William McKinley's 163rd birthday noted

The South Main Street building is a replica of the 1830s McKinley home.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- A group of children and adults celebrated William McKinley's 163rd birthday Sunday at his replica home here with a house tour, cake and one of the president's favorite snacks -- gingersnaps.
The 21/2-hour event took place at the McKinley Birthplace Home, 40 S. Main St., to commemorate the life and accomplishments of the nation's 25th president.
Patrick Finan, director of the McKinley Memorial Library in Niles, conducted the tour. Along the way, Finan outlined a chronological history of the president's life and provided the group with a historical perspective of the times McKinley lived in, reflected by numerous artifacts in the house.
The McKinley family moved to Niles in 1838 from the Lisbon area when the president's father, William McKinley Sr., got a job running an iron furnace, Finan pointed out. The family moved to Poland when McKinley was 9, and he graduated from high school and became a teacher there, Finan continued.
Before joining the military during the Civil War, McKinley served as Poland's assistant postmaster.
He later was nominated for the Medal of Honor for providing food and drinks to troops but didn't accept the award "because of his modesty," Finan said.
What happened next
After the war, McKinley studied law and passed the bar exam in 1867. Around that time, he moved to Canton, where he met his wife, Ida, Finan said, adding that the couple had two daughters, both of whom died young.
After serving 14 years in Congress as well as two terms as Ohio's governor, McKinley ran for president in 1896 and won. Missing from his presidential campaign was extensive traveling, Finan said.
"He ran his whole campaign from his porch in Canton," Finan said.
McKinley's tenure as president was marked by the Spanish-American War.
While attending an exposition Sept. 6, 1901, in Buffalo, N.Y., he was shot twice by Leon Czolgosz and died eight days later, Sept. 14.
Among the rooms Finan took the group through were the kitchen, several bedrooms and parlors that contained furniture typical of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The president was one of nine children, and he and his siblings were thought to have spent a lot of time reading in one of the parlors, Finan said, adding that education was a top priority in the family.
"The McKinleys wanted their daughters to be every bit as educated as their sons," he noted.
The family had a wood stove and a small table in their kitchen. A living room and another parlor were probably used for formal occasions, Finan pointed out.
Other features in the house included a Victrola device to listen to music, which had recently been invented by Thomas Edison, Finan said. In the children's bedrooms were pegs to hang their clothes because there were no closets.
The McKinley home is a reconstruction of the original Niles home in which the president was born, Finan noted. The original house was moved to McKinley Heights around 1908 or 1909, clearing the way for a bank. Years later, the house was accidentally destroyed by a fire believed set by a vagrant trying to keep warm. The bank was razed in 2001, and the replica of the original McKinley home was built the next year.
After the tour, participants enjoyed cake and refreshments. Among the items were gingersnaps, a favorite of the president's, Finan said.