McKinley, Ida Saxton

     McKINLEY, Ida Saxton, wife of President McKinley, was born in Canton, Ohio, in June, 1847; daughter of James Asbury and Catherine (Dewalt) Saxton, and granddaughter of John Saxton, founder in 1815 and for fifty-five years proprietor of the Ohio Repository, published at Canton. Both the Saxtons and the Dewalts were among the earliest settlers of Canton. Ida Saxton was educated at schools in Cleveland and at Brook Hall seminary, Media, Pa. She visited Europe for six months in 1869, and soon after her return became cashier in her father’s bank in Canton. She was a member of the Presbyterian church of Canton and was married from that church to Maj. William McKinley, Jan. 25, 1871, receiving from her father as a wedding gift a handsome house in Canton. Their first child, Ida, born Dec. 25, 1871, lived to the age of four, and their second child, Catherine, died in infancy. The shock attending the death of her children and that of her mother, which occurred soon after, resulted in a nervous disease which left Mrs. McKinley an invalid for life and able to walk only with the aid of a supporting arm. She was resident of Washington during her husband’s service as representative in congress, 1877-91, and during his gubernatorial terms she resided at Columbus. As mistress of the White House during his administration of national affairs, notwithstanding her physical illness, she successfully dispensed the hospitality demanded from her position. Mr. and Mrs. McKinley both became members of the First Methodist church in Canton, and while in Washington attended the Foundry church. While on a visit to California in 1901 she was suddenly prostrated and the contemplated trip was consequently abandoned in San Francisco. She was taken to her home in Canton where she so far regained her accustomed health as to be able to return to the White House and in September, 1901, to accompany her husband to the Pan-American exposition at Buffalo, N.Y., where she was his companion and the chief object of his solicitude in his dying hour. As the widow of the martyr President she returned with his body to Canton, Sept. 18, 1901.