I woke to find Charlotte asleep in the crook of my arm and Savannah at my feet. I could tell by the amount of light, we had slept late as planned. While Jim took the girls out for a walk and potty, I made some much needed coffee. We relaxed and took our time having some breakfast. It felt so good to be able to sleep in and then take our time moving into the day.
The plan for the day was to go to the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and then to explore West Branch. The site is not very far away so we loaded up and headed out. I have to admit, I knew very little about our 31st President beyond his name and that he was President when the Crash and Great Depression occurred. We began with the Visitor’s Center where we watched a short film about the early years of Hoover. One surprising thing we learned was that he and his family were Quakers, correctly named Religious Society of Friends or often just Friends. It is more a way of life than a religion. Quakers seek to experience God directly, within themselves and in their relationships with others and the world around them. They live following five beliefs: integrity, equality, simplicity, community, stewardship of the Earth, and peace. As a young boy, Herbert grew up with parents who taught him the Quaker ways and it molded him into the man he became.
The site has the house that Herbert spent his early years in along with his two siblings. It is actually a tiny two room structure; small quarters for a family of five. Herbert’s Father was a blacksmith and had his own business. He was a visionary too. He saw that things were changing and the future would soon look very differently. He sold the business and started another one selling farm equipment. Alas, he died when Herbert was quite young. His Mother, Hulda then took on the responsibility of raising three children by herself. She was well educated and had been a teacher before getting married. She was an active speaker in the Quaker community and often traveled to speak. Unfortunately, she caught a cold that turned into pneumonia and caused her death. The children were then separated and went to live with relatives.There is much more to the story but the end result was Herbert went to Stanford and received a degree in geology. That degree served him well. He worked in the California gold mines and later worked as a mining engineer in Australia. He also worked for China and survived the Boxer Rebellion, the uprising of Chinese nationalists. His career took him around the globe and gave him great wealth as well.
What impresses me most about Hoover is how he embraced the Quaker tradition of kindness and generosity toward others. Hoover embarked on a lifetime of public service. His humanitarian work is quite impressive. He helped feed Europeans after WWI sending wheat and oats and other grains. After the war, he received hundreds of sacks beautifully embroidered sent to Hoover in thanks. He had a particular interest in children. He was active in the Boys Clubs of America, a driver in the creation of CARE and UNICEF and generally an advocate for children around the world. Oh yes, he was elected President in 1929. That was the year of the stock market crash and subsequent depression. Not surprising, he was blamed for the Great Depression and subsequently failed to win a second term.
There is so much more to his life, but there are lots of books about him that are far more eloquent than I could write. We enjoyed walking the site and seeing how folks lived. The meeting building where the Quaker met was interesting. The large building is partitioned so women and men did not sit together. It was not church as we would define it. People gathered and sat in silent reflection for hours. Anyone who had an insight or a spiritual message could stand and speak. Imagine how difficult that must have been for a young boy to sit that long.
All in all, our visit was very interesting and well worth the visit. Back at camp, we made some preparations for leaving the next morning and then it was lights out. Tomorrow will be a busy day driving to our next destination.
The bedroom where the three children slept.
Toys in the main room that served as the bedroom for the parents as well. In the winter, a pot bellied stove was moved into the house. Gives crowded and whole new meaning.
Inside the blacksmith shop one of the Park Rangers demonstrated how implements were made using authentic tools from the period. She was very knowledgeable.
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