Florence Kling Harding (1860-1924)


Figure 1.--This portrait of Folorence with her little brither Cliff was taken about 1865. They both wear dresses, but Cliff's dress is shorter, showing his pantalettes. Florence's determined personality shows through even as very young girl.

Florence grew up in a privliged family. Amos Kling made his money running a store and by investing in property became the wealthiest man in town. He leased his land to German farmers. Florence Mabel Kling was born in Marion, Ohio in 1860. Her early childhood was during the Civil War (1861-65) and one of her earliest memories was the blue-clad Union soldiers coming home. [Sferrazza, p. 11.] Her mother was a gentle soul, but Florence took more after her strong-willed father. He was extremely strict, boredering on abusive, with his children, whipping them with a cherry switch. This was not uncommon at the time. Her father rather favored her as a child. What was uncommon was that he encouraged her education, both in business and music. She became a self-confident and assertiveness young woman which were not common for young women in the 19th century. She began thinking of a musical career when her teenage friends had no thoughts of a career of their own. [Sferrazza, p. 17.] Actually Florence is not known to have ever dream of being a traditional wife and mother. [Sferrazza, p. 21.] Floewnce's independent nature was also to cause trouble with her father. She studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory which she completed about 1679. Faced with her father's oposition to a sutor, she eloped with Henry De Wolfe, a neighbor. Florence appears to have gooten pregmant primarily "to gain her freedom" from her father. [Sferrazza, p. 23.] Her father was outraged. De Wolfe never legally married Florence. It was a common-law marriage. He was both a spendthrift and a drinker and deserted her. She returned to Marion with her baby boy. There were few prospects at the time for an un-wed mother with an illigitiamate son. Estrained from her father, she rented a room and supported herself by offering piano lessons to local children. Her father offered to care for her son, Marshall, but only if she gave him up. She agreed. [Wead] She divorced her husband (1886) and started using her maiden name again. Warren G. Harding arrived in Marion as a teenager. He showed some talent with newspapers. He bought a small paper, the Daily Star. The two met and soon decided to marry. Her farther again opposed the marriage. The two married (1891). The new Mrs. Harding dove into the newspaper business. Her area became the circulation department, which she ran as a well ordered fiefdom. She established herself as a boss to be reconned with. She even spanked newsboys when she thought it was necessary. necessary. She closed monitored expenses. Largely as a result of her management, the Star became a real success. Harding began to get involved in Republican politics and rose through the ranks, eventually getting elected as U.S. senator. Florence devoted the same energy she had applied to the Start to her husban's political campaign. Harding referred to Florence as "The Duchess". After Harding was nominated by the Republicans, Florence worked diligently in his election campaign. She is reported to have said, "I have only one real hobby--my husband." With her husband's election, Florence Harding became First Lady. One of her first steps was to opened the White House and grounds to the public again. They had been closed because of President Wilson's illness. She was impaired by a kidney ailment, but she became an active First Lady to support her husband's presidency. She took a special interest in World war I veterans and held garden parties for them. She joined her husband in White House porker parties. Liquor was served despite the fact that the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) made it illegal. Mrs. Harding enjoyed traveling with the president. She was at his side when on a western trip he suffered a heart attacked in California and soon died (1923). This occurred before the scandals associated with Harding's administration were disclosed. She acompanined the presidenbt's body back to Washington and oversaw the state ceremonies. Mrs Harding died only a year after her husband (1924).

Parents

Amos Kling made his money running a store and by investing in property became the wealthiest man in town. He leased his land to German farmers.

Childhood

Florence grew up in a privliged family. Florence Mabel Kling was born in Marion, Ohio in 1860. Her early childhood was during the Civil War (1861-65) and one of her earliest memories was the blue-clad Union soldiers coming home. [Sferrazza, p. 11.] Her mother was a gentle soul, but Florence took more after her strong-willed father. He was extremely strict, boredering on abusive, with his children, whipping them with a cherry switch. This was not uncommon at the time. Her father rather favored her as a child.

