The 108 steps up to the McKinley Memorial in Canton seem as daunting as trying to understand the state of a nation that experienced a third presidential assassination in 36 years. But the resulting outpouring of grief over William McKinley’s 1901 death, combined with the warm feelings for the president, led to the construction of an imposing neo-classical tomb for McKinley, his two daughters who died as children and eventually his wife, Ida. The imposing memorial, 50 feet in diameter at its base, is set atop a hill surrounded by a rolling green lawn. Halfway up the steps, a large bronze statue of McKinley catches him giving the final speech of his presidency in Buffalo, New York, where he was assassinated. “He’d think it would have been a bit much for him,” says Kim Kenney, curator of the
McKinley Presidential Library and Museum. “But there would have been people alive in 1901 who remembered two previous presidential assassinations very clearly, so it was something they needed.” Don’t Miss: Through the Lens: The Photography of Frank Dick, a new exhibit at the adjacent library and museum, features photos of the monument as it appeared in its early years along with meticulous journals the photographer kept while taking them. “It’s neat to see what the monument used to be, compared to how it looks now,” Kenney says. 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton, 330-455-7043, mckinleymuseum.org
The McKinley Monument is Memorialized as Grounds for Grief
William McKinley's monument in Canton was a nation's somber reaction to a series of presidential assassinations.
politics
5:00 PM EST
July 20, 2016