Week 8 Journals

Day 50 August 10, 2002 Saturday, Atlantic City, WY to Cheyenne, WY (miles driven 317)

The motel we stayed at last night didn't have a phone so yesterday's posting and today's were posted the same day. Go back to the last day of week 7 for August 9. It was a good day.

We arrived at South Pass City at 9:00 am just as they were opening the historical exhibits to the public. South Pass City was a gold mining town which went through several boom periods. Atlantic City and Miners Delight were other nearby mining towns. The State of Wyoming is maintaining the buildings at around the 1900 year period. Only two buildings out of the 30+ structures are not original to South Pass City. The first gold was found in the area in 1867 and by the mid 1870's the first boom was over. The towns population dwindled but mining activity continued. We walked through the town site and looked at the displays in the buildings. There was a building detailing the gold mining process which was informative. Not surprisingly this town had more than its share of saloons and places where female companionship could be purchased. The Smith and Sherlock store building is run by "The Friends of South Pass City" and sells many items. The store still serves as a post office for 4 months during the tourist season. The status of the town reminds me very much of Millbrook Village in New Jersey. However, the only building where any kind of regular demonstration could take place was the blacksmith shop. There were no other buildings that showed any evidence of regular activity. We did get to talk with a restorer working for Wyoming and he stated that being 30+ miles from any population center (Lander) it was difficult to find people to staff any craft buildings. Once a year they hold "Gold Rush Days" when a lot of demonstrations take place. Sounds like Millbrook Days.

The town did produce Esther Hobart Morris who was the first female Justice of the Peace in the US. She supposedly had her husband arrested for bad attitude. She was also at one time credited with being a co-author of the Women's Suffrage Act in Wyoming but now that participation is in doubt. The author of the bill was a W. H. Bright who was a miner from South Pass. Esther Morris might have had influence on the act but no evidence exists that she co-authored the act.

After spending more than two hours at the site we started our way to Cheyenne. along the way we stopped at the Mormon Crossing #6 exhibit which is run by the Mormon LDS church. The Mormon emigrants had to cross the Sweetwater river 9 times before they could reach South Pass which permitted them to get into the Salt Lake valley. There were displays dealing with the Willie Handcart Company who left Iowa too late and got caught in the snows around this crossing. Approximately 27 of this group perished from the cold and weakened conditions from pulling handcarts across the Wyoming terrain. They must have been hardy people to make this trek on foot.  We lunched at the picnic grove there. Close were replicas of the Mormon Handcarts that are now used by youth groups on summer camp treks.

After picking up good old Interstate I-80 at Rawlins we stopped at the Lincoln Statue a little east of Laramie. I-80 and its predecessor US30 are known as the Lincoln Highway. This was the first transcontinental road. The Lincoln Statue was placed to celebrate 150 year anniversary of Lincoln's birthday in Wyoming along the road named in his honor. Closer to Cheyenne there was a historical marker in front of a tree growing out of a rock. This tree was on the Union Pacific right of way and the railroad altered it's tracks to save it. In early 1900 the railroad tracks were moved and the subsequent  wagon road was later replaced by the Lincoln Highway and I-80. The tree is a variety of pine known as the Limber Pine which can grow to be in excess of 2000 years old. We saw a 1350 year specimen in Crater's of the Moon.

Our motel is right across the road from the Union Pacific main line and anyone who thinks the railroads are dead should look out the window here and see all the traffic.

South Pass City Marker

Saloon on Right, Jail on Left, Cabin in middle at South Pass City

Smith & Sherlock Store, South Pass City

Carissa Saloon and ?

Blacksmith Shop - South Pass City

Split Rock - Landmark to the pioneers

Lincoln Statue east of Laramie

The tree growing out of a rock on I-80

Day 51 August 11, 2002 Sunday, Cheyenne, WY to Ft. Collins, CO (miles driven 79) 

We didn't get too far today. We wandered around downtown Cheyenne for about an hour before church and then after church walked over to the State Capitol which was closed on Sunday. We did go to Frontier Park to the Wild West Museum. We expected to see a lot of western art as publicized in the AAA book but were told that the art exhibit is greatly reduced after Frontier Days is over in July. So we got to look at a lot of wagons and some art.

