Mentor in Lake County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Front Porch Campaign
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
1. Front Porch Campaign Marker
From July to November 1880, Republican candidate James A. Garfield staged his presidential campaign from his home. Using this porch as his rostrum, Garfield delivered dozens of speeches - some more than two hours long - to more than 15,000 supporters during the campaign.
Garfield's "Front Porch Campaign" was a new approach. Before 1880, presidential candidates usually did not get personally involved in their own campaigns; they typically let their party's best speakers campaign for them. But since Garfield was one of the best orators of his day, he spoke for himself throughout the campaign - and changed the way future candidates ran for president.
[Background photo caption reads]
James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Roscoe Conkling, and Marshall Jewell standing in front of Garfield's front porch in September 1880, after signing the "Treaty of Mentor" which ended a rift in the Republican Party.
[Photo A caption reads] This group of black Civil War veterans from Cleveland came to hear Garfield speak in October 1880.
[Photo B caption reads] The Garfield Band on the front porch, 1880. Music was frequently played during 19th-century election campaigns.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications
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Location. 41° 39.826′ N, 81° 21.064′ W. Marker is in Mentor, Ohio, in Lake County. Marker is on Mentor Avenue (U.S. 20), on the left when traveling east. Marker is on the grounds of James A. Garfield National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8095 Mentor Avenue, Mentor OH 44060, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Campaign Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Expanding the House (within shouting distance of this marker); Windmill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carriage House (about 300 feet away); Gasholder Building (about 400 feet away); James A. Garfield's "Lawnfield" (about 500 feet away); Lawnfield (about 500 feet away); James A. Garfield and the Civil War (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mentor.
Also see . . .
1. James A. Garfield National Historic Site. (Submitted on October 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Garfield's "Front Porch Campaign". (Submitted on October 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. James Abram Garfield at FindAGrave.com. (Submitted on September 16, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
2. Front Porch Campaign Marker
Photographed By Unknown, October 1880
3. Photo A on Front Porch Campaign Marker
Photographed By Unknown, 1880
4. Photo B on Front Porch Campaign Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
5. Part of Garfield's Front Porch
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 9, 2015
6. Front Porch Campaign Marker
This 1881 portrait of James A. Garfield by Ole Peter Hansen Balling hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
“Through repeated balloting at the Republican convention of 1880, delegates remained deadlocked in naming a presidential candidate. Finally, after thirty-five ballots, they were ready for a compromise. Rejecting both front-runners — James Blaine and Ulysses S. Grant — the delegates endorsed Ohio congressman James A. Garfield, whose aspirations had been limited to becoming a senator.
The patronage-driven factionalism that led to Garfield's nomination continued to fester following his assumption of the presidency. On July 2, 1881, angered that Garfield had not awarded him a public office, a member of a GOP faction shot the president as he went to board a train. Eleven weeks later, Garfield was dead from his wound.
This staid portrait by Norwegian artist Ole Peter Hansen Balling may have captured Garfield's physical traits accurately, but it did not convey his spellbinding impact on people. Having once been a lay preacher, Garfield was at his most impressive when speaking. According to one observer, his thoughts sometimes seemed to issue forth at the podium ‘like solid shot from a cannon.’” — National Portrait Gallery
“Through repeated balloting at the Republican convention of 1880, delegates remained deadlocked in naming a presidential candidate. Finally, after thirty-five ballots, they were ready for a compromise. Rejecting both front-runners — James Blaine and Ulysses S. Grant — the delegates endorsed Ohio congressman James A. Garfield, whose aspirations had been limited to becoming a senator.
The patronage-driven factionalism that led to Garfield's nomination continued to fester following his assumption of the presidency. On July 2, 1881, angered that Garfield had not awarded him a public office, a member of a GOP faction shot the president as he went to board a train. Eleven weeks later, Garfield was dead from his wound.
This staid portrait by Norwegian artist Ole Peter Hansen Balling may have captured Garfield's physical traits accurately, but it did not convey his spellbinding impact on people. Having once been a lay preacher, Garfield was at his most impressive when speaking. According to one observer, his thoughts sometimes seemed to issue forth at the podium ‘like solid shot from a cannon.’” — National Portrait Gallery
Photographed By Vic Arnold, 1880
7. Broadside for the Election of 1880 Republican Candidates
James A. Garfield Republican candidate for president - Chester A. Arthur Republican candidate for vice president, published by A.S. Seer's Printing Establishment (New York, N.Y.). Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 753 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 31, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 6. submitted on September 14, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on September 19, 2015.
