Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-14
WHERE BUCHANAN WAS BORN
Birthplace of Former President Now
the Home of Negro
Family

How few Pennsylvanians ever stop
to reflect that the keystone state has
given birth to but one president OF the
United States James Buchanan.
Franklin county claims the distinction
of being the birthplace of this nota-
BILE executive. says a Mercerburg cor
respondeIce of the Philadelphia Rec
ord. He was born in gorge in the
mountains just off the turnpike which
leads from Mercersburg to McCon-
nellsburg on April %, 1871.
The house in which he first saw the
light Of DAY considering that there
were but two tiny windows to admit
the light, the expression seems rather
paradoxicaD was a little log cabin. In
late years this cabin has been removed
to Mercersburg, where it still stands,
In Fayette street, and is now occupied
by colored family.
Think of the policies for which Blu
chanan stood touching the negro race
add the fact that negroes now live in
the edifice of that presidents nativity
and surely you have the irony OF fate
in one of it's most startling twentieth
century complications!
A few of the foundation stones are
left to mark the place where the Blu
chanan cabin stood in the mountains
but most Of them have been used fol-
the foundation of a schoolhOuse near
by. At the time Of his birth the turn
pike had not been made, but there
are still traces of packers path
which ran on one side Of the house
and of a wagon road on the other side
Stony Batter, as his birthplace is
called. was one Of the few places In
those days where farmers from the
western counties came with pack
horses laden with the products OF
their lands which they exchanged fol-
the necessaries of life brought there
from the city of Baltimore. Near
where the cabin stood flows little
stream called Trout Run, and al
around the mountain peaks tower
aloft in surprising grandeur and sub
Unity.
These mountains were and are even
at the present time infested with
bears, panthefs and wildcats, anc
there is tradition that the solicitous
mother OF Buchanan was wont to tic
around little Jimmy's neck bell sc
that she might know in the midst OF
her household cares that her boy was
safe.
In the year 1896 Mr.. Buchanan re-
moved with his family to the village
of Mercersburg, where he sought q
wider field for his business career
that of a country merchant At this
time young James was about five
years of age, and here he attended
school and was instructed in Latir
and Greek until the year 1907, wher
he was sent to Dickinson college, Car
Isle, from which institution he was
graduated with honor IN 1909.
An amusing incident is told regard
Ing his trip to Carlisle, which he made
on horseback behind hts father. As
they left the town a neighbor woman
ran out of her house crying: IF yor
take James to that pad SchOOl ne VIII
be ruined and come home good fol
nothing"
There are many reminders of the
Buchanans in the town. Here is the
old Buchanan house, on Main street
now used as hotel, and so changed
from it's original state that it would
not be recognized. Just opposite is The
Lane house, where Harriet Lane
Johnson, Buchanan's beautiful and &C
complished niece, who afterward pre-
sided at the white House, was borI
and lived. One of the Oldest men il
the town we'll remembers having
played with her when they were chill
dren together.
Here on West Seminary street The
spire OF the Presbyterian church i:
stenciled against the background O.
mountains At this church, which /:
one of the Oldest in the valley, The
Buchanans, the Twins, the materna
ancestors Of Benjamin Harrison, Gov
Findlay and many others who in latel
years rose to eminenee, attended serv
ices.