After leaving Cheyenne we stopped in Fort Collins to drop in of a friend of mine, John Kisiday, retired from BASF. We didn't have his phone number with us and it was an unlisted number so our choice was just to show up or just go on. We opted to drop in and had a great grilled tuna dinner from fish that John had caught in the Pacific in June. I made a few trips to Gloucester with John when he was in New Jersey. For the night we are staying with them and will continue our journey tomorrow.

Downtown Cheyenne

Cathedral of St. Mary, Cheyenne

State Capitol, Cheyenne, WY

Statue outside Wild West Museum, Cheyenne, WY

Day 52 August 12, 2002 Monday, Ft. Collins, CO to LaJunta, CO (miles driven 263)  

After breakfast we started out for Colorado Springs but not before noticing that my rear tire on the passenger side was a little low on air, we filled it up at the gas station. We originally thought of going to Pikes Peak but the first exit we came to was the US Air Force Academy. We wanted to see that so in we went. At the gate there was a 100% ID check so I thought the Passports would be enough. He also asked for my drivers license. I told him that I was going to answer that I had that revoked yesterday but it would be a joke so he looked at it and said that if that was so he would have to cuff me - just joking. From the North Entrance it is 4 miles to the visitors center and we stopped at one of the overlooks to take some pictures.

At the visitors center they show you a short movie dealing with student life at the academy, its standards, the code of honor, etc. Then there are some exhibits about the building and design of the academy after Eisenhower signed the act creating it. One of the interesting displays was the one dealing with the training of the Air Force Academy mascot - the falcon. The training of the falcons is done by the cadets. At one time the academy would acquire wild falcons and then train them. Now they raise them in captivity and even sell falcons for re-population elsewhere as well as zoo's. It takes about 6 weeks to train a falcon to come back to the lure on command by any of the handlers.

After a Subway lunch at the center we took a walk over to the Air Force Chapel. This is the most distinctive building on the site and is the one we wanted to see. We had missed the unison marching of the cadets into the mess hall/cafeteria for lunch. Some of the other visitors said it was impressive. The Academy Chapel is a very striking building with shaped like a series of vertical sharp delta wings. Its design was written up as creating quite a controversy but the designers prevailed over the traditionalists views. The chapel building houses many chapels. You go up a concrete stairway and enter the Protestant Chapel with the soaring ceilings. The Catholic Chapel is directly below the Protestant Chapel and while thinking it is in the basement, there are stained glass windows that let in light as the design of the upper delta wing lets in light to the sides of the lower level. The Jewish Chapel is a round enclosure behind the wall of the altar for the Catholic Chapel. There was a display there of a Torah that had survived the Holacaust and was estimated to be over 200 years old. There was also a plaque that said that the stone under the Jewish Chapel had come from Jerusalem and had been donated by the Jewish Army in 1960. Mom said that this was as close as we were going to get to the Holy Land. I didn't get any good photos of the Jewish Chapel as I didn't feel right using the flash in the building. Beyond the Jewish Chapel there was a door marked All Faith Chapel but that was not open to visitors. We had also hoped to visit the Planetarium as there were signs indicating the times that shows were given. Unfortunately for us there are no shows on Monday's.

On Saturday Mom contracted a stiff neck from falling asleep in the car with the AC on. Medication had helped remove the pain form her neck but her arm and chest were painful. She has been taking some muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory pills so she really wasn't up for the 14,000 altitude of Pikes Peak. We decided that next year was OK also. We had seen enough mountains this trip. We stopped at the local AAA to get a few state books that I hadn't acquired before leaving and headed south towards Pueblo and then LaJunta in Colorado. We had been driving on Interstate 25 from Ft. Collins through Denver, and Colorado Springs. Below Colorado Springs the road shies away from the Rocky Mountains that were majestic on the right of the car as we headed south. After Colorado Springs the scenery was one of desolate desert. Between Pueblo and LaJunta the first 30 miles or so were desolations and after that you could see evidence of agricultural activity. There were two huge beef feedlots along the way and in the towns there were numerous farm equipment dealers. 

Since it was moms birthday we went to dinner at Hogsbreath Saloon for ribs. It was advertised as the best restaurant in town and I believe they were right. After dinner I noticed that the tire was low again so I guess in the morning I will have to deal with it. I did fill it up again hoping that it will hold overnight but bought the emergency flat aerosol can just the same. Hopefully we will make Dodge City in Kansas tomorrow.

