James K. Polk's New Digs (Pun Intended)
James Knox Polk had the briefest retirement of any President of the United States, a scant 103 days. Polk, a notorious workaholic and micro-manager who never took vacations, left office looking much older than his 54 years, and while the Presidency seems to age every occupant of the oval office, it was especially noticeable for Polk, as the photo below taken in his last months in office shows. It was during Polk's presidency that photography really developed - pun intended once again. This photo was taken by famed photographer Matthew Brady in early 1849.
Polk's time in the White House took its toll on his health. He entered the presidency full of enthusiasm and vigor. But when he left office on March 4, 1849, after attending the inauguration of his successor Zachary Taylor, Polk was exhausted from the demands of the presidency, coupled with his compulsive need to oversee tasks that he should have delegated to others. He lost weight and developed deep lines on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Some also attribute his health problems to the unsanitary water supply in antebellum Washington, something that may have also contributed to the untimely demise of Taylor two years later, and of William Henry Harrison in 1841.
The Polks embarked on their journey home to Tennessee. On route, Polk is believed to have contracted cholera in New Orleans, Louisiana, part of a goodwill tour of the South that he was making after leaving office and heading home. The Polks took up their new residence at the family home known as Polk Place in Nashville. His health never improved and on June 15, 1849, Polk died of cholera at his new home, at 3:15 pm, just over three months after leaving office. Though he was considered to be a serious man, he had a strong love for his wife Sarah, and his last words are reported to be "I love you, Sarah. For all eternity, I love you." As Polk's biographer Walter Bornemann has pointed out, even if the story is an embellishment, the sentiment that it is based on is not. The Polks did not have any children, likely due to a crude operation Polk had as a teenager to remove gallstones that probably affected his ability to become a father. As a result, James and Sarah Polk had a very strong and deep affection and love for one another.
Following his death, Polk was buried in what is now Nashville City Cemetery, in a special section because of his death from an infectious disease. Less than a year later, his remains were moved to a tomb on the grounds of Polk Place (as specified in his will). Sarah lived at Polk Place for 42 years after his death and died on August 14, 1891.
In 1893, the bodies of President and Mrs. Polk were exhumed and relocated to their current resting place on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. Despite the wishes expressed in Polk's will, the Polk family sold that land he was buried on in 1893 after a legal battle. Polk Place was demolished in 1900. Polk's new burial site on the grounds of the Capitol is marked with a monument shown in the photo below. I visited Nashville in October of 2014 and I paid a call on the Polks, and took the picture below.
This past Monday, March 27, 2017, the Tennessee Senate passed a resolution calling for the Polks' remains to be relocated yet again, this time to the James K. Polk Ancestral Home, in Columbia, Tennessee, 46 miles south of Nashville. But before the Polks are moved yet again, the move must be approved of by the Tennessee State House of Representatives, the Davidson County Chancery Court and the Tennessee Historical Commission. As one might expect, the move has both its supporters and its opponents.
In the camp opposed to the move are some of Polk's descendants. For example, sixty-five year old Teresa Elam, who is Polk’s niece by way of seven generations, has said: "Every step they take is one step toward grave robbery. It would be like taking someone out of Arlington and taking them to the family farm and putting them behind the barn." Elam believes that the move is just a moneymaking ploy to bring more tourists to Columbia.
It was at the Polk Ancestral Home in Columbia, where James K. Polk spent part of his childhood and it is where the James K. Polk Home and Museum is located. One of those who is in support of the move is Tom Price, curator of that museum. He has said: "We are doing our best to preserve and interpret the legacy of James K. Polk, because that’s what he would have wanted in his will." Price denies that the motive behind the proposed move is to sell more tickets to the museum. He told CBS news, "We’ve been open since 1929. If this were merely a matter of money we probably would have done it 50 years ago."
In the Tennessee senate, the bill was sponsored by Joey Hensley, a Republican state senator who represents the county where the museum is located. He said Polk’s current burial place is tucked away in a corner of the capitol grounds, something he considers to be a disservice to the president, in his view. Opposing the move was Jeff Yarbro, a Democratic state senator for Nashville. Yarbro said, "There are only 45 people who’ve been president of the United States, and if a few years from now there’s a crew with shovels in the front yard of the capitol, it’s going to be a national news story, and there’s going to be a lot of appropriate scrutiny on how this process got initiated."
