Caroline and Mary Harrison

Caroline, Mary, and Birthday Bon Bons

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First Ladies - 1850 to 1900

Caroline Scott Harrison*​

Mary Harrison McKee (daughter)*

President Benjamin Harris*

Caroline, Mary, and President Benjamin Harrison
First Lady - 1889 - 1892
Quote from Caroline - "I am disgusted with newspapers and reporters. Truth is a characteristic entirely unknown to them. But the paper proprietors and editors are alone responsible for these things as they encourage all misrepresentations and no lies they may tell are ever contradicted."
​Factoids - 

• Caroline, as  First Lady, started the tradition of having a Christmas tree at the White House.
• Caroline was the first President General for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).
• Caroline had electricity installed in the White House!

Bio -

• Caroline was born in Ohio and well educated in music and arts.  During her school years, she met Benjamin Harrison; they married at 20, with not a lot of money and  his struggling law practice. They had three children; the youngest died in infancy.
• Her time as First Lady started with Benjamin's 3-day Inauguration, also celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Washington becoming President.   
• Caroline was vocal to the public in support of Women's Rights and higher education for women. Caroline also supported both local orphanages and the Medical Fund for Johns Hopkins Medical School.
• Caroline was concerned with the deterioration of the private quarters in the White House.  She asked Congress remodeling funds, but they only provided money for cleaning and updates.  Her concern extended to a rat infestation that was so bad, a man with ferrets was hired to run them off.  One of her projects was cataloging the White House china collection, restoring some and designing new pieces.
• Caroline's health began to decline due to tuberculosis and influenza.  She turned to her daughter, Mary, to take over First Lady duties.  Sadly, Caroline passed away at the White House in October 1892.

Mary "Maime" Harrison McKee
Acting First Lady - 1892 - 1893
Bio - Benjamin and Caroline's daughter, Mary and her family, moved into the White House when Benjamin became President.   Mary had always been involved in her father's political campaign, so she was no stranger to political events. She had helped her mother with correspondence, hosting/organizing receptions, and White House renovations.  When Caroline became ill with tuberculosis, Mary stepped in to fulfill First Lady duties, to look after her mother, and then, after her mother's death, to console her grieving father. 

About Benjamin - Benjamin Harris was the 24th President.  ​He supported high tariffs and signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the first federal law to regulate monopolies. He expanded the U.S. Navy and supported African American voting rights, although Congress didn’t follow through. Benjamin's administration spent large federal budgets, leading critics to call it the "Billion-Dollar Congress."

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Birthday Bon Bons

Benjamin Harrison was a fan of Birthday Bon Bon Cookies.  They're a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, but with different fruit fillings and icing.  The cookies get their name from the colorful icing and decorations, which make them look suitable for a birthday table!  If you don't wish to use food colorings, leave the icing its natural color and add pops of color with decorations on top. - Inspired by Betty Crocker

​Ingredients - Cookies (Makes 2 dozen.)
1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla or almond extract
1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
Additions and decorations - use inside and/or outside the cookies: coconut, nuts, maraschino cherries, chocolate pieces, raisins, dried cranberries, sugared citrus peel 
Ingredients - Icing
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream (or half & half)
1 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (or add color in the decorations on top)

Steps - Cookies

1. ​Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cookie sheets by greasing or lining with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together:  butter, ​ powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Gradually beat in the flour and salt.  Best just to combine.  If it seems too dry add a spoon of cream.​
3. Wrap a tablespoon. of dough around your desired filling (See suggestions in Ingredients.) 
4. Place Bon Bons 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until a light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Steps - Icing and Decorating

1. Mix together:  sifted powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. (Plus food coloring, if you want.)
2. Dip tops of warm cookies in icing.  Decorate, if desired.

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Portrait Credits*
Caroline Harrison - Daniel Huntington, Public domain, via WikimediaCommons; young in chair -
Mary Harrison McKee (daughter) - George G. Rockwood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Benjamin Harrison - William Thomas Mathews, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art