Strangely, as I just looked up, only 3 Presidents have died since my birth in September of 1973. I didn’t get to formally meet any of them or the 4 that are still alive. I may have seen Reagan’s plane land at Elemendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska when I was a kid – but I don’t remember real well. I did get to see George H.W. Bush speak in New Hampshire in the 1980’s with Admiral Brent Scowcroft at his side and I got to see his son drive by me in Nashville in 2002 when he visited. Somehow, I just haven’t been able to sit down and have lunch with any of them yet. But I’ve taken little steps to get to know many of them a little bit better.
Today, I had opportunity today to be in Eureka, IL. It was out of the way, really, but I went there to see Eureka College. It was too dark to really view anything, nevertheless we did drive around the campus with a small sense of wonder. It’s such a small town – about the halfway point between Bloomington and Peoria. It didn’t make or break my day, but it was another chance to gain some insight into one of our Presidents. Ronald Reagan went to college there. Some of his policies – some of his decisions – some of his indecisions – they may have been founded in things he learned in Eureka. I guess it just made me stop and think a bit about the grandeur of our system. Kinda like Horton says, ‘every person’s a president , no matter how small.’
Why I decided to write about this topic today is not immediately clear – but it did remind me of all the opportunities I’ve had to interact with our presidents. I’m not just talking about going to D.C. to the see the Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson Memorials. Though I’ve done that, and have found it quite enjoyable, I’m talking about seeing a part of their lives.
My favorite memorial experience is Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, IL. I think I like it because it’s so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. It’s almost like going to the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. I took my dad there once, forgot that I’d taken him there and took him again a few years later. Oh well, its worth seeing the life story of him that is told on the walls of that memorial. Compared to The Hermitage in Nashville, TN where Andrew Jackson is buried, Lincoln’s Tomb is a Palace. Andrew Jackson’s burial spot is a small spot in the garden behind his house, next to his wife. It’s the most intimate I’ve been to - and the most informative. Visiting The Hermitage is really like a class field trip though, complete with a walking tour of the grounds and audio history. It’s pretty neat – if you like History.
Another great history stop is the Rutherford B. Hayes house in Fremont, Ohio. I’ve actually been there twice as well, and both at Christmas time. They decorate the place in the Victorian Style for Christmas. It’s very beautiful inside the house. The last time I went there was with my Grandpa Smith back in the early 90’s. He enjoyed the history lessons that were more about the life and times when Hayes lived there, and less about Hayes himself. Here’s a small tidbit -In the dining room of the house, near the feet of the person that sat at the head of the table is a button in the floor. (that’s a lot of prepositions) The button in the floor, when pressed, alerted the kitchen staff that attention was needed. Thus when the button was pressed by the Head of the table, a ’servant’ was immediately there to assist. Cool stuff. Great tour.
Driving through Reagan’s college campus pales in comparison to the others, but it’s still a piece of the puzzle. In Omaha, Nebraska, there is a small pavillion celebrating the birthplace of President Ford. It’s very small indeed. And in NH, I had opportunity to visit the grave site of Franklin Pierce – that’s in Franconia Notch I believe – again a small memorial. While he wasn’t President, I once took a picture of Vice President Adlai Stevenson’s grave site in Bloomington, IL. I don’t remember ever getting that picture developed though. Perhaps my camera forgot about him as has much of our citizenry. Finally a couple summers ago, when in D.C. I got a chance to see Taft’s gravesite and the eternal flame for JFK at Arlington Memorial Cemetery. I must say that the eternal flame is pretty cool, and I found Taft’s gravesite to be much smaller than I thought it would be for a man his size. But I would temper that with this – if you only have a short time in Arlington National Cemetery – pay your respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the men guarding it. I’m sure Taft and Kennedy won’t mind your absence.
If you’ve got kids – skip this stuff. It’ll mean nothing and they will likely forget. But if you get a chance to get away and see something with substance, find out if there’s a piece of U.S. History near you and go see it. What happened earlier this month in our National Election wasn’t new. Sure, we elected the first black person to the Highest Office. But Ronald Reagan was the first president to attend Eureka College. Gerald Ford was the first president born in Omaha. And Andrew Jackson was the first president to adopt an Indian son named Lincoya. Every president is a first, but like you and I they’re all born just plain, old American.
Dan – Clippershiptravel.com