Lucy Webb Hayes

Lucy and Big Ole Corncake Cookies

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First Ladies - 1850 to 1900

Lucy Webb Hayes*

President Rutherford B. Hayes*

First Lady Lucy and President Rutherford B. Hayes
First Lady - 1877 - 1881
Quote from Lucy - "Woman's mind is as strong as man's, equal in all things and is superior in some."
Factoids - 

• Lucy Hayes had the nickname, "Lemonade Lucy." She placed a ban on alcohol at the White House and instead, served lemonade!  It's thought that Rutherford wanted the ban after observing male behavior  after drinking alcohol.
• Lucy was the first First Lady to graduate from college.
• Lucy began the traditional Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.

Bio -

• Lucy was born in Ohio, where she graduated from  Cincinnati Wesleyan Female College in 1850.  She was the first First Lady to graduate from college.  Lucy met Rutherford Hayes when she was a 15 year old student at Ohio Wesleyan University.  They met again a few years later and married in 1852. 
• When Rutherford was elected President, Lucy embraced being First Lady!  She invited friends and family to the White House to help with entertaining.  Lucy was adept at matchmaking in the White House, where many politician met their future wives.  She brought such a welcoming attitude to guests that it was said of her, "She is so vivacious and so responsive that everybody leaves her presence with a vague idea that he is the one person whom she was longing to see."
  
• And all of this despite Lucy's ban on serving alcohol in the White House!
• Lucy's inviting nature spilled over to four-legged and winged friends, as as well.  At one point two dogs, a goat, a mockingbird, and the first Siamese Cat in the U.S. were all living in the White House.
• On a more serious note, Lucy brought attention to social reform causes and donated money and time to helping charities and promoting education. Lucy was truly an admirable First Lady!

About Rutherford - Rutherford Hayes was the 19th President.  Rutherford  ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South in exchange for disputed electoral votes in the Compromise of 1877.  His presidency focused on Civil Service Reform and restoring trust in government.  Although he intended well, his decision to end Reconstruction allowed Southern states to reimpose segregation.

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Big Ole Corncake Cookies

Rutherford Hayes loved cornmeal cakes, so here's a cookie that's similar.  I'm sure the President would have loved them! 

Ingredients
1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour (masa harina)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened at room temp
1 cup + 2 extra tablespoons sugar
1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cookie sheet by greasing or lining with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, corn flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In another bowl, mix butter and sugar until thick and fluffy.  Beat in the egg. 
4. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just blended.
5. For the BIG OLE cookies - use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon to scoop 4 tablespoons of dough for each Big Ole Cookie.  Place the cookie dough mounds about 4 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.    (They will spread.)
6. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes until lightly brown on the edges, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through.  
7. Cool about 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.​

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Portrait Credits*
Lucy Hayes - The White House Collection; Daniel Huntington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons;
Rutherford B. Hayes - Daniel Huntington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons