Daniel and Mary

Alfred May had written to a publisher about “Daniel and Mary” but died before arrangements for publication could be made. He left only the chapter for 1860 unwritten, but a note about his plans indicates that it would have dealt almost entirely with Daniel's attempt to regain his children from Hannah Fankell's mother after Hannah's death. Although the book is written in the style of an historical novel every incident in the story took place and all of the characters actually lived.  The conversations are reconstructed and not verbatim records but similar conversations actually did take place as attested by the source materials on which Alfred drew.

 As the great niece of Alfred and the great grand-daughter of Daniel I was privileged to be able to read the diaries with my mother, Marion May Sawyer, while I was growing up.  That was when I learned about my family's connection with the 25th president. My mother donated the diaries to the Western Reserve Historical Society in 1978.  When I decided to edit the book my great uncle Alfred wrote I visited Poland and discovered that many of the buildings, including homes of the McKinley family and Daniel's store, are still standing with plaques identifying them for their historical interest.  The Old Poland Seminary, which William and the other McKinley children attended, is still an active school although there have been additions to the building.  Today there is a plaque on the building identifying the original part of the school.  Poland's Riverside Cemetery in which Daniel and Mary are buried has been well cared for by the Trustees.  They are restoring the tombstone where they are buried.  An active newsletter called the “Riverside Review” gives biographical information about those buried in the cemetery.  Many of the people who are mentioned in this book are buried in this cemetery.

 The book, “Daniel and Mary” provides historical information unavailable elsewhere about our 25th President, William McKinley, Jr. and his family, during the time they lived in Poland and it gives a social history of an Ohio village during the mid-1800's.   In his book, “I'm the Teacher, You're the Student” Patrick Allitt says, “The lives and thoughts of people who were obscure in their own day have as much to teach us about history as the lives of the powerful and famous.  “Daniel and Mary” teaches us about the powerful and famous, William McKinley, and those who were obscure, Daniel May.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to share this information.

Mary Ann Sawyer Meyer