James A. Garfield James A. Garfield was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1831. His father died in 1833, when Garfield was only two years old and so his mother had to carry on working the family farm by herself. With the death of his father, the family feel into poverty. Even though they had very little money, his mother made sure that her children went to the neighborhood school to get a good education. He belonged to the Desciples of Christ Church. While growing up, James drove canal boat teams, and earned enough money to further his education at college. He attended Western Reserve Eclectic Institute at Hir