Air Force Academy from overlook

Air Force Academy Chapel

Front of Protestant Chapel at AF Academy

Up into the ceiling of AF Chapel

Altar of Protestaant Chapel, AF Academy

Altar of Catholic Chapel, AF Academy

Stained Glass in Catholic Chapel

AF Academy View

Day 53 August 13, 2002 Tuesday, LaJunta, CO to Dodge City, KS (miles driven 228)

The aerosol flat fixed can came in handy as the tire that needed air yesterday was flat this morning. The can put enough pressure into the tire to enable me to get to the garage. At the garage a big nail was found in the tire and repaired. Bill was $9.00 and I gave the guy a $5.00 tip as he took me right in and had me out of there within 20 minutes. Tough to get that kind of service back home. On the way into town last night there was a sign that said Bent's Old Fort- National Historic Site. Strangely this sign was still there in the morning as we were leaving town and it was only 6 miles away.

Old Fort Bent was a famous trading post on the Santa Fe Trail. It was build by the Bent Brothers, Charles and William and their partner Ceran St.Vrain right on the edge of the border between the Louisiana Purchase and Mexico. It was the first civilized stop for the traders on the Santa Fe Trail after they left Independence, MO after traveling 4 to 6 weeks over the plains. While the post had a fort designation it was not a military post. It's fort like structure was intended to provide sanctuary for the traveler. It sustained one Comanche raid but even then the structure itself was not directly attacked.  William Bent married a Cheyenne chiefs daughter which gave him a great business advantage with the Indian peoples. Charles and Ceran married into  influential Mexican families which permitted them to pretty much direct the trade in the Santa Fe corridor. The trading post operated up until around 1849, but the events of the Mexican War led to its decline. Charles Bent was killed in New Mexico, William and Ceran's partnership broke up and with the influx of the US army the normal trade patterns heretofore profitable were disrupted. In 1849 the fort burned and the speculation is that William set it off to either destroy the fort because the army wanted it but wouldn't pay him for it or that William set the fire as a means of stopping a cholera outbreak that was raging at the fort at that time.

We arrived at the fort just in time to join a tour given by a young woman employed by the park service. She was role playing a servant girl who had been captured by the Indians and then bought back by the Bent's. She explained the history of the fort as well as leading us through the trading post, the dining facilities, kitchen, game room and doctors quarters. It was an interesting tour. After the fort was burned in 1849 it was further destroyed by other settlers that took materials from the site for use elsewhere. The fort has been restored to its prior appearance based upon drawings and descriptions which have survived. One army engineer was left behind at the fort to recover from an illness while the rest of the army headed to Mexico. This officer  made drawings and measurements which were preserved in the Congressional Record. One other interesting story was the story of the cook. The cook was a black slave who was well regarded at the fort. She was permitted to attend the weekly dances and it was written that her dance card was always full. She and her husband were freed from slavery by William in 1847 and went back east.

After leaving this jewel of a site we headed off towards Dodge City in Kansas. Before reaching the town of Granada in Colorado we were looking for a place to have a picnic lunch. We saw a sign that read Camp Amache. We pulled down a dirt road to a driveway and a sign that explained what Camp Amache was. During WWII this camp housed Japanese detainees for the period 1942 to 1945. A sign detailing the diagram of the camp indicated that 7500 people were housed at this site. None of the buildings were standing while you could still make out remnants of foundations and concrete slabs from the floors of the buildings. It was an eerie and quiet place set in a semi desert environment with occasional cottonwood trees interspersed with prickly pear. After driving around the site we pulled over and had our lunch in the shade of a cottonwood tree.

We were following US 50 east which follows the Santa Fe Trail. The road is called the Santa Fe Scenic Byway. Believe me there is nothing too scenic about it. It should be labeled the Santa Fe Historic ByWay. The signs along the highway indicate whenever the highway is following the actual Santa Fe trail. At a few locations there are pullouts that allow you to see the evidence of wagon ruts left by countless wagons in the 1821 to 1880 time period the trail was in use. One thing you did get to see as you got into Kansas was the numerous feedlots that are used to fatten the beef before shipment to the market. Some of them are huge.

At Dodge City after checking into the motel we went to the Boot Hill Museum site for the chuck wagon style dinner and the Long Branch Saloon Revue. The dinner and show for the two of us was $31.00. The dinner was brisket of beef and it was all you can eat. On top of that the beef was excellent. Between the dinner and show there was a staged gunfight outside of the Long Branch. It was hokey but it was a fun evening.

Walking outside the hotel room this evening the wind was in the right direction. The evidence of the feedlots was in the air. 
     

