Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison*
March 4 to April 4, 1841

* Anna was delayed in joining her husband in Washington due to the sudden death of one of their sons. She was still packing for the trip when she learn that William Harrison had died.

Anna Symmes was born in Flatbrook, New Jersey, on July 25, 1775.

Anna's father was a judge in New York. Her mother died shortly after she was born.

She spent much of her youth living with her wealthy grandparents. They sent her to the Clinton Academy, in Eastham, Long Island.

In 1794 when she was 19, she traveled with her to visit land along the Ohio River that her father had purchased.

She meet William Henry Harrison while she was visiting her older sister in Lexington, Kentucky.

Her father did not want her to marry William, but she defied her father and secretly married to William Harrison in North Bend, Ohio, on November 15, 1795.

While William was serving in the army, Anna ran the farm and school her children along with those of her neighbors.

The Harrison's had ten children:

• Elisabeth
• John Cleves
• Lucy
• William Jr.
• John
• Scott Benjamin
• Mary Carter
• Anna
• and a baby who did not survive child birth.

Anna continued to live on the farm in North Bend, Ohio until it burned down in 1856. After that she went to live with her only surviving son, John Scott.

Anna died in North Bend, Ohio, February 25, 1864, at the age of 88.

Visit our site on U.S. Presidents

Books and Websites

Books

Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladiesby James Barber and Amy Pastan.
First Ladies: Women Who Called The White House Home (First Ladies) by Beatrice Gormeley.

Websites

http://www.firstladies.org/ National First Ladies Library
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/058_flal.htmlLibrary of Congress, Images of the First Ladies

Comments and/or corrections should be sent to Jim at jim@anewadventure.org.