A wintertime event presented by the Harding Home will focus attention on Florence Harding’s family, revealing new information about the dynamics of her obstinate father, her mysterious son and life before her marriage to future president Warren G. Harding.
“Fireside Chats” is a trio of programs planned for January 24, January 31 and February 7 at OSU Marion’s Guthery Room in Maynard Hall. Each program begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $10 each, and $5 each for high school and full-time college students. Tickets will be available at the door, but advance tickets for each program are recommended.
Tickets may be obtained by contacting the Harding Home at 740-387-9630 or emailing [email protected]. A package of tickets for all three programs is $25.
The program series is sponsored by the Marion Community Foundation, with the cooperation of Marion Technical College, the Ohio Historical Society and OSU Marion.
“This is a casual event, where you’ll be able to pull up a chair by the fireplace, sip a hot beverage and enjoy fresh cookies – all while listening to and participating in some great discussions about Florence Harding and her family,” Harding Home Site Manager Sherry Hall said. She and Harding Home Researcher Jon Andersen will be presenting the programs.
The January 24 program, “Amos Kling: Marion Powerhouse,” centers on Florence Harding’s father, always said to be very strict and intolerant. Florence is the topic of the January 31 program, entitled “Florence Kling Harding: Before the White House.” This program will delve into Florence’s first marriage to Henry DeWolfe and her relationship with her parents. The final program on February 7, “Marshall DeWolfe: A Tangled Life,” sheds some light on the life experiences of Florence’s son from her first marriage.
The Harding Home Advisory Committee also has been working on a varied slate of activities for 2013. Those include:
- May 25-26-27, Opening Weekend for the summer season, 12-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Open on July 4, closed on Labor Day. Open weekends in September and October.
- June 1, 10-12 p.m., “Laddie Boy & Friends,” on the grounds of the Harding Home. Join us under the tent to hear about President and Mrs. Harding’s various pets, including the famous Laddie Boy, as well as other presidential pets. This family event also features some real-life animal friends available for adoption through the Marion County Humane Society. Free admission, but donations of items for the Humane Society are strongly encouraged.
- July 19-20, Harding Symposium at OSUM, “Scandals and the Presidency.” Visit http://osumarion.osu.edu/harding for details and registration.
- August 8, 7 p.m. , “The President is Dead,” at Denzer- Farison- Hottinger and Snyder Funeral Home, 360 E. Center St., Marion, OH. Marion revisits the events surrounding the death of President Warren G. Harding in August 1923. Learn how people’s views of cemeteries and death have changed over the centuries. Cost: $10.
- September 10, 10 a.m., “The Harding Trail” bus tour starting at the Marion Senior Center. This bus tour throughout “Harding Country” takes you where history happened as it highlights Warren Harding’s birthplace, Blooming Grove; his boyhood town of Caledonia; his college town of Iberia; and his adopted hometown of Marion. Includes lunch and a tour of the Harding Home. Reservations required. Cost not decided.
- October 13, 3 p.m., 82nd Annual Harding Pilgrimage at the Harding Memorial. This event features hundreds of Boy and Girl Scouts honoring the memory of President and Mrs. Warren Harding. No admission charge.
You can get more information on all of these events by contacting the Harding Home at 740-387-9630 or emailing [email protected].
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