The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-05
R. B. HAYES OLD home.
Sketch of the Ex-President's Life Near
Fremont.


Fremont.
Chicago. Nav 5.-The Record pub
fishes the following from one of it's cor
respondents:
The children of the late Rutherford B.
Hayes, ex-president of the United
States, have offered their old home,
known as SpiegeI Grove, near Fremont
O.. to the Ohio state Archaeological and
Historical society, on condition that
permanent fund of 5000 be raised, the
income thereof to be used for the proper
care and preservation of the bulldlngs
and the historical treasures now COh-
tanned therein.
Spiegel Grove is a wooded tract OF
twenty-five acres, near the lower ldl49
of the Sandusky river, and Is poliis
of great historical interest 1t is an ol9
Indian reservation and was so occupieu
for a long period prior to the reVolutlono.
airy war. Just before the war o. IoIa
Fort Stephenson was built and became
famous through Major Geo Croghan 5
gallant defense of it against the COM
bined attack of naval and lana IorGes
of Great Britain under PrOclof anu Ii
dams under TecumSeh in August, 1915.
The tract lat the time of the indian
occuDancy. was uncleared and much OF
it Doggy. The dampness gave p ecullar
luster to the soil and there We're many
places where one could see the reflection
of his face almost as clearly as IN va
ter This excited the superstition OF the
the woods. These were handed DOWN
long after the cause for them mad dls-
appeared and when the tract came INTO
possession of SilaS Birchard he named
# Spiegel Csrove-spiegeI being the Ger
man word for mirror. SIlas Blrcharu
was the uncle and guardian OF Presl-
dent Hayes, and he occupied the place
MANY years. When President Hayes
retired from the White House he en-
Iarged the house and it became the fam
ily residence and continued so until
his death, and has since peeh a SoFL oL
summer home for the children and their
families.
SpiegeI Grove and it's surroundings
are in a perfect state of preservation.
and all the valuable historic eHects OF
President Hayes remain there intact.
President Hayes a great reader
and of scholarly tastes and attalnments-
He acquired one of the finest libraries
of American history owned by private
individuals and during his public life
he preserved all papers and memoranda
in an orderly and accessible form.
There are precious old prints and
presentation photographs, authors
copies of famous books, thousands of
volumes of Americana, seals used by
Lincoln and Andrew Jackson, Washing
toms rings, cups from Farraguts flag
ship. priceless autographs and paint
ings of rare merit and historical IN
terest. All of this material will be at
the service of students and scholars II
this plan of the society can be carried
ont. 1t is certainly a rare opportunity,
such as seldom comes to any state or
organization.
President Hayes delight in the place
was very great. While a boy he had
become acquainted with every tree and
shrub. After his retirement from the
presidency he set out choice varieties
of shrubs sent him from China, Japan
and other distant countries. He gath
cred rare plants from everywhere and
delighted to speak of them Here he
would show a weeping willow with a
famous pedigree. its ancestors running
back to Washington's grave at Mount
Vernon: another to NapoleOns grave
at St Helena; farther on a sapling
from an acorn of the Charter Oak; in
other places old giants under which
Grandfather Webb camped during the
war of 1872 or to which was tied
captive maid by the Indians while
swift runner started for Detroit to OBJ
tain her release. Here also he set out
the Lucy Hayes chapel in young wal
nut trees in memory of his wife.
If the Archaeological society should
be able to arrange for the required fund
to care for the property the heirs pro-
pose to return to the house all the rarer
relics which for greater security have
been placed in the Orchard library,
founded by Mr. Hayes in the city of
Fremont. If a fireprOOf room is pro
vided the almost priceless library of
Americana will also be brought here.
The only reservation made by the
heirs to absolute control and occupancy
by the society is that, on account of
family association, so long as any of
the children live they may occupy a
portion of the building as a summer res
idence if they see fit at any time to
do So.