08/22/2026
August 22nd was a special date for Ulysses and Julia Grant! On August 22,1844, Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent began a marriage that would last 37 years, endure a Civil War and eight years in the White House.
Ulysses S. Grant married St. Louis native, Julia Dent in St. Louis on August 22, 1848 after a four-year courtship. Julia’s father, Frederick F. Dent, not only owned the country estate, White Haven, but also a home in downtown St. Louis at the corner of Fourth and Cerre Streets.
A place can have a special meaning in our lives when we experience an important event. We often hold special connections to the school we attended, where a child was born, or perhaps where a marriage was performed. While Ulysses and Julia met and courted at White Haven, the Grant's wedding ceremony took place at the Dent’s city home. This house stood until the 1940s when it was raised for redevelopment in that part of the city.
As we recall the day that the Grants began their relationship, let’s take a moment to appreciate those special people in our own lives that are by our side through our greatest challenges just like Julia was for Ulysses.
Image: Illustration of the Dent home at 4th and Cerre Streets in downtown St. Louis. (Etching from the book 'Personal History of Ulysses S. Grant' (1868) by Albert D. Richardson)