In the end, the vote was 20 to 6 in favor of the move. As mentioned earlier, the Tennessee State House of Representatives, the governor, the Historical Commission and the Davidson County Chancery court still have to approve the move. More protracted debate on the issue is still to come.
Polk's time in the White House took its toll on his health. He entered the presidency full of enthusiasm and vigor. But when he left office on March 4, 1849, after attending the inauguration of his successor Zachary Taylor, Polk was exhausted from the demands of the presidency, coupled with his compulsive need to oversee tasks that he should have delegated to others. He lost weight and developed deep lines on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Some also attribute his health problems to the unsanitary water supply in antebellum Washington, something that may have also contributed to the untimely demise of Taylor two years later, and of William Henry Harrison in 1841.
The Polks embarked on their journey home to Tennessee. On route, Polk is believed to have contracted cholera in New Orleans, Louisiana, part of a goodwill tour of the South that he was making after leaving office and heading home. The Polks took up their new residence at the family home known as Polk Place in Nashville. His health never improved and on June 15, 1849, Polk died of cholera at his new home, at 3:15 pm, just over three months after leaving office. Though he was considered to be a serious man, he had a strong love for his wife Sarah, and his last words are reported to be "I love you, Sarah. For all eternity, I love you." As Polk's biographer Walter Bornemann has pointed out, even if the story is an embellishment, the sentiment that it is based on is not. The Polks did not have any children, likely due to a crude operation Polk had as a teenager to remove gallstones that probably affected his ability to become a father. As a result, James and Sarah Polk had a very strong and deep affection and love for one another.
Following his death, Polk was buried in what is now Nashville City Cemetery, in a special section because of his death from an infectious disease. Less than a year later, his remains were moved to a tomb on the grounds of Polk Place (as specified in his will). Sarah lived at Polk Place for 42 years after his death and died on August 14, 1891.
In 1893, the bodies of President and Mrs. Polk were exhumed and relocated to their current resting place on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. Despite the wishes expressed in Polk's will, the Polk family sold that land he was buried on in 1893 after a legal battle. Polk Place was demolished in 1900. Polk's new burial site on the grounds of the Capitol is marked with a monument shown in the photo below. I visited Nashville in October of 2014 and I paid a call on the Polks, and took the picture below.
This past Monday, March 27, 2017, the Tennessee Senate passed a resolution calling for the Polks' remains to be relocated yet again, this time to the James K. Polk Ancestral Home, in Columbia, Tennessee, 46 miles south of Nashville. But before the Polks are moved yet again, the move must be approved of by the Tennessee State House of Representatives, the Davidson County Chancery Court and the Tennessee Historical Commission. As one might expect, the move has both its supporters and its opponents.
In the camp opposed to the move are some of Polk's descendants. For example, sixty-five year old Teresa Elam, who is Polk’s niece by way of seven generations, has said: "Every step they take is one step toward grave robbery. It would be like taking someone out of Arlington and taking them to the family farm and putting them behind the barn." Elam believes that the move is just a moneymaking ploy to bring more tourists to Columbia.
It was at the Polk Ancestral Home in Columbia, where James K. Polk spent part of his childhood and it is where the James K. Polk Home and Museum is located. One of those who is in support of the move is Tom Price, curator of that museum. He has said: "We are doing our best to preserve and interpret the legacy of James K. Polk, because that’s what he would have wanted in his will." Price denies that the motive behind the proposed move is to sell more tickets to the museum. He told CBS news, "We’ve been open since 1929. If this were merely a matter of money we probably would have done it 50 years ago."
In the Tennessee senate, the bill was sponsored by Joey Hensley, a Republican state senator who represents the county where the museum is located. He said Polk’s current burial place is tucked away in a corner of the capitol grounds, something he considers to be a disservice to the president, in his view. Opposing the move was Jeff Yarbro, a Democratic state senator for Nashville. Yarbro said, "There are only 45 people who’ve been president of the United States, and if a few years from now there’s a crew with shovels in the front yard of the capitol, it’s going to be a national news story, and there’s going to be a lot of appropriate scrutiny on how this process got initiated."
In the end, the vote was 20 to 6 in favor of the move. As mentioned earlier, the Tennessee State House of Representatives, the governor, the Historical Commission and the Davidson County Chancery court still have to approve the move. More protracted debate on the issue is still to come.