History Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

1 history

1.1 birthplace , childhood home
1.2 hoover career , presidency
1.3 gravesite

history
birthplace , childhood home

herbert clark hoover spent first eleven years of life in west branch, iowa, small farming community population around 500. birthplace cottage built in spring of 1871 @ corner of penn , downey streets. two-room cottage, built recent settlers jesse clark hoover , wife hulda, 14 20 feet (4.3 m × 6.1 m) , had 2 rooms. jesse , hulda both quakers. jesse blacksmith, , opened shop shortly after settling. cottage built on stone foundation , built board , batten timber. timber cut in sawmill in muscatine.

herbert hoover in 1877

on august 10, 1874, herbert (known in childhood bert or bertie ) born second child jesse , hulda. jesse s blacksmith had grown successful, , in 1878, jesse hoover sold practice open farm implement store on corner of main , downey streets. in march 1879, family moved house of maples, two-story frame house. hoover may have attended classes @ 1853 schoolhouse @ corner of main , downey streets. attended quaker services @ nearby friends meetinghouse.

the prosperity of hoover family ended on december 13, 1880, when jesse died of rheumatic fever. hulda supported family sewing , taking in boarders. however, hulda died of typhoid fever on february 24, 1884. orphan, nine-year-old herbert hoover sent live uncle allan hoover on nearby farm. 2 years later, hoover sent newberg, oregon live uncle.

hoover career , presidency

herbert hoover became prosperous mining engineer, becoming wealthy after working in australia , china. married lou henry in 1899. during world war i, hoover moved food crisis in europe. hoover oversaw operations commission relief in belgium feed nation of belgium throughout war. after united states entered war, hoover appointed head of u.s. food administration. hoover lauded efforts in homeland. campaigned on behalf of warren g. harding in 1920, rewarded hoover appointing him secretary of commerce in cabinet.

in 1928, hoover considered leading candidate president republican party. defeated al smith in landslide. however, term marred economic downturn of great depression. despite efforts right economy, hoover himself defeated in landslide in 1932 franklin d. roosevelt. during world war ii, hoover again tasked providing food war-torn countries.

gravesite

the gravesite of hoover , lou henry hoover

herbert hoover died internal bleeding in 1964, enjoying longest retirement of president point. hoover considered years in west branch formative, , requested , wife (who had died twenty years earlier) buried there. allan hoover selected site, landscaped before herbert hoover s death. 100,000 people lined funeral procession route between cedar rapids , west branch. william wagner designed memorial in collaboration surviving hoover family members. standing @ foot of monument, 1 can see birthplace cottage.