Wood walking cane with gold cap and ferrule, presented to Millard Fillmore. Cap engraved: "Relic from Ashland / Hon. Millard Fillmore. / From / David E. Oak / Philada. July 4. 1856." L. 34 7/8 in. Cap diam. 1 9/16 in.  

An interesting presentation walking stick engraved to Millard Fillmore in 1856, when he was running again for President of the United States as the Whig candidate. 

David E. Oak was a citizen of Philadelphia who married Elfrida D. Porter, daughter of Charles C. Porter of North Middletown, Kentucky, on 30 December 1845. Oak was involved in Whig and later Republican politics. In May 1857, he was on the list of Fifth Ward American Nominations for Common Council (Public Ledger, 2 May 1857) and, in reporting on the Great Union Mass Meeting in Philadelphia at the end of 1859, he is listed as one of many "secretaries" of the committee. (Public Ledger, 8 December 1859).

"Ashland" is the name of fellow Whig Henry Clay's estate in Lexington, Kentucky. With family not far in North Middletown, perhaps Oak found the perfect Whig "relic" to gift Fillmore.

The 1856 United States presidential election's main issue was the expansion of slavery and was hotly contested in a three-way race between Democrat James Buchanan, Republican John C. Frémont, and Whig/Know Nothing Millard Fillmore. The Brooklyn Evening Star wrote: "We have three candidates in the field for the Presidency. Mr. Buchanan for the South, Mr. Fremont for the North, and Millard Fillmore for the Nation." (31 July 1856). Buchanan won by a comfortable margin, however, with the veteran Fillmore earning only 8 electoral votes from Maryland. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Millard Fillmore, Whig, Know Nothings, Republican, Politics, Slavery, Enslavement, Bleeding Kansas, Nebraska-Kansas Act]