Approach to Old Bents Fort on the Santa Fe Trail

Trading Room at Old Bent's Fort

The fort from the top gallery.

In 1846 across the Arkansas River it was Mexico

Wht is left of Camp Amache outside of Granada, CO

Wagon Ruts from between 1820 to 1880, Santa Fe Trail

Feedlot outside of Dodge City

At the Revue, Mom took this picture.

Day 54 August 14, 2002 Wednesday, Dodge City, KS to Salina, KS (miles driven 212)

We got out of Dodge with the intent of making the first stop Fort Larned, KN to see another Santa Fe Trail historical site. Along the route however we came upon a sign that read "Immaculate Heart of Mary Church" National Historic Site 7 miles. By now you realize my car automatically turns into historical sites even 7 miles from the main road. We got on a paved road that appeared to lead to nowhere. After about 4 miles and a turn you could see a church steeple from a very substantial church that was still 3 miles distant. However as flat as Kansas is in this area a person standing in the back yard holding a broom would be seen for at least a mile. We arrived to see a large brick structure in the middle of nowhere with a rectory on one side and a private house next door and a house across the street. Also across the street was a brick building that was shaped like and had a sign - gymnasium. Obviously at one time there was a school here too but there was no school building.

We tried the front door and to our amazement it was open. The church had beautiful stained glass windows and distinctive marble work on the altar. There were statues all over the church. You really wondered what a church such as this was doing in this lonely location with no town. A group of German settlers from Cincinnati acquired land in this area around 1876 with the expectation that the Santa Fe railroad would come thru and justify a town. They named the future town Windthorst, Kansas. Needless to say the railroad never came and no town developed. What did develop however was the church. The present structure was built starting in 1912 and dedicated in 1913.  The stained glass windows came from Munich, Germany. Another interesting feature is that the church was not stripped of its statuary and ornamentation as proscribed in Vatican II in 1963. It was decided to leave the high altar, canopy, side altars and statues. It was a beautiful site.

From this novel find we continued on towards Ft. Larned.  At Kinsley there was a sign - Kinsley - Midway America. The sign also indicated that San Francisco and NY were each 1561 driving miles away. At this location was a free museum which was excellent with many interesting displays. One of the displays was a sod house built in 1957 as a museum display. The museum attendant stated that at the time of the settlements in Kansas in this area there were no trees. Living quarters on the prairie were either dugouts in what hillsides there were or sod houses. After a barbecue sandwich lunch purchased from a local supermarket where the smoker was parked on the sidewalk, we again started for Fort Larned. This time we made it without interruption.

Fort Larned was built on its present site out of sod in 1860 to provide protection to the settlers and those traveling on the Santa Fe trail from Indian attacks which were becoming more prevalent. It was one of many forts built on the Santa Fe Trail. During the Civil War the regular army went east to the war and the fort was manned by local volunteers. In 1868 the sod structures were replaced by sandstone structures. In 1878 the fort was primarily abandoned with only a small guard force to protect the buildings. In 1883 the fort was sold at auction and turned into a ranch. It was later re-acquired as a National Historic Site and brought back to the 1868 status. Only one building - the blockhouse, has been completely rebuilt from scratch. All the other buildings are original to a large degree while additions made by the purchasers in 1883 were removed and the alterations restored to prior status.

It would have been nice to be in Fort Larned on a weekend when historic re-enactors are on site. As it was we could walk into the majority of the buildings and get an idea of what it was like in 1868. The blacksmith shop was open and the blacksmith was busy making some items for the gift shop. He indicated that everything in the blacksmith shop was original both inside and outside to the 1868 period. He did say that some of the roof trusses had been partially replaced due to maintenance needs. Fort Larned was a great stop. We noted at Bent's fort yesterday that the flag was flying at half mast - also at Ft. Larned. We inquired and learned it was to honor two park rangers killed on duty within the past week. One killed in a remote park known for drug activity and the other killed by a drunk driver while assisting another motorist.

From Fort Larned we decided to drive to Salina, KN which was about 75 miles away. Along the way we stopped at Pawnee Rock which is a rock structure on the Kansas Plain. Many of the emigrants and recent tourists had carved their names in this landmark. However after the railroad came thru the top 20 feet or so of the bluff was removed for building materials for the roadbed as well as buildings. There is a substantial stone platform which allows you to climb up to the elevation that had been there before the removal work. There was one more stop along the way. A 5 acre  state park about 3 miles off the road which is titled - Mushroom Rock. There is a mushroom shaped rock formation and that is it.

