Herbert Hoover Presidential Library

 Color me amazed, but I honestly did not know that presidential libraries were not comprised of books.  

I found that out on a recent road trip.  

I was driving down a freeway, in Iowa, and saw a sign for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library ahead.  And decided to stop there, in West Branch, Iowa, not knowing what to expect.  

Honestly, I knew very little about Herbert Hoover, apart from the fact he was a former president and had a lot to do with the Hoover Dam being built.  

And I got educated.  As I said, I knew very little about the man, and all of his accomplishments, apart from being president at a difficult time in US history.   

He really was a remarkable man, at least according to all the exhibits, etc., at the his presidential library, and along the way I learned a lot about his totally amazing wife.   

And of course took lots of pictures.   I even ended up purchasing a souvenir which I watched being made in the on site 'smithy', which is a replica of the one Herbert Hoover's father had. 

This is the bottle opener I watched being made by the resident blacksmith.   I had to buy it. 

I wandered all over the park, saw the meeting house, the school and the original house that Herbert Hoover started his life in. 

The meeting house, inside.

And here's the school, complete with an early version of the water fountain. More of a communal thing.  Everyone used the same dipper and drank out of it.    I'm always fascinated by how classes were conducted in the past.  I remember well how my desk was in elementary school.  

Long before water fountains, they had a communal water bucket along with a communal ladle to drink out of. 

 

There was so much to see here, and I took lots of pictures, including this one of Isis that was gifted to Herbert Hoover.  He didn't want a lot of statuary, but did like this. 

They also had the house he was born in, and in which he spent the first few years of his life.     I was not able to see inside as it was being restored at the time. 

And here's a photo dump of lots of pictures I took inside.   If you have the chance to see this place, take a couple hours and stop on by.  I was so glad I did. 

The following picture is that of Herbert Hoover's parents.  

These are some of the dresses on display that Lou Henry Hoover wore.  Apparently she was not only a very accomplished woman but also rather stylish. 

More random photos from the exhibit.  Honestly I don't remember much more, about each photo, but where I can I will explain. 

I did take a lot of pictures, and if I get the chance to go back will take even more and explore the park in a more mindful way.  This was my first experience with a Presidential Library and Museum after all.