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The United States Secret Service Created Four Flower- Ella and Said “Little Covered Arches That Girl, There Lies a Great and Good Man

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The United States Secret Service Created Four Flower- Ella and Said “Little Covered Arches That Girl, There Lies a Great and Good Man • • “Garfield Obsequies, Sept. 26, 1881” Ella L. Grant Wilson (1854– 1939) was a Clevelander who lived through the building of the city. She was ten years old when President Lincoln’s coffin stopped in Public Square in 1965 and Ella was lifted by Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase to see inside. When James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881, she was a successful florist and she was determined to be part of the decorating The Secret Service today can always be seen protecting the President and his family. President committee for the Eisenhower in this 1955 photo has agents walking with his car. (nps.gov) President’s funeral in Salmon P. Chase Cleveland. Mrs. Wilson lifted up the young The United States Secret Service created four flower- Ella and said “Little covered arches that girl, there lies a great and good man. Never From protecting U.S. Currency to protecting U.S. Presidents crossed Superior and forget him.” Ontario Streets. Her The United States Secret Service, a It took three presidential (Famous Old Euclid arches showcased division of the Treasury Department, assassinations – Lincoln, Garfield, and Avenue) Garfield’s life in still performs the mission it was McKinley – before formal protection of flowers and were 18 ft. high. While putting assigned during the Civil War, tracking the President of the United States was up her arches, she was kicked out of the counterfeit money, checks, bonds, and codified by law. Notably, this was nearly Square for not having a badge giving her other financial instruments, including six years after the death of President access to the funeral preparations. She bogus credit cards. McKinley. made sure all her workers had the right Now, the Secret Service’s most Today, the Secret Service protects badge but forgot to get her own. recognizable role is that of protecting not just the President, but also members (cont’d page 2, See Wilson) the President of the United States. That of the First Family, the Vice President, duty began informally shortly after the president-elect and vice-president- Happy Birthday Theodore Roosevelt became president in elect, former presidents and their William 1901, following the death of President families, and visiting heads of state, Howard Taft! William McKinley, who was shot in among others. Since the 1968 27th President and upstate New York on September 6 and assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, 10th Chief died on September 14, 1901. presidential candidates are also protected Justice, William This new duty was established by by Secret Service details. Howard Taft was law when Congress passed the Sundry The Secret Service lists one agent, born on Civil Expenses Act in 1906. It Officer Leslie W. Coffelt, as dying while September 15, appropriated funds for the protection of protecting a president; Coffelt died while 1857 in the president for the fiscal year that protecting President Truman during a Cincinnati, Ohio. began on July 1, 1907. 1950 assassination attempt. (loc.gov) Happy Birthday, Eliza Ballou The Curse of Tippecanoe? (Wilson, cont’d from page 1) Garfield! A presidential legend, the Curse of After speaking Mother of President James A. Tippecanoe (also called Tecumseh’s Curse or Garfield, Eliza continued to reside with City Council the Zero-Year Curse) dates back to William in Mentor after her son’s death in about getting back Henry Harrison and his war with Native 1881. She was born September 21, in the Square, she American Chief Tecumseh. Before his 1801 in New Hampshire and moved was given was the presidency, Harrison was well-known as the to Ohio in 1820 with her family. City Council general who defeated Native Americans in the (Western Reserve Historical Society) Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Harrison was President’s badge th the governor of the Indiana Territory, which said 45 Anniversary of the Munich Massacre “Garfield at the 1972 Olympics in charge of securing the territory from the This September 5th will mark 45 years Native Americans. The Native Americans Obsequies, Sept. since eleven Israeli Olympic Team athletes were pushing back and were unwilling to give 26, 1881.” She and coaches were murdered. The events more of their land to the settlers. wore the City unfolded during the second week of the 1972 Legend has it that Council badge the Olympic games, the first Olympic Games to Chief Tecumseh, or Mrs. Wilson designed this rest of the day, his brother flower ladder for Garfield’s be held in Germany since the 1936 Berlin funeral in Cleveland. The saying that it was Olympics under the Nazi regime. The Tenskwatawa cursed Harrison rungs on the ladder depicted the closest she athletes and coaches were taken hostage in the steps in Garfield’s career. came to being a their apartments by eight terrorists, and two (years before he was (Famous Old Euclid Avenue) member of City died when they tried to stop the attack. The president), and every rest of the athletes were killed during a failed president after, that if Council. rescue attempt by German police officers. they were elected in a Later in life, Mrs. Wilson wrote her The hostage crisis and attempted rescue was year that ends in zero memories of living in Cleveland and broadcast on televisions around the world. they would die in socializing with the elite in a two-volume office. From The David Berger National Memorial was th book Famous Old Euclid Avenue. She was William Henry Harrison, 9 Harrison’s untimely created to honor David Berger, one of the President, was born in the a well respected member of Cleveland athletes who was murdered in 1972. David Colony of Virginia, and death only 30 days into his presidency, society, and lived through Cleveland’s Berger was an American/Israeli citizen born settled with his family in “Golden Age.” in Shaker Heights, Ohio and was a champion North Bend, Ohio after the until Kennedy’s weightlifter. While he worked towards his War of 1812. assassination in 1963, September 30: National Public Lands Day Masters and Doctorate, he competed in (metmuseum.org) the pattern held true. Every September since 1994, Americans weightlifting events. He moved to Israel in President Zachary can celebrate their national public lands. 1970, and was chosen for the Israeli Olympic Taylor died in office in 1850, disrupting the Generally falling on the last Saturday of Team in 1972. pattern, as the only president to die in office September, National Public Lands Day is the The Memorial was commissioned by that was not elected in a year ending in zero largest single-day volunteer effort in the friends of David’s family. It was named the (an event which happens every twenty years). nation for public lands. Each year, federal David Berger National Memorial in 1980, The ‘curse’ was first popularized in the public lands are free for visitors to enjoy the and is affiliated with the National Park 1930s, and resurfaced during the 1940 and day, and take advantage of the beautiful Service. It is located on the grounds of the 1980 elections. Whether or not Harrison was public lands that we have in our nation. Mandel Jewish Community Center in cursed, the ‘curse’ now, thankfully, seems to Many state and federal parks have Beachwood, Ohio. The memorial was be broken. volunteer events that help bring people together and appreciate their national relocated to its current location in 2006 after 1840: William Henry Harrison died in office treasures by giving back to the community. the original community center was closed in in 1841. The National Environmental Education 2005. 1860: Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Foundation (NEEF) created and helps 1865 (reelected for a second term in 1864). coordinate this day to help improve public 1880: James A. Garfield was assassinated in lands and educate about conservation. 1881. For information about volunteer projects visit 1900: William McKinley was assassinated in www.neefusa.org/npld/volunteers 1901 (reelected for a second term in 1900). 1920: Warren G. Harding died in office in 1923. 1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office in 1945 (reelected for a third term in 1940, and fourth term in 1944). 1960: John F. Kennedy was assassinated in The David Berger National Memorial depicts the 1963. Olympic rings broken in half, but motioning upward 1980: Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest in in hope for the future. The base consists of eleven posts, symbolizing the eleven athletes and coaches 1981 and survived. who were killed. 2000: George W. Bush finished his two terms (nps.gov) with no major injuries. .
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