Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, Hannibal, Mo., May 18, 2013

After leaving the Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri I decided to skip, for now, my visit to the St. Louis, Missouri area and instead go on to Hannibal, Missouri to see the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum.  Just a few miles out of Independence I came upon a traffic jam. Traffic standing still. After a few minutes the traffic started inching forward. About the same time I could hear numerous sirens and see flashing police and emergency vehicle lights coming up behind me.This stretch of interstate is 3 lanes wide and all 3 lanes were standing still. Some of the emergency vehicles managed to get by on the shoulder only to be blocked by cars that had pulled over to make way for these emergency vehicles. It was quiet a mess. About 3 miles up the road there was a very bad accident involving a couple of cars and a couple of semi trailers. The cars were in the left lane and the trucks were on the right lane and shoulder.  Finally, the police got one lane marked with cones so one lane of traffic could weave through the accident area. The oncoming traffic was partially blocked by emergency vehicles which had arrived at the scene from the other direction so there was a major traffic jam on that side as well. I lost tract of how long I was delayed in this jam but it was considerable.

Accident Traffic Jam

Traffic Trying To Work Itself Through Accident Scene

The route I took to get to Hannibal took me north from Kansas City then east across northern Missouri. I finally stopped for the night at Acron /Cameron Missouri at a Best Western Motel.  After unloading the car and getting settled in the room I found right next to the motel a Long John Silver's food place and bought my supper. Great food but I continue to be amazed that all of this franchise locations have a common problem and that is running out of food or soft drinks. In this case they had run out of ice. OK I had ice in the cooler. Morning arrived with a beautiful sunrise and a great hot breakfast at the Best Western then on the road again. The drive to Hannibal was beautiful. Little traffic and some of the most beautiful farm land I have ever seen. Hugh field being readied for corn or soybeans. Like I said I have never seen this portion of Missouri.

Hannibal, Missouri With Mississippi River And State Of  Illinois On Right

Hannibal, Missouri is a quaint little town along the Mississippi River and has a population of about 18,000 in 2010. Hannibal is located in northeast Missouri about 100 miles north of St Louis, 200 miles east of Kansas City and 300 miles southwest of Chicago. The site of Hannibal was previously occupied by early settlers and Native American tribes and its origin goes back to Spanish land grants. Hannibal grew from 30 in 1830 to over 2,000 by 1830. This growth was spurred by access to the Mississippi river and railroad transportation. Hannibal was a marketing center for livestock and grain and other local commodities such as shoes and cement. In fact cement for the Empire State Building and the Panama Canal was made by the Atlas Portland Cement Company nearby. Hannibal has been the birth place of many notable personages and featured or mentioned in song and story. But, of course Hannibal is best known as the  boyhood home of author Mark Twain ( Samuel Langhorne Clemens ) and as the setting of his The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and many sites depicted in his writings. As you would expect the area and businesses capitalize on these famous names that are in his famous books.

The main attraction of course is the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum which goes by the name of the Mark Twain Museum Properties. These properties include the Interpretive Center where you buy your ticket, the Tom & Huck Statue at Cardiff Hill, Huckleberry Finn House, Mark Twain Boyhood Home, Becky Thatcher House, J. M. Clemens - Justice of Peace Office, Grant's Drug Store and the Museum Gallery.

Entrance To Area And The Famous White Fence That Was 

Painted Or Was Suppose To Paint By Tom Sawyer

Samuel  L. Clemens parents Jane and John Marshall Clemens moved from town to town as their family grew and their resources declined. They were proud of their family history of land owners in Virginia. Jane and John were married in 1823. They traveled to Kentucky, Tennessee and then to Missouri from town to town taking the six slaves they had inherited with them. John failed as a farmer, lawyer and store owner. With each move the family grew poorer. The house hold grew larger with the birth of the children but also shrank as they sold all but one of the slaves. In Florida, Missouri John was elected to the court and he took the name of judge. The little black house in the upper right is suppose to be the house where Sam was born.

The white house on the left is boyhood home of Samuel Clemens. I am not sure what the building on he right is. In the lower portion of the photograph you can see how busy the dock area was with steamers anchored to discharge or receive materials for shipment. The family consisted of Mother Jane, Father John and children, (  Orion, Parnela, Samuel and Henry ), and the female slave Jerunle ?.  The family was no more successful in Hannibal than they had been in other places and finally had to sell the remaining slave to payoff debts.

Slavery in all its grotesqueness was common to Sam as he grew up and he did not see it as wrong until later in life. It was common place and his mother had lived with it for 60 years. She was a kind and compassionate person who had never heard slavery assailed in a church sermon but heard it defended and sanctioned in a thousand sermons and like most people she did not see it as wrong. Slaves were a source of virtually free labor and a source of income as Sam saw for his family as they often rented slaves from owners  and eventually sold their own slaves to pay off debts.

Sam Clemens grew up in a small village of about 1,000 when he moved there with his family in 1939. This was up from 30 in 1930 when about 90% of Americans lived in small villages and in the country.Sam had a lot of fun as he grew up with plenty of his school mates although their rough and tumble antics often ended badly. The financial difficulty of the family did not bother Sam as he played with his friends. I suppose like most kids his age he had no real understanding of what the family was going through financially. In  1870 Sam recalled that in general he was a unadventurous boy but once he jumped off the top of a two story stable and another time he gave a plug of tobacco to an elephant and retired without waiting for an answer. I am not sure what he meant by this unless he is saying he left without waiting for the elephant to say thank you or how the elephant might react to the tobacco. 

In his Autobiography Sam indicated his school days started when he was 4 1/2 years old. There were no public schools in Missouri but there were two private schools costing twenty five cents per pupil to be collected if you can. Mrs. Horr was the teacher and the classes were held in a small log house at the southern end of Main Street. Mr. Sam Cross taught the larger children in a frame house on the hill. In school, Sam recalled, they were taught about envy and the passion of envy had no place in their hearts, except in the case of Arch Fuqua. They all went barefoot in the summertime and Arch was about his age that being 10 or 11 years old.  Sam indicated Arch " was our envy " because he could double back his big toe and let it fly and you could hear it snap 30 yards away.

You will recall that Sam's family moved from Florida, Missouri to Hannibal when he was four years old but they often went back to visit his mother's sister Martha and her husband John Quarles. In his Autobiography Sam indicated that his Uncle John's farm was a heavenly place to visit and his life there during these visits with his cousins was full of " charm ". He loved the fall leaves and how they would " plow " through them. He especially recalled the " coon and possum " hunts with the Negroes and the long marches through the black gloomy woods. Then the excitement of hearing a distant baying of the dog announcing that the game had been treed. He indicated he remembered the excitement every one got out of it " except the coon ".

As previously noted Hannibal was and is a river community and the river is of major importance from the point of danger of flooding to a major source  of industry to daily living especially for youngsters like Sam and his buddies. They had but one ambition  and that was to be a steamboat man. Sam said that now and then they had the hope that if they lived and were good God would permit them to be pirates.

In 1847 when Sam was 11 years old his father, John Clemens died. His father was 49 years old at death. After his fathers death the family moved back into the Hill Street house. His mother took in boarders to make ends meet. All the children contributed as they were able to help the family. His mother permitted him to leave home and work as an printer's apprentice . He lived with and ate with the printer and this lessened  his mother's family expenses. Orion his oldest brother lived and worked in St Louis as a printer and earned a wages and he helped his  mother and younger brother Henry who was 2 yeas younger than Sam. His sister Pamela taught piano lesson to help support the family. Sam in his Autobiography said they got by but " it was pretty rough sledding ". Orion did not move to Hannibal until 2 years after the fathers death.

Samuel Clemens has started in the " word " business. He left school school upon his father's death and at the age of 18 became an apprentice in the Hannibal Courier. He was apprenticed to Mr. Joseph Ament a printer and newspaper publisher.

Sam learns a style of writing.

Sam's older brother Orion moves to Hannibal and buys a newspaper and hires Sam but never pays him.

Old Printing Press

Proposed Sculpture Honoring Twain's 100th Anniversary In 1935. It was never built.

Samuel Clemens Leaves Hannibal

Injun Joe From The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

Direction Sign

Plaque About The Huckleberry Finn House

Tom Blankenship ( Huckleberry Finn ) House

Identifying Huck Finn's House

Layout Of Hannibal One Year After Sam ( Mark Twain ) Left Hannibal

All About Household Furnishings In Huckleberry's Home

Table & Utensil In Huck's House

Fireplace And Cooking Utensils In Huck's House

Real Life Tom Blankenship is believed to have been the person who Sam ( Mark Twain " used as the character he developed as Huckleberry Finn.

Tom Blankenship's Older Brother

Tom Blankenship As Portrayed in Huckleberry Finn

Identifies That Huckleberry Finn Was Tom Blankenship

Tom Blankenship Is Huck Finn

Tom Blankenship Identified As A " Bad Boy "

Sam Often Skips School

Household Furnishings Of The Blankenship Home

The Next Several Photographs Are Of Sam Clemens ( Mark Twain's ) Home. Several Will Have A Comment By Clemens. I lost Count Of How Many Of These Life Size Statues There Were.

Sam's Desk

Portrait Of Samuel Clemens

Information About he Dining Room

Dining Area

Mark Twain's Notebook 

Kitchen Area. Slaves Slept On The Floor On A Rug And Cloths Piled Up. They Slept By The Fire For Warmth But More Importantly To Keep The Fire Burning.

Mark Twain At Table

Bed Room. Note The Depiction Of A Boy Slipping Out The Window

Bed Room With Sam Clemens Looking Out A Window. Notice The Bed Room Has A Stove And Wash Basin

Comments About A Person - Nothing Can Ever Remove It

Comments From Life On The Mississippi

The next few photographs tell about slavery in the Clemens Household. I trust you will be able to read them but if not let me know and I will do them so they are legible.

In looking at the above photographs I see I did not line them up very well when I took the photographs. Perhaps that shows how tired I was getting and had a lot more to go but I hope you can get the general drift of what is being said.

Sam Clemens  Father's Law Office. Notice What Young Sam Saw

Mark Twain's Father's Law Office

Young Sam Spends Night In His Father's Office

Now You Can Read It

This Is What Young Sam Saw As The Moon Lit Up The Room

Becky Thadchers Home  Not Open For Viewing

Mark Twain Museum

Outline Of The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Story

Sam's Trip Out West On Stage Coach With His Brother Orion

J & B Overland Express Stage Coach 
Model Of Cincinnati & Louisville Mail Line Steam Boat. It Was The Dream Of Sam And All Of His Boyhood Friends To Work On A Steamboat And Especially To Captain One Of These Marvelous Ships.

Information About The Steamboat New Orleans Below

Model Of Steamboat New Orleans

The following several photographs are of a short story Eve's Diary  which many think was a tribute to Sam's wife ( Olivia ) a year after she died. Later editions have the illustrations as shown here.

One of the outstanding features of the Mark Twain Museum is the art work. Here are numerous Norman Rockwell painting on display including 10 or 11 originals which were used to illustrate the 1940 editions of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn . They are roped off so that you have to view them from a distance.

There are a few caves in this area of Missouri and if you read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn stories you know that caves play a major role in these stories. These caves are in limestone and many cover large areas and distances.

This Cave Known As Tom Sawyer Cave Or Mark Twain Cave.

This cave was discovered in the winter of 1819 - 1020 by Jack Simms and his dog while on a hunting trip. His dog chased a panther into a small opening in the hill. It was late in the day so he blocked the opening and came back the next day with his brother and torches. They were awestruck by what they found and saw inside. This cave was written about in 5 of the Mark Twain books. It is Missouri oldest showcase.

Cameron Cave ( Cameron Cave ) was discovered on a cold wintry day in 1925 by Arch Cameron whose family opened the Mark Twain Cave. He saw steam coming from the ground while he was caring for his cattle. He looked closer and saw a sink hole and he started digging into the hot ledge. He found a very large room and after exploration found that the cave was much larger and complex than the labyrinth of the Mark Twain Cave.

Statue Of Tom Sawyer And Huckleberry Finn 

Statue Of Tom Sawyer And Huckleberry Finn 

Hannibal, Missouri is a nice community and its main attraction is Sam Clemens and his creations of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I think I said earlier that these 3 names appear all over the place. Names of roads, stores and businesses, lakes, boats to take a ride on he Mississippi and on and on. There is much construction in the main downtown area to fix the streets and side walks and parking lots which are in need or repair.

My Time In Hannibal Was Near An  End And I Was Hot And Needed To Sit Down And Rest. What Better Place To Do That Than In An Old Fashioned Drug Store With An Old Fashioned Soda Fountain. I Had Some Vanilla Ice Cream Which Sure Hit The Spot. Displayed On The Counter Was Old Time Chewing Gum, Candy And  Trinkets. You Can See Some Old Fashioned Scales And Product Signs. The Place May Have appeared To Be Old Fashioned But There Was Nothing Old Fashioned about The Prices But The Ice Cream Was Worth It And Perked Me Up To Go On A  Few More Hours.

Next to see was Lovers Leap which is the highest point around Hannibal, Missouri.

Plaque Tells The Story Of Lovers Leap

Indian Brave And Indian Princess

Lovers Leap From Which Indian Lovers Leaped In Legendary Story. This Is The Mississippi River.

Hannibal, Missouri  And  Mississippi River As Seen From Lovers Leap . State Of Illinois Is to The Right.

Bridge Over Mississippi River Connecting Hannibal, Missouri And Illinois.

Well my time in Hannibal, Missouri is up and I will head on to my next stop which is the Ulysses S. Grant Historical Site at 500 Bout Hiller Street, Galena, Illinois. This was a most enjoyable stop here in Hannibal. 

I have had a wonderful day. Beautiful weather as I drove from Acorn, ( Cameron ) Mo. to Hannibal, Mo. and toured all the Mark Twain places. Then drove to Galena, IL. where I will see a lot of stuff about President Grant. I am in a Best Western Queen Suite with a big hot tub sitting right next to the bed. They only had two rooms left. Met a retired couple who has a 2011 Hyundai Sonata hybrid light blue just like mine. This is the only hybrid I have seen since I got mine. They love theirs. 

As I always say remember God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, Independence, Missouri, May 17, 2013

After finding the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee Mission, Kansas where my daughters Patricia and Jamie attended and graduated I continued on through Kansas City, Missouri to Independence, Missouri to tour the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum.  Mr. Truman was our nations 33rd President.

Main Entrance To The Harry S. Truman Museum And Library

The Truman Museum and Library was dedicated in July 1957 and covers his life from a humble beginning to become the most powerful leader in the world. As is the case with most leaders of our country who have lived a long life and served many years in service to our nation there is much information of interest. So if you are looking for a detailed expose on Mr. Truman life you will be disappointed  because I am not capable of that and I would point you to an excellent book about Mr. Truman's life by David McCullough " TRUMAN ". Here at the Museum and Library you can follow Mr. Truman as he tried working at many kinds of work including service in the military during World War I and eventually getting into politics and serving at several levels which I will briefly touch upon later. As President he guided the U. S. and the world through perilous times which includes the ending of World War II, dropping of the atomic bomb, the formation of the United Nations, NATO, and the Marshal Plan, the successful operation of the Berlin Airlift, and the beginning of the Cold War. I found it impressive that much of this story is told through the medium of copies of news papers which reported these events and are shown later in this posting.

As you enter the facility you get your ticket and materials to help you find your way around. In the main lobby you see the massive mural by Thomas Hart Benton " Independence and the Opening of the West. Off the lobby is the State of Missouri Auditorium which features the film Harry S. Truman : 1884 - 1972  by Academy Award-winning director Charles Guggenheim. Also off the lobby is the White House Gallery where you read about and see a typical day of the president. Finally off the main lobby is the oval office replica decorated exactly as it was in 1950. On the main level there are 12 different attractions and on the lower level there are 5 attractions. In the court yard is the Grave site and President Truman's Office.

Replica Of  The Oval Office In 1950. This is where Truman said " The Buck Stops Here ".

Left Side Of Replica Of Oval Office As It Was I 1950

Hidden Door To President's Secretary Office. Do You See It?

Favorite Portrait Position Of Photographs With Special Visitors

President Truman Holds News Conference In Oval Office

President Signing Important Piece Of Legislation In Oval Office

Concerning his ancestors grandparents Harry said they were a mix of everything. His family was of English, Scott-Irish, French and German. His grandparents come to Missouri from Shelby County, Kentucky. They left a legacy of independence and hard work. Harry said his grandfather could do anything he set his mind to and mostly he did. Above you see a little book " They Could Only Kick The Dog ". He loved to read. His first memory is that of chasing a frog around the back yard in Cass County, Missouri. His grandmother would watch this performance and thought it very funny that a 2 year old boy could/would do this.

Books were Harry's window to the world. His mother and teachers instilled in him an early passion for learning. Reading was a safe way to have adventures without breaking his glasses which were an expensive item for a family of modest means . While other children around Harry generally dropped out of school after completing the seventh grade Harry went on the graduate from high school. Throughout Harry's life he was fascinated with history.

Picture above in the center is A. J. Clinton's Drug Store on Independence Square where Harry as a fourteen year worked. He said he could remember the first $5.00 he received for working there a week. His week was 7 days, all day Saturday and Sunday, and every day during school from seven o'clock until school time and from four o'clock after school until six at night. He had to wipe the bottles clean, and mop the floor every morning. He worked the soda fountain. He thought the $5.00 he received was the best payday he ever received. He bought a present for his mother and tried to give the rest to his father for rent but his father would not take it.

