the White House’s historical items is still being felt today. It’s amazing that her place settings are still being used by modern administrations which makes it even sadder that she died before seeing them.
Her legacy is hidden but there for those willing to research!
My Time with Caroline
I had a hard time delving into Caroline’s life this month. It seemed like she had been lost to history with no books about her and very few about Benjamin. The more I read about her, though, the more I grew to admire her.
She was anti-slavery and pro-women’s rights well before most first ladies, lending her political power to these then-controversial causes. She stood by Benjamin and enabled him to reach for the heights of power while she took care of domestic issues. I thought it was telling that even one hundred years ago, the press looked down on women who focused on the domestic sphere, much like today!
She was an intelligent woman with an education and passion for arts who also enjoyed family life. Up until her death, it seems like she was happy and fulfilled. I felt the sadness of her passing and couldn’t imagine how her death just weeks before an election affected the American people. I am sure she would have been horrified at what happened to her close-knit family after her death. It seems she was the glue who held them all together.
Travels with Caroline
Caroline Harrison was born and raised in Ohio (one of six first ladies to hail from there!) but her adult life was mostly spent in Indianapolis.
Indiana
Indianapolis:
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Visit Caroline’s home where she raised her family and helped her husband’s political career. It contains many of her paintings and artwork and looks like a lovely place to visit! Don’t miss seeing this historical marker nearby.
See Caroline’s final resting place beside her husband.
Ohio
Oxford Female Institute historical marker, Oxford
See this historical marker dedicated to Caroline near her birthplace and college as well as the home where she married.
Home of John Scott Harrison historical marker, North Bend
The home where Caroline began her married life no longer exists but this town has many historical sites related to the Harrisons (see my Anna Harrison post for more details).
New Jersey
Congress Hall Hotel, Cape May
This resort served as Harrison’s summer White House. It looks amazing! Their original cottage that was part of this resort was moved inland and is now a Marianist retreat center.
Church of the Presidents, Long Branch
The church where many presidents, including the Harrisons, worshiped while here on holiday.
Washington
This is the former Pension building where the Harrison inaugural ball was held.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
You can see one of Caroline’s beautiful dresses along with her exquisite china here!
To Learn More
Books to Read:
There are no real books about Caroline Harrison that are readily accessible. I read two about her husband to learn more about her.
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:
Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison (Presidential Wives Series) by Anne Chieko Moore
This short biography (37 pages!) is hard to find with a 6-7 month ship date!
Benjamin Harrison by Charles W. Calhoun
A short but detailed look at Harrison’s life with many facts about Caroline. It’s an easy read with much written about his political career.
Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior by Harry J. Sievers (three book series)
I read the first of three books about Benjamin Harrison’s life which included his courtship, marriage, and Civil War career. It was well-written and had many endearing details about their early life. I’ve read reviews that the other two books aren’t as readable so I didn’t get to those.
TV Shows
C-SPAN First Ladies Image and Image – watch to see Caroline’s plans for the White House to look like a French palace and to step inside her Indianapolis home.
Websites
Benjamin Harrison President Site – Caroline’s biography and images
White House Historical Association
- The Harrison Christmas ornament honors the first White House Christmas tree that was installed during their residency. It includes some of the gifts the Harrison grandchildren received that year!
Caroline Harrison was a gracious, intelligent woman whose love for beauty and art left a lasting legacy on the White House. She deserves to be remembered!
