Happy 233rd birthday, America! Fourth of July is here with its hamburgers, potato salad and fireworks.
But some towns have eliminated the fireworks this year due to the tough financial times. Mary Todd Lincoln ran into the same problem when she was planning to entertain the Count de Paris and the Count de Chambord at the White House in 1862. Mrs. Lincoln was trying to economize at the time and insisted the government pay for the dinner. But Secretary of State Seward refused to agree. A mountain of manure for the White House lawn had just been delivered, so Mrs. Lincoln simply sold it and used the proceeds to pay for the dinner. *
While we are talking about food (excluding the manure) , it seems on the first day the Nixons occupied the White House, the dinner order for the President, Tricia, Julie and David (Julie’s husband) was steak. And for Mrs. Nixon a bowl of cottage cheese. Now the staff, ever anxious to please, had researched the Nixon’s preferences and stocked the kitchen with absolutely everything EXCEPT cottage cheese. It being Inauguration Day in Washington DC few stores were open. Chief Usher J.B.West jumped in a limousine and scoured the town until he found a delicatessen that was open and had plenty of cottage cheese. From then on, cottage cheese became a staple in the White House kitchen. **
But some towns have eliminated the fireworks this year due to the tough financial times. Mary Todd Lincoln ran into the same problem when she was planning to entertain the Count de Paris and the Count de Chambord at the White House in 1862. Mrs. Lincoln was trying to economize at the time and insisted the government pay for the dinner. But Secretary of State Seward refused to agree. A mountain of manure for the White House lawn had just been delivered, so Mrs. Lincoln simply sold it and used the proceeds to pay for the dinner. *
While we are talking about food (excluding the manure) , it seems on the first day the Nixons occupied the White House, the dinner order for the President, Tricia, Julie and David (Julie’s husband) was steak. And for Mrs. Nixon a bowl of cottage cheese. Now the staff, ever anxious to please, had researched the Nixon’s preferences and stocked the kitchen with absolutely everything EXCEPT cottage cheese. It being Inauguration Day in Washington DC few stores were open. Chief Usher J.B.West jumped in a limousine and scoured the town until he found a delicatessen that was open and had plenty of cottage cheese. From then on, cottage cheese became a staple in the White House kitchen. **
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*Boller, Paul F. Jr., Presidential Wives, an Anecdotal History, 1988, page 123
***Boller, Paul F. Jr., Presidential Wives, an Anecdotal History, 1988, page 415
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