July 05, 2004

Rerun: Presidential Fun Facts

(These entries were originally posted at my old site.)

Bohemian Grove, Cleveland, and Fillmore in the extended.

Boys Only! Girls Keep Out!

The "secret society" Bohemian Grove is a secluded campground in California's Sonoma County, and is the site of an annual two-week gathering of a highly select, all-male club. Members have included every Republican president since Calvin Coolidge. Current participants include George Bush, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, and David Rockefeller--a virtual who's who of the most powerful men in business and government.

Rumor has it that through elaborate stage productions and other entertainment, campers are able to bond with fellow elites.

Want to gate crash? The Grove is located in a secluded area 65 miles north of San Francisco in Monte Rio, California. It is owned by San Francisco's Bohemian Club. Go one mile east of Bohemian Highway; just east of the bridge which leads to Monte Rio, on the south side of the Russian River.

Send me pictures of the stage shows, please.

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Grover Cleveland, President 1885-1889, 1893-1897

President Cleveland liked beer, as illustrated in the following story of Cleveland's 1870 campaign for district attorney of Erie County, New York:

Cleveland and his friendly opponent, Lyman K. Bass, agreed to drink only four glasses of beer daily. But after they had met a few times on warm summer evenings to talk things over, they decided that their ration was too skimpy and so began to "anticipate" their future supply. A few evenings later, Bass suddenly exclaimed: "Grover, do you know we have anticipated the whole campaign?" Cleveland nodded sorrowfully. The next night, however, both of them brought huge tankards to the saloon, christened them "glasses," and had no problem with the ration after that.
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Millard Fillmore, President 1850-1853.

President Fillmore is possibly the most boring president in American history. He was born into poverty and worked his way through school to become a lawyer and politician in New York. Admirable, sure. Interesting? Not really.

Fillmore became president after the death of Zachary Taylor and was not renominated by the Whigs in the next election. Slavery and the Compromise of 1850 divided the country and his political party.

Slightly noteworthy is the appearance that the widower Fillmore remarried a wealthy widow once he returned to Buffalo so that he could live in a fashion he thought more befitting a former president.

I even dug my old college history texts out of storage and here is what they said...Fillmore was a "lackluster" president and a "colorless and conciliatory" vice-president. Riveting.

For a somewhat different take on the "legend" of President Fillmore, please check this out. Trust me, it is the most entertaining thing published about Fillmore and worth the click.

Posted by Jennifer at July 5, 2004 09:00 AM

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