High Altar at IHM Church, Windthorst, Kansas

Front Altar at IHM Church, Windthorst, Kansas

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Windthorst, KN

Two dead grain silos along US56 before Kinsley, KN

We are halfway home according to this sign at Kinsley, KN

Parade ground at Ft. Larned, KN

Blacksmith in action at Ft. Larned, KN

Mushroom Rock Park, along K-140 before Salina

Day 55 August 15, 2002 Thursday, Salina, KS to Independence, MO (miles driven 214)

After driving downtown in Salina to the local Goodwill store to look for some tins we found the building but no store. We found the location from a local and all I can say is that when the Goodwill store leaves downtown to move across the road from a mall into a fancy location - then the downtown is doomed. We then set out for Abilene to visit the Dwight David Eisenhower library and museum. To me Ike was not the 34th president. For me Ike was my first president and a figure larger than life. When we arrived in the US in 1950, Truman was president so technically he was my first president but for me Ike was a hero from the war we went thru in Latvia and Germany, and his was the first presidential election I went thru - convention coverage and all.

The Eisenhower Library and Museum takes up a city block in the city of Abilene, Kansas. The boyhood home is in the original location and besides that there are separate buildings for the Museum, Library, Visitors center and the Place of Meditation, containing the final resting place of the President his wife and their first born son who died at the age of 4. All the buildings other than the home are out of native Kansas stone.

DDE's parents had seven boys one of whom died at an early age. The remaining 6 were raised in the small family home in Abilene. All of the boys went on to become very successful in their chosen careers. Ike was born in Dennison, Texas after a store venture in Kansas not too far from Abilene had failed for his father. The family moved back to Abilene and Ike's father took a job as a janitor and mechanic at a local creamery. According to the lady in the Chamber of Commerce visitors center the Eisenhower family home was on the wrong side of the tracks and according to the old timers in town it is still on the wrong side.  We were really amazed that the house at one time housed the parents and 6 boys and also the grandfather who moved in later.

We were given a short tour of the house by guides who had the story down pat. While we were in the kitchen area getting the story, we could hear the parlor story in the background being recited word for word as we had heard it a few minutes earlier. I think they could have given their stories without anybody being in the room to witness it.

From the house we went to the museum which charges a minimal $3.50 per, or $3.00 for over 62. The entire life span of DDE is covered in the museum. There were displays dealing with his early life in Abilene, his West Point period and his military career, the first Lady and the Presidency. The heaviest emphasis of the military years was of course Ike's participation in WWII as the Supreme Commander with great emphasis on the Normandy landings. There was also a display devoted to the Korean War. The presidential period display was closed due to renovations but according to the museum personnel, many of these items were scattered among the other displays. DDE as a very popular president the world over and received many ornate gifts from leaders around the world. There were jewel encrusted swords, diamond encrusted medals, fancy desks etc. A law has now been enacted which limits the value of gifts that a president can receive. 

The Place for Meditation is a chapel like building that houses the graves of the president and his wife and son. The sanctuary has stained glass windows and has a marble wall surrounding the graves with a excerpts of a few of Ike's speeches engraved in the marble.  Out of sight hidden by the marble wall were pew like seats for those wishing to meditate.

We lunched at the site provided picnic tables, walked over to the statue of Ike the soldier, strolled thru the small displays in the library building and found out that we had spent about 4.5 hours in the place. It was that interesting to us. After all that I can say that I still LIKE IKE. 

We then drove east through Topeka and wound up in Independence, MO. Tomorrow we will visit the Harry S. Truman home and library. Harry S. is one of Roses favorite historical individuals and he is also one of mine.

Eisenhower Family Home, Abilene, KS

Thats Ike's Cadillac Staff Car

In the Place of Meditation, Abilene, KS

The Place of Meditation, Eisenhower Complex, Abilene,KS

Day 56 August 16, 2002 Friday, Independence, MO (miles driven 13)

Today we went to see the Harry S. Truman home and also the HST museum and library. The HST home is run by the National Park Service and to get admittance to the home you have to go to the NPS visiting center and sign up for a tour. They take a maximum of 8 people per tour which are generally scheduled at 15 minute intervals. We had 45 minutes for our appointed time and spent this at the visitors center watching a short slide show about HST. At the visitors center they informed you that due to preservation issues no cameras were allowed in the house and due to 9/11 concerns there were no backpacks, purses or cellphones allowed to be brought in. I inquired about this and was advised that HST was the first to recognize Israel as a nation and because of this the NPS was taking the precautions.

