JULY 25 — 1775 Happy birthday First Lady Anna Harrison; 1864 Stevens is killed in Battle of Peachtree; 1857 Happy Birthday Spragyue (electric traction); 1985 Rock Hudson announces he has AIDS; 1954 Happy birthday Walter Payton
JULY 25
1775 – Happy birthday Anna Harrison!
She was first lady for an entire month! Anna Tuthill Symmes was born on this day at her father’s estate just outside Morristown, New Jersey. When Anna was only a year old, her mother died. Her father John Symmes was a Continental Officer during the Revolution, once actually rode through British-occupied New York dressed as a British soldier and dropped his little baby girl off at his parents’ house in Long Island to take care of young Anna for the remainder of the War. After the revolution ended he was appointed to the Superior Court in New Jersey and still didn’t have a lot of time to raise her.
Which might be a big reason why she was attracted to a young Captain William Henry Harrison, and might also explain why Judge Symmes was opposed to their marriage, stating that having a husband in the military just doesn’t work, and if anyone knew that from experience, it was Judge Symmes? Nonetheless, the wedding continued, and on November 22 1795, William became the Judge’s son-in-law. Anna and William did have children together, tragically, almost all of them died; I’ll get to that in a second.
In the early 1800s, Harrison had become governor of the Indiana Territories, and built a mansion called Grouseland. Grouseland essentially became the Indiana area headquarters, and as a result, Mrs. H. had to entertain a lot of her husband’s political guest, once including Vice President Aaron Burr. But Grouseland was constantly being harassed by Native Indians. Once, William and Anna actually entertained at their very own house for dinner, Shawnee Chief Tecumseh and his bloodthirsty brother Tenskwatawa, the same men Harrison would eventually defeat at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Yeah, look, I said can you please pass the salt, not I’m going to assault.
By 1836 William Harrison was so well known, the Whigs nominated him for the upcoming election. Though he lost that one to Martin Van Buren, he would easily win the White House in 1840 with his president John Tyler, with the irresistible campaign slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler Too. All Anna wanted William to do was retire and be with her. She had already lost 6 children: John in 1830, Lucy in 1826, William Jr. in 1838, Benjamin in 1840, Carter in 1839, and James, who died before he was a toddler in 1817. She really didn’t want her husband to run, but faithfully remained by his side.
Other than Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan, William was the oldest man elected president in 1840. Anna was known to say, “I wish my husband’s friends had left him where he is, happy and contented for retirement.” Anna wouldn’t even get a chance to step foot in the White House when her husband passed away on April 4 1841, 32 days in office, Tyler taking his place. Congress gave her a pension of $25,000 in a lump sum, but Anna had lost nearly everyone now.
However, she did have her son John Scott still, with whom she moved in at his place in North Bend. There, she helped him raise his children, including a young 8-year old Benjamin Harrison, future US President. Anna Harrison died February 25 1864, age 88. Horace Bushnell, famous Congregational minister, delivered her eulogy.
Happy birthday Anna!
1853 – Joaquin Murrieta’s head goes on display
…in California. Marietta was either a hero or a vicious bandit, depending on who you talk to. `One of the stories go like this. Murrieta and his family moved to California for the Gold Rush and white settlers kicked him out. Angry and resentful, Murrietta gathered some henchman to get revenge on the white settlers. Between 1850-1863, Murrieta and his band of the Five Joaquin’s, allegedly stole over 100 horses, plus more than $100,000 in gold, and killed 19 men.
As a result, California governor, John Bugler, assembled a team of California Rangers to go after the five Joaquin’s and placed a $5,000 bounty on Murrieta’s head. Ran gars caught up with Murrieta and his right hand man, Manual Garcia. To get the bounty, the Rangers cut off Murieta’s head and Gracie’s three fingered hand and put the head in a jar of brandy. This was put up on display as people paid a dollar to see it on exhibit in San Francisco, and Stockton, and Mariposa county. But was it really Murieta? His sister saw the head and said it wasn’t. All I know for sure is this. If you ever go camping in the goldfields, you’ll see a headless Joaquin’s ghost riding his horse yelling give me back my head. Ooooooooohoohooohoohoo. Civil War news…
1864 – Confederate Brig. Gen. Clement Hofman Stevens is killed at the Battle of Peachtree during the Atlanta Campaign. Stevens btw also constructed the iron-clad battery.
1857 – Happy Birthday to the father of Electric Traction, Frank J. Sprague. From Millford Connecticut, Frank was a huge contributor to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electronic elevators.
1985 – Rock Hudson announces he has AIDS.
…The fact that he was gay shocked America since Rock seemed anything but feminine and destroiyed the stereotypes that homosexuals had at the time, although carol Burnett, Susan st. James and Liz Taylor all knew his secret. Rock’s secret was in jeopardy when he was blackmailed in 1955 by Confidential magazine, who was threatening to expose his sexual preference.
Back in the 1950’s, this would’ve destroyed his career, so he married his female secretary. In over According to Wiki, Hudson was voted Star of the Year, Favorite Leading Man, and similar titles by numerous film magazines. He completed nearly 70 films and starred in several television productions during a career that spanned over four decades. Hudson died in 1985, becoming the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.
1954 – Happy Birthday Walter Payton! Sweetness did a lot for the Chicago Bears during the thirteen years he played. He’s a nineteen pro-bowl selectee, held the record for most rushing yards until Emmet Smith broke the record, touchdowns, yards from scrimmage, l-purpose yards, and so many other categories. Coach Mike Ditka said Payton’s not just the greatest player he’d ever seen, but even greater as a human being.
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