Rose And Frances Folsom Cleveland

Rose, Frances, and Snickerdoodles

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First Ladies - 1850 to 1900

Rose, Frances, and President Grover Cleveland

Rose Cleveland (sister)*

Rose Cleveland
Acting First Lady - 1885 - 1886
Quote from  Rose - "It is by contact with humanity that we become more tender, more unselfish, more sympathetic, more wise, and less egotistic."
Bio - 

• Rose Cleveland, was President Grover's sister.  Since Grover was a bachelor, Rose assumed First Lady duties for a little over a year when he became President.  Rose was not concerned with fashion and social obligations; instead, she was an intellectual and a writer, who studied the Middle Ages, Greek, and Latin.  She wasn't thrilled with becoming Acting First Lady, but persevered, and also found time to publish several books while at the White House.
• When Grover married 21-year-old Frances Folsom, Rose was free to travel,  write, and fall in love with Evangeline Simpson.  Eventually,  widowed, the two women moved to France and lived together the rest of their lives.

Frances Folsom Cleveland*

President Grover Cleveland*

Frances Folsom Cleveland
First Lady - 1886 -1889  AND 1893 - 1897
Quote from Frances - "I want you to take good care of all the furniture and ornaments in the house, and not let any of them get lost or broken, for I want to find everything just as it is now, when we come back again four years from today."  Frances told the White House Staff when leaving  after her husband's first term as President.  She was correct - they did come back in 4 years!
Factoids - 

• Frances was the youngest First Lady, at 21.  She was also the only First Lady to get married in the White House and the first to give birth in the White House.
• Frances and Grover Cleveland's baby daughter, Ruth, had a candy bar named in her honor  - the Baby Ruth!

Bio - 

• Frances's father and Grover Cleveland were partners in a New York law firm.  He was a close family friend, who Frances called "Uncle Cleve" when she was a young girl.  Shortly after Grover was elected President, Frances visited him and they began secretly dating.  Frances graduated college, and agreed to marry Grover.  They were married in the Blue Room of the White House in 1886.  Frances naturally took over all the First Lady duties from Rose, Grover's sister. 
• The wedding, Frances's youth and beauty, her style, and active social engagement made her an instant celebrity and hit with both public and press!  Her fashion sense was trend-setting, as all over America women wanted to copy her style.  There were even "Frankie Clubs" - fan clubs!  She was skilled at hosting and  jumped right in -  holding two receptions per week, in addition to State dinners and other events.  
• While Grover lost his re-election bid, he was elected President for a 2nd term four years later!  Frances was the first woman to give birth at the White House; she also established a White House Kindergarten for her daughters and proceeded to advance the popularity of Kindergarten in children's education during Grover's second term.

About Grover - Cleveland was the 22nd & 24th President.  Until, Donald Trump, Grover was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.  Grover  was known for his honesty and opposition to corruption. In his first term, he focused on reducing government spending and vetoed many private pension bills. His second term was dominated by the economic Panic of 1893 and labor unrest, which weakened his popularity.

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Snickerdoodles

Grover Cleveland liked to keep his food simple - no French cuisine for him!  Snickerdoodles are an uncomplicated and popular cookie, and Grover like them.  

Ingredients - Cookie Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter,  room temperature
1 & 1/3 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients - Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. prepare 2 cookie sheets by greasing or lining with parchment paper. 
   
2. Stir together in a bowl:  flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.
   
3. In another mixing bowl, mix together the  butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix together.
   
4. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating slowly.  it's going to be a thick dough!  Set aside.
   
5. Make the topping, by stirring together the sugar and cinnamon - put in a saucer.
   
6. Scoop up about 1 7 1/2 tablespoons of dough and with clean hands, shape in to balls.  Roll each ball in the topping and then place on cookie sheet 3 inches apart.
   
7. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and lightly flatten the cookies down just a bit with a spoon or spatula before they cool.
   
8. Cool for 5 or so minutes, then move to a wire rack to continue cooling. 

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Portrait Credits*
Rose Cleveland (sister) - Roseti, photographer, 197 Fifth Ave., New York, NY (1890s-1900), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frances Cleveland (wife) - Anders Zorn, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Frances Payne, Public domain
Grover Cleveland - Anders Leonard Zorn, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Reverend Thomas G. Cleveland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons