Weekly wrap Up 7/21/17 Herbert Hoover's home and museum

After visiting with family for several days we heard there was a Presidential home near by.  Herbert Hoover childhood home was about an hour away.  The kids needed a break from all the grown up talking and reminiscing so we headed out for the afternoon to visit another President home.  While I talked to the kids about this president it was mostly about the depression and his lack luster presidency.  We learned tons about this man and what he contributed before becoming President of the United States.  I sort of feel like I failed in delve further into his accomplishments with the children in our history lessons, but hopefully this trip filled in the many gaps:)  And I admit I have a greater respect for Herbert Hoover after this visit!

Herbert Hoover lived in this two room home for the first ten years of his life.  His father died when he was about six and his mother died about three years later.  After the death of both parents Herbert was separated from his brother and sister and sent to live with his Uncle in Oregon.  However Hoover always remember his childhood home and came back to visit regularly  

This is a very small home with the just the basics needs

the summer kitchen is at the back of the home.  During the winter months the stove is bought inside the home and use as a source of heat as there is no fireplace in the home.

under the back porch is a cellar door which was used for fruits and vegetables storage

outhouse as there is no running water in the home

His father owned and operated a black smith shop for many years.  Little Herbert remembers doing chores at his fathers shop

the property purchased for the hoover library and museum recreated the small town feel of the property by adding graveled roads and additional homes from that era.

A one room school house

inside the school room

Herbert Hoover's family were Quakers and on the property was a Quaker church  Women and men were sat separately and there are wooden window blinds that can be raised or lower during the prayer sessions as needed

outside the prayer rooms is the cry room for children 

Inside the cry room

While working to the museum and library we found an Isis statue which was present to Herbert Hoover by the Belgium government.  We were very confused by this gift at first but the museum does explain the reason for the gift 

While Herbert Hoover went to Stanford university.  At the age of 23 he read  an ad for a job in Australia, which advertised for a 30 yr old to help run a mining business.  Hoover bought a tweed suit, grew out his facial hair to pass as a 30 yr old and got the job.  He had great success finding gold in Australia and won the respect of the men who work in the mines.

His next job was in China and he arrived approximately 6 months before the Boxer rebellion.  He and his wife had to man cannons and he said he was so happy to hear the music of the arriving Americans to rescue the Westerners in the province.

After World War I Herbert hoover gave up his mining jobs and entered in to the political field for the first time.  he organize food relief for Europe, particularly Belgium, hence the statue found on the grounds.  After WWWII he again organized food relief and had great success.  

the China used at the White house during his Presidency 

Some of his wife's clothing of the time period

recreated living room in one of his other homes

death mask--the dark lines are shadows from the case

Herber Hoover and his wife are buried on these grounds as he always considered Iowa his home and where his roots laid 

My kids and I discussed after visiting why we thought Hoover did not have much success during the depression considering he had great success helping Europe after both World Wars.  We figured it had a lot to do with Congress and the way the government in the US functioned at the time.  But we are going to investigate this further and see if we can better understand the juxapostion of the man and his success and failures.