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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

I finally did it. I got a photo with Donald Trump. Well...almost.

Long-time readers will remember that last election my sister and I tried to get a photo with and autograph from each candidate. We got Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence, Martin O'Malley, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, Ben Carson, John Cogswell (did you know he was running?), Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal. We got autographs from Trump and my sister got a photo with Trump, but I gave up on a photo--until my recent trip with my friend Kathleen Franck to see the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum!
Visiting the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum had been on my bucket list for years. Once in a while it's nice to just take a day off work and get something done. And I was thrilled that Kathleen had the day to spare to come with me. Exploring is funner if you have someone with whom to share your adventures. She and I both love sightseeing and photography, and any of these photos that I couldn't have taken are courtesy of Kathleen.

Our first stop after meeting Trump, Lincoln, Hoover and Washington was a room filled with items that had belonged to each of the presidents. Photography wasn't allowed, but we saw (to the best of my memory) John Quincy Adam's cuff-links, Andrew Jackson's pipe, Abraham Lincoln's satchel, Teddy Roosevelt's saddle, and Bill Clinton's tennis shoes, to name a few items.
The room above represents Hoover's Suite 31-A of New York's Waldorf Towers. The Hoovers moved to the four-room suite in December 1940.

Kathleen said the last time she visited the museum was with her husband and a couple friends when she was 22, but everything looked different then. They had a representation of the Oval Office instead of the Waldorf Towers suite.
"With this new telexecutive, you can stop worrying about what you are going to say. Instead concentrate on how you are going to say it. Your speech is here before you in large, easy-to-read letters. The script moves at the speed you wish."

The politician's best friend--the teleprompter!
Hoover wrote the poem above for a classmate, Addie, at the age of eight. The train was one of Hoover's toys as a boy. One of his earliest ambitions was to drive a locomotive. The museum was filled with a variety of items from throughout all stages of Hoover's life.
This two-room cottage, built by Jesse Hoover for his wife Hulda and son Theodore in 1871, is where Herbert Hoover was born in 1874. In 1879 the Hoovers moved to a larger home after the addition of a daughter, Mary. Hoovers' West Branch home is *tiny!* But the whole neighborhood is very idyllic. I wonder how often the neighbors visit the museum!
"This cottage where I was born is physical proof of the unbounded opportunity of American life." --Herbert Hoover.
Also on the museum grounds is the 1853 West Branch Schoolhouse. The school also served as a place of worship for the members of the Society of Friends until a larger building was constructed for that purpose in 1857.
The Jesse Hoover Blacksmith Shop was also an interesting site. It appeared that the museum sells horseshoes, boot scrapers and diner triangles as mementos, judging from a sign in the shop.
Before becoming President, Herbert Hoover worked as a mining engineer. He traveled worldwide, working in mining in Australia and Asia.

When World War I struck, it was Hoover who organized relief for Belgium after it was invaded by Germany in 1914, administering the distribution of over two million tons of food to nine million war victims over the next two years.

After the United States entered the war in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Hoover as head of the U.S. Food Administration. After the war, the organization became the American Relief Administration (ARA), and Hoover oversaw the ARA in feeding millions in Central and Eastern Europe. After government funding for the ARA ended, Hoover raised money for the effort through private donations. His work was widely appreciated throughout Europe.
Hoover served as Secretary of Commerce under President Warren Harding.

Hoover was elected President of the United States and served from 1929 to 1933. I think it is amazing that none other was President during the start of the Great Depression than a man who had spent his life feeding the hungry. And I think it is unfortunate that Hoover is most remembered for the Great Depression, caused by the policies of his predecessors. 
Above left are gifts of esteem Hoover received from other heads of state. Above right are some of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover's dresses.
Hoover enjoyed fishing during his retirement. He also enjoyed taking road trips with his wife or a friend. He served under President Truman and President Eisenhower as chairman of commissions to reorganize the executive departments. He also wrote books, oversaw the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and did fundraising for the Boys Club.
Hoover died on October 20, 1964 at the age of 90. Herbert and Lou Hoover are buried on a hill near the museum. 
Visiting the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum was a great experience!

"Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt."  --Herbert Hoover

27 comments:

  1. You did well getting the candidates autographs and photos, it's not something I would do for the MP's we have here. Nearest I came to a Prime minister was when Tony Blair visited where we works and came around to say hello(he had less security than the Queen did and you could not even get in touching distance of her) Good show with getting a photo with Trump even if it's cut out, he's not my favourite person. That museum looks great to visit

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  2. I LOVE this post! Such an interesting day you had with your friend, and I surely learned a lot from reading all you wrote here. My favorite part is the little 2 room house built by his father! I thought of how simple life was then...I long for that. God has led my family and me to let go of SO much, and it has made our lives so much simpler and easier to navigate. It is amazing how very little we actually need to go through life. Little houses like the one shown here are really all a small family needs. I just love that. I will probably never visit there, so thank you for sharing all of this. It was so interesting to visit with you this morning! God bless you!

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    1. I really enjoyed that book on minimalism you sent, Cheryl. Thanks for stopping by! God bless you too.

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  3. What a GREAT post, Bethany. It is really interesting and full of lots of facts that I did not know. I love these road trips that you take and that you chronicle what you observed. Thanks for sharing your photos and thoughts and information to all of us. xo Diana

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Great post, as usual! I really enjoy your history lessons.

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  5. What a great day out with Kathleen! Your photos, and descriptions, of the museum are excellent. I enjoyed the tour!

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  6. Love it... when we first moved to the Maritimes I got my picture taken with a cardboard cut out of Anne Murray in Springhill Nova Scotia's museum for Anne ... I would love a picture with Trump (0: I knew Trump would win .. Americans have a great POTUS who is passionate about America.. and Americans will prosper again .. Obama demoralized USA and it was sad to watch it .. but knowing what I know about 'community organizers' Alinsky-ites and communitarianism -- Obama did exactly what he was 'selected' to do .. not electing Hillary was an impressive expression of the populace.

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    1. I was actually very surprised Trump won. I voted third-party, but was glad Trump won rather than Clinton.

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  7. Hi Bethany!

    The Herbert Hoover museum looks very interesting. Thank you for taking us on a tour through your pictures. And thanks for sharing all the historical information, too. I think it would be fun to visit president museums. How neat that you go to meet the President! I'd also like to do that and get my picture with him as well. Did it just happen that you went there the same time he was there? Or was there some kind of special event?

    Have a wonderful, Christ-centered day!
    Much love,
    Ashley

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    1. Oh no, I'm with a paper cut-out of the President! We did see him in person at rallies, but I never got a good picture with him.

      You have a great day as well, Ashley!

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  8. What a unique and informative place to visit! I didn't know about Hoover's relief work in Europe; It's a shame that he's only remembered for the Depression.

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  9. It is always more fun to visit places with friends. These museums look like fun and a great way to learn about history. - I enjoyed your photo tour.

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  10. So much I did not know about Hoover, and the last quote is painfully true, isn't it. I got to visit the Reagan Library in September which was interesting as well. Thanks for another good post, Bethany :)

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  11. It looks like an interesting place to visit. I always enjoy learning more about the history of a country, whether it's my own country or not. I would have passed on the photo with the cut-out Trump though.

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  12. Great post! ~ Nice pic with Trump too ;) I love museums....We live in an area of South Africa where the 1820 settlers established themselves and so there are plenty of museums on the subject :) One time we went to a museum that contained stuffed animals and then quite soon after that to an 1820 settler museum. I remember my brother asking my mom why there were stuffed people! He was referring to the mannequins that posed as settlers!

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  13. Interesting place! That life-size cutout of Trump had me fooled for a minute. :) It is indeed unfortunate that many presidents get blamed for the failed policies of their predecessors. Equally unfortunate is how some presidents take the credit for the successful policies of their predecessors. #reasonswhyihatepolitics

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    1. Sometimes the lines blur on what is the fault of whom. It seems like often any good thing is claimed as that president's success, while every bad thing is blamed on the predecessor--or vice versa if the commentator dislikes the president!

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