Lucy

One of the most beloved First Ladies in the White House was the vibrant and wonderful woman named Lucy Hayes.  The wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes she was loved by her community, her church, the troops under her husband’s command in the Civil War (they called her mother Hayes and she nursed the sick and wounded soldiers during the war staying in the camp and getting her hands bloody and helping even with the most gruesome wounds!) and by her country when she was the First Lady.

Lucy Hayes and Rutherford came to the White with the resolve of setting a moral and life example for the nation and they not only banned alcohol from the White House, but had nightly sing alongs, hosted some of the most beautiful and fun parties even without John Barleycorn being present.  They also brought with them lots of animals…. Mrs. Hayes and Rutherford loved animals and Lucy (who instituted the Easter Egg Hunt at the White House for she loved children also) spent her life caring for all kinds of animals throughout their lives.

-Painting of Lucy Hayes nursing a wounded soldier.  She knew personally about wounded soldiers since Rutherford B. Hayes was a General and the perfect gentleman became a animal on the battlefield with no fear. He was wounded four times and Lucy went to his side each time. One wound almost cost him his arm.

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-Her is a picture after their years in the White House with Lucy Hayes and one of their dogs, Spot. Rutherford is standing next to her.  Hayes was not only a General, but a Lawyer, Governor of Ohio for three terms, A congressman, President and then a founder of Ohio State University and a leading prison reformer.

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-One of the Hayes children with a dog named Old Major.  Look at that face.. is he a collie?

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-Here is Lucy with her Pigeons who lived in a specially built steps at their beautiful home Spiegel Grove.  Lucy Hayes loved all animals, but especially birds. By the way, she also loved cats and the first Siamese Cat in the USA was a gift to her from the Consul in Siam.

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-This is the picture of Lucy alive. Shortly after this she suffered a stroke and died at the age of 58 in 1889 in their home.

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-Lucy Hayes was a Methodist who was very active in the Temperance movement and many charities.  She loved all humanity, especially children and she worked hard in their behalf.  She was the first First Lady to have a college Degree and she was very loved by her country. When she died the flag was ordered lowered half mast for a week to honor her….  It is said no one ever had a bad word to say about her and I have never found anything negative about her.  A loving woman with a big heart she loved everyone and especially animals, in a age when animals weren’t treated all that well.  So, we honor Lucy Hayes a woman who was also a wonderful lover of animals.

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-One of our favorite family trips is to their home in Fremont, Ohio.  You can see Rutherford’s war horse graves and todays wildlife abounds in this beautiful place…….

 

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A Few Other Cool Collies

Calvin Coolidge also had two other collies while in the white house.  Bessie a “yellow” collie (we now call this sable) and Ruby Rough a brown collie (which would be a mahogany sable). Try as I may I have not been able to find any pictures of these two collies.  Seems they were outshone by their two white family members.

The first mention of a Collie in the White House was of Benjamin Harrison’s Dash.  Below is his picture. I think he was probably a half-breed collie, but he does have collie in him by the looks of him.

In the 1890’s Dash was at the White House….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the Coolidges had their collies Herbert Hoover then took over with several dogs including a collie named Glen.  I have found no pics of Glen but here is Herbert Hoover with his most famous dog, King Tut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next came Johnson in the 1960’s with his white collie named Blanco.  As far as I know unlike his hounds Johnson never picked his collie up by the ears.  Johnson should’ve had other ppl name his dogs… after all Him and Her, big beagle and little beagle are not great names but to each their own I guess. Below is a picture of Johnson with his White Collie, Blanco;

Thats it for collies in the White House.  Hopefully our next President will have a collie. 

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Cool Collies

The Coolidge family with one of their white collies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Coolidge taking one of his white collies for a walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two of the white collies with the President and his wife and surviving son. This would be Rob Roy and Prim Prudence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Coolidge with a White Collie and another of their dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Coolidge and his wife Grace  the White Collies. They loved animals and it is said that even Teddy Roosevelt’s family did not have as many animals as the Coolidges had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self Explanatory.. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger Says;  Now that I muddied up the couch I want to say,

 

KEEP COOL WITH COOLIDGE!   The White House needs another bunch of collies in there….. I’m voting for the candidate with a collie…. whats that Old Guy? No one running has a collie…. well you can give them me and I’ll go live at the White House.  Yeah, that would be great, servants, steak and trips to Georgie!

