Podcast
Welcome back to 70 Artifacts for 70 years! Look for our logo in platinum for the 70 years of the Stark County Historical Society!
On the birthday of President William McKinley, January 29, 2016, we celebrated with a little more background on a biography by Margaret Leech.
Margaret Leech (1893-1974) McKinley biographer, was born in Newburgh, NY. She graduated from Vassar College in 1915. She was a prolific writer–writing both novels and historical non-fiction. Two of her history books, Reveille in Washington which dealt with the Civil War and In the Days of McKinley a biography of the life of President William McKinley won Pulitzer Prizes in 1942 and 1960, respectively.
Margaret had the good fortune to live during the time that immediate members of the McKinley and Saxton families were still living. She was able to speak personally with Margaret (Disoway) McKinley, the widow of James F. McKinley, the President’s nephew and Helen McKinley Heidt Magee, daughter of the President’s niece, Grace McKinley Heidt. She was also able to interview Mary Barber Hartzell, Ida’s niece, and Ida Day Gunn, daughter of Ida’s namesake, Ida Barber Day. These women were able to furnish unique perspectives and memorabilia from William and Ida’s lives.
In the Days of McKinley is carefully researched and presents McKinley’s life from his early life to his assassination in 1901.
Ralph Pulitzer, Margaret’s husband, died in 1939. They had one daughter, Susan Pulitzer Freedburg. The Pulitzers are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY
- Judy Cloud Pocock, Volunteer
More Later…
Archivist's Attic... 