Woodrow Wilson

Monday was mostly a travel day for us.  We needed to get from Lexington, VA to somewhere close to Hyde Park, NY.  Our only stop before landing in Bethlehem. PA for the night was in Staunton, VA at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Home, Museum, and Library.  This library is not part of the National Archives and Records Administration like the others we have been to in our travels. It is privately funded. Even though they had three buildings, it was pretty sparse compared to those we have seen.

We started at the information center to purchase our tickets to the museum and guided tour of the home.  Then we walked through the museum.  The highlight of the museum is the presidential limo.

Then we participated in the guided tour of the home where President Wilson was born and lived for a short time.

 President Wilson's father was a minister and the Presbyterian church provided this home for the family, partially furnished, while he was the their minister.  Later the family would move to Atlanta, GA for Reverend Wilson to be a chaplain for the Confederate army.

I did learn a few new facts about President Wilson.  He had trouble getting ladies to accept his proposals for marriage.  He first proposed to a cousin who turned him down.  Then he proposed twice to the woman who would be his first wife.  Later after his first wife died, he proposed to the woman who would eventually be his second wife and she declined the first time.

I also learned that he suffered a stroke at the age of 39.  Later in life near the end of his second term, he suffered 3 more strokes. It is believed he was very ill as he ended his career but that Mrs. Wilson kept him out of the eye of the public and kept his health a secret, as she took care of much of the business of running the country.

He was also the only president who held a doctorate.

Tuesday we will visit the presidential museum and library of Franklin D Roosevelt in Hyde Park, NY.  Stay tuned....