Harry had a love for music from an early age and his mother encouraged him in both areas.. He was a serious student of the piano and practiced before school with the self-discipline which was typical of young Harry on his family upright Kimball. By the age of 14 he had read every book in the Independence library. He was thrilled when his music teacher arranged for him to meet the great concert pianist Ignace Paderewski. Harry worked as a usher at Kansas City theaters to gain free access to performances, including one that was to have special meaning in his life, the musical comedy, " The Girl from Utah ". See the poster in the upper right of the photograph above. I will have more to say about this later.

 He had dreamed of going to college and becoming a concert pianist but at the age of 17 he had to start working full time. In 1901 his father dashed his dreams of college by losing the family savings in  risky investments. He held several jobs including a good job as a bank clerk in Kansas City, Missouri. He went to concerts and joined the National Guard. A clothing business he had went bankrupt. After working several years in Kansas City Harry at the age of 22 found that his life changed again when his father summoned him  back to the farm in Grand View to help his family.  As it turned out the farm taught him many important lessons as he grew into manhood. He developed habits of  hard work and careful planning. He learned to value common sense and the common man. Most of the time he spent a great deal of time thinking about his place in the world. Pictured above is a riding plow which Harry would have used and it permitted the farmer to plow a lot more acreage each day when compared to using an older version of the plow which you had to walk behind and work hard keeping it plowing a straight furrow Riding this plow also permitted Harry a lot of time to think about the world and his future. I personally recall as a child growing up on the farm myself and seeing Dad using both of these type plows before he got his first tractor. The title of the above photograph is " Plowing a Straight Furrow " and you might wonder what difference does it make if the furrow is straight or crooked?  The difference is a matter of pride in doing a good job. 

Working on the family farm Harry helped manage the 600 acre  farm as he worked with animals and learned how to rotate crops. He struggle to manage the farm hands who were more likely to listen to his father than him. Farming taught him one very important lesson namely, that hard work alone does not guarantee success. Working on the family farm was a rough time for not only him but his family. Times were tough. The house had no electricity or indoor plumbing. The backbreaking labor began at 5 A. M.  and lasted 12 to 14 hours.  Harry had another matter on his mind and that was a young lady named Bess Wallace. In one of is letters he wrote to Bess he related that there is always something the matter with a crop. It's either too dry or too wet or too short or too long or too much or not enough. He wrote that " if " is the largest word in a farmers language. Harry's father died in 1914, and full responsibility of the farm fell upon Harry who was now 30 years old. Harry accepted the challenge, and it taught him what became his best-known quality- common sense. His mother Martha once said that it was on the farm he got his common sense. He did not get it in town. The farm was 10 miles from Bess' home and it was a rough time trying to get to her house and to top it off she was not interested in marrying a farmer. To get to her home he had to take a train and a street car. In 1913 Harry bought a used Stafford open touring car which made the trip to Bess' home easier.

Concerning Harry's courtship of Bess it went back a long ways. as you recall Harry was born in Lamar, Missouri and his family moved to Independence, Missouri when he was six years old. That year Harry met five-year old Bess Wallace, daughter of a prominent family. All his school years Harry adored Bess, the beautiful young lady with blue eyes and golden hair, a popular girl and an accomplished athlete. The frail looking boy with the thick glasses did not appeal to Bess. It took years for Harry to overcome his shyness and strike up a true friendship with her. But Harry as he did all his life relied on his determination and patience to follow every avenue to pursue Bess. In 1910 Harry and Bess crossed paths again. While visiting his aunt and uncle, the Noland's in Independence Harry volunteered to return a plate dish to a neighbor, Mrs. Madge Wallace. Bess greeted him at the door, and their courtship began. He wrote letters to her from Grandview and in 1911 he proposed marriage. She turned him down.

By 1917, 33 year old Truman was in the midst of World War I as a Captain in the U. S. Army. He inspired his troops by his persistence, courage and determination in France and lost none of his troops. There were periods prior to the war that Harry felt that he was a failure but after the war he finally felt successful. In more ways than one he finally persuaded Bess to marry him and they married June 28, 1919. Following the war he operated a thriving store but had to close it because of the post war depression. Harry is not out of work and looking for work. On February 17, 1924 daughter Margaret was born.

