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Home , Allan Hoover, Herbert Hoover

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LU li­ ai O LL. z z _l o I- THE BLACKSMITH SHOP.—Near the Birth­ OC => place Cottage is a well-executed replica of CO Jesse Hoover's blacksmith shop. It houses an extensive collection of contemporary tools and other objects. THE BIRTHPLACE COTTAGE.—Originally built by 's father, Jesse Clark Hoover, about 1870, the Birthplace Cottage, now completely restored and refurnished, stands on its original site not far from the west branch of the Wapsinonoc Creek from which the town drew its name.

THE GRAVES OF PRESIDENT AND MRS. HOOVER. —About one-quarter mile to the southwest on a hillside are the graves of President and Mrs. Hoover. Landscaping completes a circular set­ ting for the flat, white marble gravestones, with The noted photographer, Philippe Halsman, took this a view down the valley to the birthplace. portrait of Mr. Hoover on his 88th birthday.

UJ > X VJ < < HERBERT HOOVER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY.— z o Facing Downey Street stands the Herbert < Hoover Library. This structure houses the large z collection of papers accumulated by Mr. Hoover during his many years of public service, his QUAKER MEETING HOUSE.—Herbert Hoover's collection of books, and a wide variety of objects mother often spoke before the congregation associated with his long, distinguished career. that worshipped in this building. Hoover, as a Many items are on display in exhibit areas. A child, attended meetings here with his parents. It was purchased by the people of West Branch 180-seat auditorium occupies one wing of the in 1964, and given to the Herbert Hoover Birth­ building. The library was built by the Herbert place Foundation. In 1964-65, after being Hoover Birthplace Foundation. The buildings moved to its present site on the east side of Mr. Hoover with homeless Polish children in and grounds were offered to the Federal Gov­ Downey Street opposite the Presidential Li­ Mr. Hoover was an ardent fisherman. This photograph shows him fishing on the HERBERT HOOVER April 1946 during a survey to seek ways to avert a post- ernment as a gift by the Foundation, and were brary, it was restored to its near original ap­ Mackenzie River in Canada in 1953. He pursued this hobby all his life, and wrote NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE . World War II . accepted on , 1964. pearance. several books on the subject. Sketches by William J. Wagner GSA KANSAS CITY-M-0344 H REPRINT 1968 principles of his life—absolute honesty, loyalty, mittee. His successful administration of this After the Presidency children in appreciation for his relief work The Herbert Hoover is hard work, cooperation, and generosity. work, plus the experience gained during the during . administered by the Archivist of the United , caused President Woodrow Though the Republicans renominated Hoover States. An admission fee is charged. In 1879, Jesse Hoover died from typhoid on the first ballot at their 1932 convention, he Several buildings in West Branch near the fever at the age of 34. Four years later Hulda Wilson to appoint him as head of the Commis­ site have been restored to their original appear­ sion for Relief in . lost the election to the Democratic nominee, Hoover died of the same disease. The orphaned Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt of . After ance; plan to visit them. Hoover children went to live with relatives, At one time, Hoover was directing the food the election, Hoover retired to his home in Cali­ Herbert going with an uncle, , on supplies for 250 million people in 22 nations. v fornia. He devoted much of his time to the Stan­ ADMINISTRATION ... The great advances have not been his farm just northeast of West Branch. As a part of these operations, he created the ford Union, the School of Business Administra­ THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-the Nation's principal natural re­ American Relief Administration, largely de­ Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is ad­ source agency—has a special obligation to assure that our expendable tion, the Food Institute, and the Hoover resources are conserved, that our renewable resources are managed to brought about by mediocre men and voted to the rehabilitation of some 10 million ministered by the , U. S. produce optimum benefits, and that all resources contribute to the Later life in and California Institute and Library on War, Revolution and progress and prosperity of the United States, now and in the future. undernourished children. In 1922-23, he under­ Peace. Department of the Interior. women. They were brought about by At the age of 11, Herbert journeyed to Ore­ took similar work for the great famine in A superintendent, whose address is P. O. Box Russia. But Hoover's public service was not yet distinctly uncommon people with gon to live with another uncle, Dr. H. John B, West Branch, Iowa, 52358, is in immediate Minthorn, at Newburg. At 17, he was able to In 1921, President Warren G. Harding ap­ finished. In 1946, President Truman asked him charge. to study food supplies and make recommenda­ vital sparks of leadership. Many of pass the entrance examination for enrollment at pointed Hoover Secretary of Commerce, a post the engineering school when Stanford Univer­ he was to hold for over 7 years under two tions for averting a post-World War II famine. the great leaders were, it is true, of sity opened its doors on October 1, 1891. He Presidents. He expanded the activities of the In 1947, Hoover was asked to head a commis­ showed a marked aptitude for mathematics and Department of Commerce, particularly in the sion making a searching investigation and humble origin, but that alone was not geology. He graduated with a bachelor of arts fields of foreign trade and communications. recommendations for improvement of the or­ degree in engineering in May 1895. ganization of the Executive Branch of the their greatness." After graduation, Hoover spent several Government. Congress enacted many of the months working in the gold mines in California, commission's recommendations into law. as a mining engineer in Colorado, and then be­ President Eisenhower created a second com­ came a member of a leading mining engineer's mission in 1953, asking Hoover again to serve staff in . As the 31st President as its chairman. So, on June 30, 1955, after eight years as chairman and with the work of When President Coolidge refused to seek re- the commission which bore his name ended, A mining career in Australia nomination in 1927, Hoover became the Repub­ Hoover finally retired from public life. lican Party's leading candidate. He was nomi­ and China He died on , 1964, and, in accor­ nated overwhelmingly and won the election by dance with his expressed wish, was buried on In 1897, he went to work as chief of gold- a larger popular and electoral vote than any a hillside overlooking his birthplace and the mining operations in for the President had yet received. town of West Branch. A few days after his British firm of Bewick, Moreing and Company. Hoover's administration made many notable burial on October 25, 1964, the remains of Mrs. A year later Hoover accepted a position offered accomplishments—reforms of the criminal pro­ Hoover, who had passed away in 1944, were cedure for Federal courts, bankruptcy laws, Early days at West Branch him by the Chinese Engineering and Mining brought to the site from California. Company, but before going to China, he married laying the foundations of the Federal Bureau In a simple, two-room cottage in the village a girl, Lou Henry, whom he had met at Stan­ of Investigation, creation of the Federal Power Commission, new banking laws and regulation of West Branch, Iowa, Herbert Hoover, world- ford. THE SITE renowned engineer, humanitarian, and 31st The Boxer Rebellion erupted while the Hoov­ of stock speculation and securities promotion, President of the United States, was born on ers were in China, and it was during this con­ and expansion of the improvement of water­ Herbert Hoover's birthplace was designated August 10, 1874. flict that Hoover received his first taste of war, ways and the conservation of oil and other a National Historic Site on August 12, 1965. Here he spent the first 10 years of his life. refugees, and humanitarian work. Late in 1901 natural resources. The Reconstruction Finance When the lands required for adequate protec­ But these early years on the banks of the Wap- —about a year after the rebellion was over, Corporation was created as were home loan tion, development, and management are ac­ sinonoc (an Indian term meaning "sweet Hoover returned to California with Bewick, banks and a new agricultural credit system. quired, the site will contain approximately 200 water") left an indelible impression upon a man Moreing and Company. Since that company had Hoover was influential in the convening of a acres. whose later life of public service was to carry worldwide interests, he later wrote, "I circled world economic conference to reduce trade bar­ The site is on Downey Street in West Branch, him to all parts of the world and win him dis­ the globe five times." riers and stabilize world currency. about 1 mile north of Interstate 80. tinction everywhere. On October 29, 1929, an The site includes the birthplace cabin ; black­ "Bert," as he was then affectionately known, was climaxed by the crash of the stock market. smith shop ; the graves of President and Mrs. was the second of three children of Jesse and As World War I food administrator Hoover hoped to relieve the distress by a policy Hoover; the Quaker meeting house; the Presi­ Hulda Hoover. were , and it When World War I broke out, American Am­ of indirect Government assistance tc the masses dential Library; and the Statue of Isis, the is this background to which Hoover later attrib­ bassador Page, in England, asked Hoover to of unemployed. But despite these efforts, his Egyptian goddess of plenty, which was given uted the spiritual motivation and the guiding organize and direct the American Relief Com­ popularity evaporated. to Mr. Hoover in the early 1920's by school The Hoover Cabinef.