Netflix series revives interest in Ohio's President Garfield

SANDUSKY — Northern Ohio native James Garfield (1831-81), the nation's 20th president, died only a few months into his presidency after being shot by Charles Guiteau, an apparently deranged assassin. Interest in Garfield's story has been revived by an acclaimed Netflix miniseries, "Death by Lightning," which tells the story of Garfield's successful presidential campaign as the Republican Party nominee and his tragic death as he sought to reform the federal government. The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best TV programs of the year, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 91% rating, and it has been nominated for or won numerous awards. Two-time Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon stars as the president, Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles Guiteau, Betty Gilpin is the first lady and Nick Offerman portrays Chester A. Arthur Ohioans intrigued by the show can visit the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio — about 25 miles northeast of Cleveland —where admission is free to visit the home where Garfield lived when he was elected president in 1880. As best as we could tell after doing some research, the miniseries is largely accurate. Still, we wondered if Garfield was as saintly as depicted in the miniseries, if his wife was as feisty and if the miniseries took a few liberties with the exact truth. Park Ranger Allison M. Powell, who has been with the National Park Service since 2008, agreed to take the Sandusky Register's questions. SANDUSKY REGISTER: Was it exciting for the park rangers when the miniseries was released? Did you guys have a watch party? Allison Powell: Yes, the staff was anxious to see how the Garfield story played out on the "small screen." On Nov. 5, the evening before the release day, Hiram College hosted a screening of Episode 1 of "Death by Lightning," which was followed by a panel discussion with the writer/producer/director Mike Makoswky, author Candice Millard whose book "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President" is the basis of the Netflix series, historian Todd Arrington, and Tim Garfield, the great-great grandson of the president. There were close to 500 people in attendance, which was a "sell-out" crowd for the free event. SR: Are there signs of an uptick in interest in President Garfield? AP: Yes, there has been an uptick in interest in President Garfield. Although the house was closed for some restoration work in January and February, our reopening on Feb. 28 was much anticipated by the public. An increase in group tour bookings, phone and email inquiries, and questions from people outside the historic site indicate this could be a very busy year. SR: Is the movie generally accurate, as far as you can tell? Apparently the main details are correct, but I wondered, for example, if Mrs. Garfield really slapped Chester Arthur across the face, or if this was a Hollywood embellishment. AP: There were a few circumstances that were dramatized or put into a different context than the specific historic events. Additionally, some liberties may have been taken to enhance the appeal of this 19th century story to 21st century audiences. To answer your specific question, we have no documentation that Mrs. Garfield slapped Chester Arthur and it would seem to be out of character for her to do something like that. SR: Was the portrayal of the first lady accurate? AP: According to information gleaned from letters, private papers and descriptions of Mrs. Garfield's temperament, we believe she preferred to be behind the scenes, supporting her husband in a calm, thoughtful manner. SR: What did you think of the portrayal of Chester Arthur? Is it true he turned out to be a good president? AP: The staff here are not Chester Arthur experts, but can point you to a short film released last year about Arthur called "Dear Mr. President: The Letters of Julia Sand." We believe you will get a fuller picture of him after viewing this piece. [The 47-minute documentary is available on YouTube.] SR: Was the portrayal of President Garfield accurate, or did they make him a little too good to be true? AP: James Garfield spent the first 16 years of his life in a one room log cabin, fatherless, with three siblings and his mother, worked manual labor jobs to put himself through school, was Christian in thought and action (though human and made mistakes like everyone else), served his country as an army general and elected official at the state and federal level, and had his life taken from him not only by an assassin's bullet, but by the medical care rendered to him over 80 days. One thing the Netflix series does quite effectively is presents these facts to viewers, leaving judgment about his portrayal to them.