TR (Robert Hodder) may be wearing a Victorian morning coat with striped trousers, a suit or even a cowboy outfit to help set the tone for the program

TR: "Carrying a Big Stick"

§         Teedie: a sickly boy
§         Loving husband and father
§         Cowboy
§         Political
§         Reformer
§         Rough Rider
§         President
§         Conservationist
§         Imperialist
§         Progressive
§         Big Game Hunter

"Strength, Courage and Confidence"

Linda's program and portrayal captures the essence of Eleanor Roosevelt a dynamic First Lady and modern woman.  Highlights covered include:

Early Childhood
Education
Courtship & Marriage
Politics
Campobello and Warm Springs
Val-Kill
The White House Years
World Wars
"First Lady of the World"

“From Log Cabin to White House”

Ed Haney takes you through the life of James Garfield, from being born in a log cabin to becoming the 20^th President of the United States, up to his untimely death.  As Ed speaks as James, the audience will experience an intimate and timely view of the stages of Garfield’s life and his many accomplishments.  The program includes:

§         James as a boy
§         Working on the Ohio Canal
§         Education and religious beliefs
§         Career at Hiram College
§         His marriage
§         The Civil War
§         Member of Congress
§         The “Front Porch Campaign”
§         Assassination

“Dear Wife and Mother”

The terrible tragedy of President Garfield’s assassination in 1881 shattered Lucretia’s world.  First Lady for only three months, she was suddenly thrust into the spotlight during his suffering after the shooting, staying constantly by his side.  She was admired and respected by her fellow Americans and people abroad as she publicly exhibited strength and courage.  However, her shy and private nature resumed after her husband’s death when she returned to Mentor, Ohio.

Through her own words, learn more about Lucretia Garfield’s dedication to her husband’s memory and discover how she occupied her remaining 36-1/2 years.  Debbie Weinkamer's portrayal of the Widow Garfield at the turn of the twentieth century will explain how her children achieved their own destinies and why James had said that Lucretia “rose up to every occasion.”

“Col. Teddy Roosevelt: the Rough Rider” 

The Theodore Roosevelt who is considered to be a great president is not much different from the Col. Teddy Roosevelt who, despite having served a mere three years in the National Guard, took it upon himself to join with professional soldier, Leonard Wood, to form and train a group of volunteers to go to Cuba to fight in the Spanish American War.  Bob Hodder as TR tells of how Theodore Roosevelt, the rich, yet sickly, boy from New York City happened to wind up with enough influence to be appointed to high positions by Presidents Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley, leading him to ultimately quit as Undersecretary of the Navy and to form his famous fighting group.   

Hodder will discuss how TR rose from local to state to national politics, using not only his influence with various presidents, but also his brief, but heroic time as a military man.  Using the media to help him, Roosevelt made sure that our nation’s citizenry was made very aware of his heroism and his availability to continue to serve his country.  Come and learn about the episode in Roosevelt’s life which, more than anything else, led to Col. Roosevelt becoming President Theodore Roosevelt.

“Letters from the Front”

James and Lucretia Garfield exchanged approximately 1,200 letters during their courtship and marriage in the mid-19^th century.  Many of the letters chronicle James Garfield’s service in the Civil War – 28 months that saw him rise from lieutenant-colonel to major general, from relative obscurity to national prominence.  These letters contain candid commentary that spans history.  They could have been written at any time in history: from Valley Forge, the Mekong Delta, or Mosul, Iraq. 

Listen, learn, and experience a view of the past as Ed and Debbie give a first-person reading of the timeless accounts of the Garfields’ wartime thoughts and home front activities – the details of their private lives, from the suffering and carnage brought on by war to the domesticity of their first “real” home and toddler’s first words.

“Portrait of a Nineteenth Century Marriage”

Follow along with Lucretia and James  Garfield as they recount their long-term relationship.  Ed and Debbie explain how James and Lucretia crossed paths before their marriage, expose the pitfalls of their “Dark Years,” and reveal how their relationship -- and family -- blossomed.  Politics get woven into the story, too!  The program includes:

§   Growing up in the Western Reserve §   School days and romance §   War! §   Life in Washington, D.C. §   “A Home and a Cow” §   A “Dark Horse”      – the 1880 Republican Convention §   The “Front Porch Campaign” §   200 Days in Office §   The Aftermath