 At the house we had to wait a few minutes and then we were led single file on to the back porch and into the kitchen. At the time that HST was president, an iron fence was placed around the house. Not so much for personal protection but for protection of the house. People were taking pieces of the house as souvenirs. The back porch had tall shrubbery growing around the screens. The Truman's appreciated their privacy and after retiring back to Independence in 1953, people would line up around the property to get a glimpse of the ex-president. We entered the kitchen and were surprised at the modesty of the house. The house was left as it was at the time of Bess Truman's death in 1982. The kitchen floor was linoleum and had signs of wear and patches. It was explained that the Truman's lived very frugally on about $5000 a year. At that time there was no pension for retired presidents. All the items in the house were original to the Truman's which kind of explains the need to control the  number of people in the house at the same time. The guide basically recited a prepared text for the tour and was very careful to always be in a position to keep all the visitors in sight. Margaret Truman is still living in NY and has rights to live in the house for one week a year. However she has never stayed overnight in the home after her mothers death. After JFK's assassination, ex-presidents were assigned secret service which HST at first refused. After his death, the Secret Service did watch over Bess. In reality the house belonged to HST's mother in law until after her death. Bess's mother had a strong dislike for Harry and they lived with her in her house. When she died she didn't leave the house to her daughter - Bess, but rather her two sons. Bess and Harry had to buy them out to get the house and also had to leave an interest in the house to the brothers. Upon Bess's death the house was willed to the National Archives and was then passed to the NPS for administration and protection. It is a beautiful house. One of the personal touches in the house was the hat and coat that was hanging by the back door. It was left there by Bess for Harry after his death. In the living room was a picture of Bess that HST removed from the White House. It was the official first lady portrait. When called to return the picture, HST told them they could come to Independence and have Bess pose for another portrait but the original was going to stay in the house. A new one was painted.

We then went to the museum and what a museum it was. At first we watched a film about HST's life from the farm up through the Presidential years. After this we joined a guided tour of the museum which lasted about an hour and a half and after that we walked through the exhibits again to get a better look at the items we brushed over in the tour. The exhibits dealt with all the important issues and periods that HST dealt with in his presidency - the end of WWII, the A-bomb, the Iron Curtain and the beginning of the cold war, the Berlin Air Lift, the Marshall plan for rebuilding Europe, McCarthyism, formation of NATO, labor unrest after the war, Korea, MacArthur's removal, the election of 1948 when Dewey beat Truman in the newspapers only, de-segregation in the Armed Forces, recognition of Israel. The exhibits were not all pro-Truman. Views of people that were not in agreement were presented for balance. After going thru the exhibits one could really understand why HST is still considered to be one of the top 5 presidents ever. One of the video displays showed every president after Truman except for DDE, quoting something that HST had said while in office. If DDE hadn't been immediate successor to HST, I am sure he would have quoted him too. There was a replica of the Oval Office as it looked while he was in office. Outside of this area was the sign "The Buck Stops here". We found out that the original of this sign had been seen by a friend of HST's in a prison warden's office. The friend had one made up at the prison and had it presented to HST.

Since HST was in Independence at the time that the museum/library was being established, he had a lot of input dealing with the presentation and content. He maintained an office in the complex which he went to at least 6 days a week up until 1965 and less frequently until 1969 when he started to fail. Lyndon Johnson was a frequent visitor here and has left many pictures of himself in Harry's office in the library. Whenever school groups came to the museum HST would frequently take over the guide function. Frequently HST would be the only person in the museum and would answer telephones. Imagine calling for some directions to the complex and getting the response "This is Harry Truman speaking". Harry had a special relation with his wife Bess. It was their custom to always write each other a letter on their wedding anniversary. Even if they were in the same house on that date, they would write a letter. There were many written by Harry on display at the museum. None of Bess's letters were on display as she had burned many and the 185 known to be in existence are held by Margaret the daughter. Harry and Bess are buried in the courtyard of the museum.

All I can say that the HST library and museum is a place not to be missed.

Outside the HST Museum

Thomas Hart Benton's mural inside lobby of HST museum

The Oval Office in Harry S. Trumans time

The guy who wrote this is still in the Senate but now a Republican

 

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