 

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A Ironic Life In History

-Are you serious dad? That really happened? Wow!  Hey everyone, Lad here and dad just told me a story that I can’t even believe…… Let me tell it to you.  There was this young man named Robert who achieved fame, fortune and power having been President of several companies, big companies, served in the US Government and was famous not only for himself but his father who was President of the United States.

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Here is what is ironic about this man. He was present at the White House when his father was shot and at his side when he died.  He later was present and witnessed the Assassination of his boos  President Garfield and was present when President McKinley was shot.  But, here is the real irony of this story and its creepy.

-In 1863 or 1864 Robert almost fell on the ice under a train which would’ve probably killed him on the spot. However, some one grabbed his hand and pulled him to safety just in the nick of time!!!!   The man who pulled him to safety was the actor Edwin Booth.  What is so creepy about that?  Well, Edwin’s brother was John Wilkes Booth who Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln was the father of Robert… Robert Lincoln.   So, how is that for irony?  I just can’t believe it…. hmmmm…. ball, ball, ball?

– HEre is Robert Lincoln at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial with on your left, President Taft then Supreme Court Justice and then President Warren G. Harding…

 

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–hmmmm…. I think I found a use for the train that goes by, besides hopping a ride to Georgee………..

 

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Cool Coolidge Collies-1

Coolidge is normally known as a dour, stodgy type of guy who was no nonsense. Actually, he had a wicked dry sense of humor and loved animals deeply. It is a little known fact that the Coolidge’s had more animals in the White House than anyone!!!  One of the neat things for me is they had white collies…. here are a few more new pictures I found ….

 Coolidge and his wife with Prudence Prim and Rob Roy!

Coolidge with his Collie Rob Roy and another dog named Tiny Tim!

This is Grace Coolidge’s official White House Portrait with Rob Roy!

Hope you enjoyed these White Collies who lived in the White House almost 90 years ago. 🙂

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One of our favorite places…

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Here is a picture of Rutherford B. Hayes after he left the Presidency on the West End of the big porch… notice the two dogs.. 🙂

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Here we are in the same spot…. 🙂

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THis is Old Whitey, Hayes horse when he was in the Army. His other was called Old Ned….

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Those horse meant a lot to Rutherford B. Hayes.  When they passed he had them buried on the knoll on the property with stones above them.. this is Old Ned’s….

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A few feet away is Old Whitey’s stone and grave….

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Perhaps nothing signifies more how important these horses were to Hayes than where they are buried…. from between the two horses graves this is what you see…. President Hayes’ grave….

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Here is the grave of President and Mrs. Hayes….. on the other side is their son Webb Hayes and his wife.  Webb Hayes was a military hero like his father and won the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions in the Philippines…. he was everywhere the action was and took part in the fabled charge up the hill with Teddy Roosevelt!   I believe that President Hayes and his son are the only family to have a President and a Congressional Medal Of Honor winner in the same family and in back to back generations.  We were very surprised and very moved to find that the descendents of the Hayes family to this day visit the family home.  They do not come in and make airs… they buy a ticket and take the tour like everyone else, blending into the crowd.  They do however, get to use the home and gardens for family weddings and such which we feel is only fair… after all they gifted the library, the grounds and the family home to the ppl of the USA in 1965….

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Here is Mrs. Hayes with her birds…..  they had a lot of pets and loved animals….

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Here they are with Spot….

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Wow, I am thrilled to be named Niamh’s Misty Meadow Rutherford B. Hayes……  what a honor….

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We Named A Collie After Him

Rutherford B. Hayes Standing with his wife Lucy sitting and their dog Dot.  We have been to this site and stood on this spot….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is President Haeys’ son Scott with the family dog named Old Major. The picture is from the 1870’s. I think this dog looks part collie…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This film shown behind Rutherford B. Hayes Grave shows where his two Horses from the Civil War were buried.  Somewhere between the two grave is buried one of his dogs.  This film is by Stars1976.  This is one of our favorite places to visit for it has so much history there.  We also feed the squirrels there by hand….

