Taft found himself having some trouble with Nicarauga, however, particularly with President Jose Santos Zelaya. The United States had an interest in building a canal in Panama, a sentiment echoed by Zelaya, as he tried to have a canal built in his own country to stymie American efforts. His bid was unsuccessful, however, and soon enough he not only found American-backed conservative opponents in his government but Marines on his doorstep. Zelaya later resigned, and the marines remained in place from 1907 to 1925.

However Taft preferred negotiation and judication to solve arguments - not surprising that he would become a judge - and was a constant proponent of as much while in office. He was particularly interested in a reciprocity treaty with Canada via Wilfred Laurier’s government, however since that government fell out of power the treaty collapsed.

The bathtub.

Bathtubs are usually pretty spacious. There may not be enough room lengthwise, but the width is seldom a problem. So it’s a bit remarkable that Taft, who weighed somewhere in the vicinity of 330 pounds, couldn’t fit in the bathtub that was already installed in the White House. In fact he was forced to have it removed after he got stuck in it one evening, and he had a much larger replacement installed to accommodate himself.

Poor, poor guy. That must’ve been extremely embarrassing. If you want an idea of just how big the President was, check out this replica of the tub he had installed (the original was cracked on its way out of the House later on).

The restaurant has the name for a reason. Its proprietor has gone to obvious lengths to make the place Taft-friendly, with a plethora of references to the late 27th president included in the decor. A few of them include:

- A menu with items like ‘the Fantaftic Sandwich’ or the ‘Whoa, Nellie Taft!’ salad

- The logo bears Taft’s distinctive moustache

- And, most impressively, the entrance bears two things from Taft’s past: a bathtub (Taft had to have a custom tub installed at the White House, as he was too big to fit the pre-existing one) full of jellybeans (one of his favorite foods)

Open from 8 am ’til midnight, the William Taft Vegetarian Diner is an eccentric experience that shouldn’t be missed by visitors and locals alike.

And that house still stands today, though now it’s not just a house: it’s the William Howard Taft National HIstoric Site. Open to tours by the public, this Ohio house has been protected from demolition or alteration and is a great place for tourists. And there are plenty of other attractions around the house to help keep you interested, including annual events and the Taft Education Center, which includes a robot fashioned in the form of Taft’s youngest son (dubbed Charlie).

Looking to visit? The house is located at 2038 Auburn Ave. in Cincinnati, Ohio. You’ll know it as soon as you see it.

For more information, check their website.

The highly intelligent and discerning president William Taft had the honor of attending not one but two post secondary institutes. Not only did he attend Yale College in his undergraduate years (where he was nicknamed both “Big Lub” because of his size and “Old Bill” as a term of endearment with his friends) he went on to study law at the University of Cincinnati.

His learning would serve him well later in life, as he not only became the president of the United States but served his final years as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the only former president ever to have held the position.

William Taft was the 27th president of the United States. A republican, Taft was president between 1909 and 1913. He was a proponent of ‘dollar diplomacy’, or pushing the States to expand their economic borders worldwide.

After his presidency Taft was chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930, when he died. He was the only president to also serve as chief justice. He was also the first president ever to throw the opening pitch in a baseball game. And, when speaking of Taft, it’s noteworthy that he was probably the largest president; weighing over 300 pounds, he had to have an enlarged bathtub installed in the White House.

The William Taft timeline begins on September 15, 1857, when Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He would later move to Connecticut to attend Yale like the rest of his family, and graduated as second in his class in 1878. He then went to law school and later became an assistant prosecutor.

From 1890 to 1892 Taft served as the U.S. solicitor general, and then moved on to become a federal circuit court judge for the next eight years. Later he became the secretary of war under the command of William McKinley, and after McKinley stepped down in 1909 Taft stepped in to take the role of president for the next four years. He left that post in 1913.

Taft won his 1908 candidacy race rather easily despite not being overly keen about the position (he wanted more to be a judge). His policies followed the letter of the law, and he seemed to fight big business with every step, attacking trusts and alienating his opponents and his allies alike.

Taft remained in the spot until 1913. A proponent of ‘dollar diplomacy’ – investing money in less prosperous nations to get them started – he was responsible for establishing both a parcel post system and a postals savings bank, not to mention expanding he civil service. He was also part of the 17th Amendment which mandated the election of senators, not through appointment by the state, but by the people themselves.