Most people remember Grover Cleveland as the guy who won twice but not in a row. He’s the 22nd and 24th president. Basically, a human trivia answer. But honestly, if you look past the non-consecutive terms and the big mustache, his life was weird. Really weird.
He was a sheriff who personally pulled the lever at hangings. He had a secret surgery on a yacht to hide a tumor. He even married a woman he’d known since she was in a baby carriage.
You’ve probably heard the name "Baby Ruth" and thought of the baseball player. Or maybe you heard it was named after his daughter. History is messy like that. Let’s get into the stuff they usually skip in the textbooks.
Grover Cleveland Fun Facts: Why He Was Called the Buffalo Hangman
Before he was in the White House, Cleveland was the Sheriff of Erie County in New York. This wasn’t some honorary title. It was a hands-on job. In 1872, he had to oversee the execution of a man named Patrick Morrissey.
Most sheriffs back then would just pay a deputy $10 to do the actual hanging. It was grim work. People hated the "hangman" label. But Cleveland was a stickler for duty. He didn't think it was fair to ask his subordinates to do something he wasn't willing to do himself.
He pulled the lever.
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He did it again a year later for a guy named John Gaffney. The second one didn’t go as smoothly—Gaffney took over twenty minutes to die. It haunted Cleveland for years. Later, during his presidential campaigns, his opponents tried to use this against him. They literally called him the "Buffalo Hangman" to try and scare off voters. It didn't work.
The Secret Yacht Surgery of 1893
Imagine being the President and finding a rough spot on the roof of your mouth. Now imagine it's 1893, and the country is in a massive economic panic. If people find out you have cancer, the stock market might actually collapse.
That’s what Cleveland faced.
He didn't go to a hospital. He told the public he was going on a fishing trip. Instead, he snuck onto a friend’s yacht, the Oneida, and had surgeons remove a large part of his upper jaw and five teeth while the boat was moving.
How they pulled it off:
- They used a secret team of six doctors.
- The surgery happened in the yacht's saloon.
- They used ether and cocaine (as a topical) for the pain.
- A dentist built a custom rubber prosthesis so his face wouldn't look sunken in.
The cover-up was so good that the public didn't know the truth for nearly 25 years. When a reporter named E.J. Edwards actually broke the story a few months later, Cleveland’s team just called him a liar. They ruined the reporter's reputation to protect the secret. It wasn't until 1917 that one of the doctors finally came clean.
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The Most Awkward Romance in White House History
Cleveland was 49 when he got married. His bride, Frances Folsom, was 21. If that sounds a bit "kinda weird," it gets deeper. Frances was the daughter of his late law partner, Oscar Folsom.
Cleveland had known her since she was a literal infant. He actually bought her her first baby carriage. When her father died, Cleveland became the administrator of the estate. He wasn't her legal guardian, but he was definitely the "grown-up" in the room for her entire childhood.
They married in the Blue Room in 1886. To this day, he is the only president to get married inside the White House itself.
Despite the age gap and the "family friend" origins, they seemed genuinely happy. Frances became a total celebrity. People were so obsessed with her that she had to stop holding public receptions because the crowds were literally tearing her clothes to get a souvenir.
The Baby Ruth Candy Bar Mystery
Is the Baby Ruth bar named after Babe Ruth the baseball player or Ruth Cleveland the president's daughter?
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The official story from the Curtiss Candy Company is that it was named after "Baby Ruth" Cleveland. She was the first child of a president to be born in the White House (during his second term) and the public loved her.
The catch? Ruth Cleveland died in 1904. The candy bar didn't come out until 1921.
By 1921, Babe Ruth was the most famous person in America. Most historians think the company used the "president's daughter" story to avoid paying the baseball star royalties for using his name. It was basically a giant legal loophole.
He Vetoed Everything (Seriously)
Cleveland was nicknamed "Old Veto." He used the veto power more than all previous presidents combined. He once vetoed a bill that would have given $10,000 to Texas farmers suffering from a drought.
His reasoning? He didn't think it was the government's job to help individuals. He said, "though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people."
He also spent a huge amount of time personally reading through Civil War pension claims. If he thought a veteran was lying about an injury to get money, he’d write a snarky veto message and shut it down. He was the ultimate fiscal hawk, sometimes to a point that made him look heartless.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you're looking to dive deeper into the life of the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms, here is how you can actually see the history for yourself:
- Visit the Birthplace: The Grover Cleveland Birthplace State Historic Site is in Caldwell, New Jersey. It’s a small, modest house that gives you a real feel for his humble beginnings as a minister's son.
- Check the Medical History: If you're ever in Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum has the actual "secret" tumor and parts of Cleveland's jaw on display. It's as gross and fascinating as it sounds.
- Read the Source: Look up the "Panic of 1893." Understanding the economic collapse explains why he felt he had to hide his surgery—the context of the time makes his "lies" seem a lot more like a survival tactic for the country.