Discover All 7 Presidents That Were Born in Ohio

There are a total of 45 men who have been elected presidents. They all come from different states around the country. There were four presidents born in Massachusetts and a whopping eight presidents born in Virginia. When it comes to the Midwestern state of Ohio, seven men have hailed from here. 

Let’s explore all seven presidents who were born in Ohio. We will also briefly highlight where they were born and their presidencies.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, OH on April 27, 1822. Interestingly enough, he was born as Hiram Ulysses Grant. His name was changed to Ulysses S. Grant when he was in the military. Grant served as the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877. He died on July 23, 1885, in Wilton, NY (aged 63). Grant is best known to be one of the top generals during the American Civil War. 

As president, Grant carried out the Congressional reconstruction laws that the previous president had reluctantly followed through. He went after the Ku Klux Klan, appointed African Americans and Jewish Americans to federal offices, and he also created a civil service commission.

Where Was He Born?

Point Pleasant is located in southwestern Ohio. It is part of Clermont County and it’s a tiny unincorporated community. During the time that Grant was born, Point Pleasant had a post office that was established in 1826 and it had about a hundred residents.

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, OH. Hayes served as the 19th President of the United States from 1877 to 1881. He died on January 17, 1893, in Fremont, OH (aged 70). Fascinatingly enough, he is one of only five presidents who have lost the popular vote but won the presidency because they received the most electoral votes.

As president, he was the one who resolved the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. He called the US Army to ensure that the strike ended. He also instituted some reforms at the Civil Service Commission.

Where Was He Born?

Delaware, OH, is located in the center of the state. Today it is part of the Columbus metropolitan Area and has a population of a little over 40,000. Incorporated in 1816, the city is named after the Delaware tribe and not the state. At the time of Hayes’s birth, Delaware was just a tiny town on the rise.

James A. Garfield

James Abram Garfield was born on November 19, 1831, in a log cabin in Moreland Hills, OH. He served as the 20th President of the United States from March 4, 1881 to September 19, 1881. Garfield is one of the handful of presidents who have been assassinated. He was shot in the summer of 1881 but eventually died of the gunshot wounds on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, NJ (aged 49).

During his brief time as president, Garfield was known to be a reformer. He purged several people from the post office, made it clear that he was against senatorial courtesy in the president’s appointments, and had a vision of civil service reforms that he wanted to make law.

Where Was He Born?

Moreland Hills has a population of 3,466 people as of the 2020 census. Located in northeastern Ohio, at the time of Garfield’s birth, Moreland Hills was just a village part of Orange Township. Orange Township was known for having many factories like sawmills, cheese factories, and farms.

Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833, in North Bend, OH. He served as the 23rd President of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He died on March 13, 1901, in Indianapolis, IN (aged 67). Harrison was also one of five presidents who lost the popular vote but ended up winning with the electoral vote.

As president, he made sure that good economic laws were being passed. He signed the McKinley Tariff, which created protective trade rates. He also signed the Sherman Antitrust Act to make sure that there was competition with commerce instead of monopolies. 

Where Was He Born?

Currently, North Bend is a village located in the southwestern tip of the state of Ohio. Founded in 1789, it was the home of William Henry Harrison and the rest of the Harrison family. Today, North Bend has a population of about 800.

William McKinley

William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, OH. He served as the 25th President of the United States from 1897 to 1901. He is one of several presidents to be assassinated in history. McKinley died on September 14, 1901, in Buffalo, NY (aged 58). William McKinley served in Congress as a representative and he later served as Governor of Ohio before becoming president.

As president, the country saw economic growth, but there were also diplomatic wins. The Spanish-American War in 1898 resulted in Spain giving up many of its colonies including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. His presidency also saw the annexation of Hawaii.

Where Was He Born?

Niles, OH is a city in the northeastern part of the state. It is a small city with only 18,443 people. The city was part of the industrial belt where there was a lot of iron manufacturing, as well as steel and glass. 

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was born on September 8, 1857, in Cincinnati, OH. He served as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913. He died on March 8, 1930, in Washington, D.C. (aged 72). Although he was President for only one term, Taft is also remembered as being the only president to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Fellow Ohioan Warren G Harding appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

As president, he focused on East Asia and Latin America when it came to diplomacy and foreign affairs. He also wanted to reduce tariffs, which created conflict with the Republican Party’s two wings. Lastly, he split ties with Theodore Roosevelt on conservation and antitrust issues.

Where Was He Born?

Cincinnati is one of the biggest cities in Ohio. It has a population of just over 300,000, however, its metropolitan area has a population of 2.2 million. It is a major hub for companies and industries.

Warren G. Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, OH. He served as the 29th President of the United States from 1921 to 1923. Harding was one of the few presidents to die in office. He died on August 2, 1923, in San Francisco, CA (aged 57). Although he was a popular president during the time he was in office, scandals came to light after his death that marred his presidency.

As president, he signed the Emergency Quota Act, which limited the number of immigrants coming into the United States. But his presidency is more known for the scandals that took place including the Teapot Dome, which was a bribery scandal involving the Harding Administration and oil companies.

Where Was He Born?

Blooming Grove, OH is a community located in central Ohio near North Bloomfield Township. There was a post office established in 1844, but that was the only major building located in the community.

Conclusion

And there you have it, those are the seven presidents born in Ohio. Although Virginia holds the record for having the most presidents born in a state, Ohio has the second-most presidents born in the state. The state has played a pivotal role in American presidential politics and it will continue to do so in the future. As for the seven presidents from the Buckeye State, history has judged them on how good of a president they were.