As a young woman, Ida McKinley was known as the Belle of Canton, Ohio, because of her lively attitude and her family's wealth and social position. Her fashionable appearance and attractiveness—tufts of reddish brown hair around her delicate facial features—contributed to the nickname. Active in local theater and community affairs, she was also independent- minded and self-reliant, taking a job in her father's bank at a time when it was rare for a woman to be in a public business position. But before she turned thirty, Ida McKinley suffered health problems and personal tragedies. She spent the rest of her life in a semi-invalid condition, occasionally able to appear in public but in need of constant care.

Vibrant youth

Ida Saxton was born in Canton in 1847. Her father was a wealthy banker and community leader. The large house in which the Saxton...