 

With the Squirrels at Spiegel Grove, the home of Rutherford B. Hayes.  They will come up and eat right out of your hand.  The grounds are used by joggers and those walking their dogs are more than welcomed here.  We saw Collies here!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His home had many animals living there and the grounds had lots of animals living there when it was his home also.  Off to the left of his home is his grave and his wife’s grave as well as Old Ned’s and Whitey’s graves. President Hayes was very fond of his animals family members and each of them is remembered someway in his writings.  Rutherford B. Hayes was President from 1877-1881 in a era when animals were not always valued.  At the Hayes home they were deeply loved.

 

 

 

 

We were so moved by the story of this man and his family and life I named one of our Collies after him.

Niamh’s Misty Meadow Rutherford B. Hayes……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Who Is This Guy?

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Who is this?  He was a Civil War Hero, was wounded five times, 3 times Governor of his home State and was a one term (by his choice) President…..

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Need A hint? Well I am it…. hehehehe

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A Man I Admire

Rutherford B. Hayes Standing with his wife Lucy sitting and their dog Dot.  We have been to this site and stood on this spot….

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This is President Hayes’ son Scott with the family dog named Old Major. The picture is from the 1870’s. I think this dog looks part collie…..

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This film shown behind Rutherford B. Hayes Grave shows where his two Horses from the Civil War were buried.  Somewhere between the two grave is buried one of his dogs.  This film is by Stars1976.  This is one of our favorite places to visit for it has so much history there.  We also feed the squirrels there by hand….

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With the Squirrels at Spiegel Grove, the home of Rutherford B. Hayes.  They will come up and eat right out of your hand.  The grounds are used by joggers and those walking their dogs are more than welcomed here.  We saw Collies here!!!!!

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His home had many animals living there and the grounds had lots of animals living there when it was his home also.  Off to the left of his home is his grave and his wife’s grave as well as Old Ned’s and Whitey’s graves. President Hayes was very fond of his animals family members and each of them is remembered someway in his writings.  Rutherford B. Hayes was President from 1877-1881 in a era when animals were not always valued.  At the Hayes home they were deeply loved.

President Hayes was a man whom I deeply admire. He was wounded four times…… he had several horses shot out from under him in the Civil War.  A true gentleman whom his friends said became a wild man when he was in battle.  A true hero.

He was also a man of convictions.  HE stood for what he believed in.  While at the White House he weighed everything they did since he felt they set an example for the country and thus while he was in the White House alcohol was not served.  He did not mind drinking but he felt the majority of people in the United States did not look favorably upon drinking so he felt they should set an example.

His wife, Lucy Hayes was a wonderful woman. The first First Lady to have a college education she loved humans and animals deeply.  While her husband was in the war she followed him in camp and she spent endless hours helping soldiers who were wounded.  She nursed them, was there holding their hands as they were operated on, had amputations and she tried to help them get messages home.  A truly wonderful woman who was deeply loved by the troops in the war she was called the “mother of the regiment.”

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We were so moved by the story of this man and his family and life I named one of our Collies after him.

Niamh’s Misty Meadow Rutherford B. Hayes……

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The Collies and The Famous

Today in 1976 Rosalind Russell passed over into the afterlife….  she is a favorite here at the Meadow.  Did she have a collie?  Not that we know of but we did by accident find out she drove a Lincoln Continental!!! LOL…..

So, what does Rosalind Russell have to do with us and our collies other than being a favorite?  Nothing at all!!! LOL….

However, collies have graced the lives of many famous people….. here are a few…

Queen Victoria

JP Morgan

President Benjamin Harrison

President Calvin Coolidge

President Herbert Hoover

President Lyndon B. Johnson

Elvis Presley

Jim Reeves

Elizabeth Taylor

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Texas A and M

Albert Payson Terhune

Jack London

Katherine Lee Bates

WA Burpee

Queen Alexandra

Shannon Doherty

Courtney Cox

David Duchovny

Tea Leoni

Renee Zellweger

 

These are just a few of the famous people who have had collies in their lives that I could find…..

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And to think I got stuck with the old guy… why not some President or Dictator whom I could’ve used as a launching pad for my own world domination! Sigh…

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