Education

What was uncommon was that he encouraged her education, both in business and music. She became a self-confident and assertiveness young woman which were not common for young women in the 19th century. She began thinking of a musical career when her teenage friends had no thoughts of a career of their own. [Sferrazza, p. 17.] Actually Florence is not known to have ever dream of being a traditional wife and mother. [Sferrazza, p. 21.]

First Marriage

Florence's independent nature was also to cause trouble with her father. She studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory which she completed about 1879. Faced with her father's oposition to a sutor, she eloped with Henry De Wolfe, a neighbor. Florence appears to have gooten pregmant primarily "to gain her freedom" from her father. [Sferrazza, p. 23.] Her father was outraged. De Wolfe never legally married Florence. It was a common-law marriage. He was both a spendthrift and a drinker and deserted her. She returned to Marion with her baby boy. There were few prospects at the time for an un-wed mother with an illigitiamate son. Estranged from her father, she rented a room and supported herself by offering piano lessons to local children. Her father offered to care for her son, Marshall, but only if she gave him up. She agreed. [Wead] She divorced her husband (1886) and started using her maiden name again.

Warren Harrding

Warren G. Harding arrived in Marion as a teenager. He showed some talent with newspapers. He bought a small paper, the Daily Star. The two met and soon decided to marry. Her farther again opposed the marriage. The two married (1891). The new Mrs. Harding dove into the newspaper business. Her area became the circulation department, which she ran as a well ordered fiefdom. She established herself as a boss to be reconned with. She even spanked newsboys when she thought it was necessary. necessary. She closed monitored expenses. Largely as a result of her management, the Star became a real success. Harding began to get involved in Republican politics and rose through the ranks, eventually getting elected as U.S. senator. Florence devoted the same energy she had applied to the Start to her husban's political campaign. Harding referred to Florence as "The Duchess". After Harding was nominated by the Republicans, Florence worked diligently in his election campaign. She is reported to have said, "I have only one real hobby--my husband."

First Lady

With her husband's election, Florence Harding became First Lady. One of her first steps was to opened the White House and grounds to the public again. They had been closed because of President Wilson's illness. She was impaired by a kidney ailment, but she became an active First Lady to support her husband's presidency. She took a special interest in World war I veterans and held garden parties for them. She joined her husband in White House porker parties. Liquor was served despite the fact that the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) made it illegal. Mrs. Harding enjoyed traveling with the president. She was at his side when on a western trip he suffered a heart attacked in California and soon died (1923). This occurred before the scandals associated with Harding's administration were disclosed. She acompanined the presidenbt's body back to Washington and oversaw the state ceremonies. Mrs Harding died only a year after her husband (1924).

Reader Comments

A reader writes, I'm about halfway through a bigraphy of Florence Harding, Warren G.'s wife, and First Lady from 1921-23. The book is entitled simply Florence Harding, written by Carl S. Anthony. I wrote a term paper aboutthe Teapot Dome scandal when I was a senior in college. Researching Warrn G. and the scandal gave me my intro to Florence, aka "The Duchess". I've always been struck by the resemblance between Florence and the character Vicki Lawrence played on the "Carol Burnett Show" and "Mama's Family"! Florence and Warren had no children in their marriage, though Florence had a son by her common law husband (no record exists of their marriage). His name was Marshall De Wolfe, and sometimes he went by Florence's maiden name, Kling. Warren G. - well, his proclivities are well known. Politicians in every era seem to be cut from similar cloth!"

Sources

Anthony, Carl Sferrazza. Florence Harding: The First LKady, the Jazz Age, and the Death of America's Most Scandalous President (William Morrow & Co: New York, 199), 645p.

Wead, Doug. All the President's Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families (Atria: New York, 2003), 456p.







HPC







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Harding page]
[Return to the Main President's page]
[18th Century] [19th Century] [20th Century] [21st Century]




Created: 9:31 AM 2/14/2005
Last changed: 8:57 PM 5/27/2010