With all this said you wonder how did he get into politics. What motivated him? Determined to succeed at something he entered politics, eventually becoming a U. S. senator and at the age of 60 he was suddenly President of the United States. Who was this common man suddenly thrust into an uncommon position of responsibility. In 1900  Truman got his first taste of politics when his father took him to the Democratic National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Truman loved the excitement of the nominations and the promises of better times in the new century. But as we saw previously better times did not include young Truman at this time. As I said earlier Truman was out of work and looking for a job. His next job, politics turned into a lifelong career. The Kansas City Political " Boss " Tom Pendergast,  whose nephew knew Harry from Army days, backed Truman's run for eastern district judge ( administrative position ) of Jackson County Missouri. Truman campaigned hard and won and he loved the job. He served 2 four year terms. His reputation for integrity and hard work impressed the voters and they eventually elected him to a U. S. senate seat in 1934.  During 1938 - 1941 he served a second term as senator. In  1944 Truman was elected as vice president of Franklin D. Roosevelt as Roosevelt was elected to his fourth term a president. On April 12, 1945 Harry S. Truman became the 33rd president of the U. S. States  upon the sudden death of Roosevelt.

A few of his major achievements are :

   a. May 8 1945 -Announces the end of the war in Europe.

   b. 1945 Attends the Potsdam, Germany conference with Joseph Stalin,and Winston Churchill

   c. 1945 Authorizes the use of the atomic bomb

   d. Aug 14, 1945 Announces the surrender of Japan.

   e. 1947 Issues the Truman Doctrine.

   f.  1947 Signs the National Security Act which established the Central Intelligence Agency.

   g. 1947 His mother dies.

   h. 1948 Desegregates the armed forces.

   i. 1948 Orders the air lift against the Soviet Union's blockade of Berlin.

   j. May 14, 1948 Truman was the first world leader to recognize the new state of Israel.

   k. 1948 Elected to second term as President of the U. S. States. 

   l. 1950 Orders U. S. Troops to join South Korean troops in fight against invading North Korean             Communist.

   m. Proclaims state of emergency when China aids North Korea. 

   n. 1951 - His popularity drops as U. S. efforts in the Korean War grows.

  o. 1951 - He fires Far East commander General Douglas MacArthur for criticizing his foreign policies.

   p. 1953 - 1957 The Korean War ends. He retires to Independence, Missouri. He dedicates the Harry S. Truman Library.

   q. December 26, 1972 Truman dies at the age of 88 and is buried at the Harry S. Truman Library.

   r. October 18, 1982 Bess Truman dies at the age of 97 and is buried  is buried next to Harry  

Harry S. Truman served as an artillery officer during the First World War. His unit was equipped with 

      French 75 mm field guns identical to the one shown here.

Description Of Gun Truman's Unit Used

President's Personal Car

 Mrs. Truman's Personal Car

Description Of  Harry And Bess Truman Personal Cars

Truman's Official Car

Tools of the trade for reporters and columnist who Truman waged a private war with during his presidency He felt they were Republicans who provided a hostile and blurred view of his administration. He was known to call his press critics as " gutter snipes ", character assassins, and their news papers " lie outlets '. In particular he bristled at criticism of Margaret's singing talents.

Truman Saw Great Strides In Transportation During His Life

Early Buggy

Presidential Yacht USS Williamsburg

Little White House In Key West Florida

I said earlier that much of the story about Truman's years as president was told as front page of the newspaper. Following are photos of key news paper articles so you can read the headlines.

Truman's Office At The Truman Library & Museum

Statue of President Truman Looking Out Into Garden Area Of Library And Museum

Graves Of President Truman And Bess Truman

Grave Of Bess Wallace Truman

Grave Of Harry S. Truman

Grave Of Margaret Truman Daniel And Her Husband E. Clifton Daniel, Jr. Buried At The Truman Presidential Library And Museum 

Memorial For Members Of Armed Forces Serving In Hawaii During 

Attack By The Japanese Dec. 7, 1942

Thus concludes my comments on my tour of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. I enjoyed my time in the museum. I think in part because I was a product of this time in history and so much of what was happening made a big impact on me and my family. If you are in the Kansas City, Missouri area I strongly recommend you take a day and see this facility. I had planned to go from Independence to St Louis to see the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site  but I changed my plans because of the massive storms in Oklahoma. I headed north and then east toward Hannibal Missouri. and spent the night in Acron, Missouri.

My next posting will be about Mark Twain's boyhood Home and Museum as I keep an eye on the road and on weather channel to try and figure where all the tornado's are going. Remember what I always say " God Loves you and so do I. "

Grandpa Bill

              Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.

Deut. 6:5