MENTOR, Ohio — James A. Garfield National Historic site, 8095 Mentor Ave., in Mentor, will be the location for a special ceremony Nov. 17 beginning at 10 a.m. The event will mark the U.S. Mint’s official unveiling and release of the James A. Garfield Presidential $1 coin, the latest in the Mint’s series of gold dollar coins commemorating each of the nation’s presidents.
History
James A. Garfield was the 20th president, elected in 1880. He served just four months of his term before being shot July 2, 1881; he died Sept. 19, 1881.
The ceremony will be held on the grounds of Garfield’s home in Mentor, now a National Park Service site. The ceremony will include a keynote address by Allan Peskin, professor of history (emeritus) at Cleveland State University and the author of Garfield, the definitive biography of the man.
Cardinal Community Credit Union of Mentor will be on hand to facilitate a coin exchange for those who wish to evenly exchange cash for the new Garfield coins. The U.S. Mint will provide one free Garfield coin to the first 500 children aged 18 and under in attendance. Several descendants of President Garfield will attend the ceremony.
Other events
A number of related local events will take place over the course of several days. Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio will host a convocation Nov. 16 featuring a keynote speech by Candice Millard, author of the recently published book Destiny of the Republic, which examines the Garfield assassination.
A three-day coin show organized by Affordable Coin of Painesville will be held at the Radisson Hotel at 35000 Curtis Boulevard in Eastlake Nov. 17-19. The Moreland Hills Historical Society, Lakeview Cemetery and James A. Garfield National Historic site will jointly sponsor a hike from Garfield’s birthplace in Moreland Hills to his grave in Lakeview Cemetery (about 12.5 miles). The hike will take place Nov. 19, which is James A. Garfield’s 180th birthday.
For more information call James A. Garfield National Historic Site at 440-255-8722 or by visiting www.nps.gov/jaga or www.facebook.com/GarfieldNPS.
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