| Interment Location | Visited | |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | August 20, 2004 |
A founding leader of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Caroline Harrison was as publicly prominent a first lady as her health allowed her to be. Tuberculosis eventually took its most severe and final toll on Mrs. Harrison in October 1892, when it ended her life. The first lady’s death came 14 days prior to her husband’s re-election defeat at the hands of former President Grover Cleveland. A mourning Benjamin Harrison had to face his four months as a lame duck chief executive without his partner of nearly forty years.
The Harrisons are buried together at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. Few photos were captured at the Harrison gravesite when my father and I visited in August 2004. There are none in my archives from that day with a clear view of Caroline Harrison’s headstone. This is the best image of it, and her marker is shown only partially, sticking out behind my left arm. I intend to return to Indianapolis in the future and will endeavor to take pictures that better highlight the first lady’s headstone and her epitaph on the shared family monument.
Fast Facts
Born: October 1, 1832 in Oxford, Ohio
Spouses: Benjamin Harrison (m. 1853-1892)
First Lady Tenure: 1889-1892
Died: October 25, 1892 in Washington, D.C.
Cause of Death: Tuberculosis
Age: 60
Interment: Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sources Consulted and Further Reading
Under Construction
