During the 1900 Presidential Election Campaign, current President William McKinley (1897-1901),
and former president Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) accompanied by Vice President Theodore "Teddy"
 Roosevelt, attended a Republican rally in Mt. Pulaski on Wednesday, October 24, 1900.  These American Leaders made an historic stop in Mt. Pulaski, where 1000-1500 people congregated for this political rally.
       John D. Rockefeller, a wealthy and influential contributor to the Republican campaign, accompanied
these men.  They dined and slept over at the Mt. Pulaski House Hotel that evening, before appearing
 the next day at the local rally.  On the previous day, Tuesday, October 23, Mt. Pulaski staged the Democratic Rally, which was attended by many people, also.  At this time, Mt. Pulaski had a population of over 2000 residents.  Later, after the rally, these men merely walked down four blocks to the train station and boarded
 the Illinois Central Train bound for Springfield, 22 miles away.

President McKinley went on to win the election, only to suffer death by an assassin's bullet,
while attending the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.  Vice President Theodore Roosevelt
took over as the youngest person to ever serve the United States at the age of 42. [President John F.
 Kennedy was the youngest president ever to be elected at the age of 43]


 < click here for a copy of a local newspaper's description of the event >

< click here for the photo of Theodore Roosevelt and his notable friends >