When Tom’s alarm rang at 5:45am on Tuesday July 30, 2024 and he got ready to take on the day, I didn’t think we were in Kansas anymore. But we were – albeit we were only a quarter mile into the Land of Ahs in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas.
I was anxious to hit the road that morning for two reasons. First, Tom planned on spending most of the day in Independence, Missouri where we would be emersed into the world of President Harry S Truman. And second, my photographer’s grandson, Rory Watson, was going with us. Since this venture would mark the first time one of Tom’s grandchildren would accompany us on a Presidential trip, I viewed this day as the passing of the torch. It’s not as though my cameraman is planning on hanging up his hat any time soon, but the old fart can’t go on forever. Tom had heard Rory’s mother say that the lad was extremely excited to see the Truman sites and he was bringing his Abraham Lincoln finger puppet with him. As for me, I wasn’t convinced a nine-year-old would be able to stay engaged as we planned to thoroughly explore seven different Presidential sites, all in a five or six-hour timeframe and in the extreme heat. In my resin mind, the jury was still out as to whether the passed torch stays lit or whether it gets snuffed out on the first day.
My photographer got behind the wheel of the Jeep at 8:00am while I stayed comfortable in the camera case for the 20-mile ride from our Airbnb to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. Rory and his Lincoln puppet manned the front passenger seat. Even though it took a bit longer for us to make the trek into Independence due to road construction, we were still in the parking lot twenty minutes before the place opened. And I had to admit, Tom played it smart and parked in the shade, although it made the three of us walk a bit further to the museum.
Suddenly, just as we were about to make the long walk towards the building, I heard my photographer recite another Clark W. Griswold quote from the movie Vacation. Tom proudly looked at his grandson and said, “First ones here. First ones here.” Rory shot back, “But Pa, we’re so far away.” Tom replied, “Right, and at the end of the day when the lot’s all full and everybody’s fighting to get out of here, we’ll be the first ones out, too. Right? Why? Because we’re the Watsons!” At that moment, a funny thought popped into my resin head – what if there was an animatronic Moose out front saying the place was closed for two weeks to clean and repair America’s favorite Presidential Museum. Hopefully there’s not a sporting goods store nearby.
The three of us made it to the front of the museum, even though the entrance was in the rear of the building. Before I could say “Walley World”, Tom began snapping pictures of me while I posed where President Truman stood during the library’s dedication ceremony on July 6, 1957. This was my second time in Independence, but during my first visit in 2016, I didn’t appreciate what a great leader President Truman was. After visiting the Little White House in Key West, Florida back in late April, however, I’ve gained a ton of respect for the man they called “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry”. Today, I believe Truman was one of our best Presidents.
When Tom, Rory, me, and tiny Abe went through the museum’s security system, my photographer was physically scrutinized by the on-duty guard; and quite frankly, the interrogation seemed a bit over-the-top just to visit a museum. It wasn’t as though the President himself was there. As a matter of fact, my photographer was axed specifically about me and was forced to remove me from the camera case. I knew right away Tom wasn’t happy about the extra attention when he snapped at the guard in no uncertain terms, “I didn’t draw this much attention when I visited the West Wing of the White House and took the bobble head to the Oval Office. This is ridiculous. It’s made of resin, and he has a metal spring in his neck if you’re worried about that.”
Once the four of us had made it past the Gestapo, we spent the next two hours admiring artifacts from the lives of Harry S Truman and his wife Bess. I was surprised by Rory as he was truly a kid in a candy store. The nine-year-old absorbed as much information as he could; he posed for pictures when asked; and he participated in some of the hands-on activities meant for the younger visitors. But the funniest part of the entire visit came at the end of our tour when we visited the gravesite of the President and First Lady. Rory watched Tom reach over the chain barricade as he set me on Truman’s grave marker where I posed for a few photos. When we were finished and I was safely back inside the camera case, Rory looked at my photographer and said with a straight face, “Pa, it’s an honor for me to be a part of your illegal activities.” I was laughing so hard inside the black bag I thought I might poop my resin breeches. Not only is Rory Watson a smart kid, but he also possesses the sarcasm and wit of his grandfather. I swear those two could go toe-to-toe with each other and I’m not sure who would win.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are 52,000 words that are represented by my photographer’s images taken at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. Tom and I hope you enjoy the photos.
I’m standing in front of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri. Tom had set me in the approximate location where President Truman was photographed after the dedication ceremony on July 6, 1957.
President Truman was photographed standing outside of his Presidential Library on July 6, 1957. The library was built with private funds with Truman himself contributing greatly to the fundraising effort by attending dinners, making speeches around the country, and writing thousands of letters.
During the dedication of the Truman Library, the ceremony was attended by former President Herbert Hoover (at the time the only living former president other than President Truman) and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Chief Justice Earl Warren also attended, but I don’t like him because of his botched investigation into the JFK assassination.
In this historic image made on July 6, 1957, former President Truman was photographed during the dedication ceremony of his Presidential Library. To Truman’s immediate right was Chief Justice Earl Warren (holding his hat) and former First Lady Bess Truman.
When the four of us arrived at the rear entrance to the library, we were greeted by a smiling Harry Truman. A few minutes later, at nine o’clock, we had our unpleasant encounter with the security guard.
In 1945, as President, Harry Truman took his vows as a member of Mary Conclave No. 5 Red Cross of Constantine on this Masonic Bible.
The upright piano behind me once belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Noland who lived on North Delaware Street. The Noland’s nephew, Harry Truman, often played this piano during his visits to their home when he was courting Bess Wallace, who lived across the street.
Truman purchased this uniform in June 1917, shortly after he was commissioned first lieutenant.
Harry Truman in his World War I military uniform.
On her wedding day, Bess Wallace wore these Louis XV heels, which she purchased at a department store in Kansas City.
Harry and Bess Truman on their wedding day, June 28, 1919. It’s easy to see the shoes Bess was wearing.
The briefcase behind me was used by Harry Truman during his years in the United States Senate. The stamp on front includes a misspelled location – “SEN HARRY S. TRUMAN / WASHIGNTON DE”
When Vice President Harry Truman recited the Presidential Oath of Office just two hours after Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, he placed his hand on the Gideon Bible below me. The hat to my right was worn by Bess Truman during the solemn ceremony.
With his wife Bess looking on, Vice President Harry S Truman recited the Presidential Oath of Office at 7:09pm on April 12, 1945 in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The oath was administered by Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone.
At 9:20am on July 30, 2024, Rory Watson placed his hand over Truman’s Gideon Bible and recited the Presidential Oath of Office in the Presidential Library.
This pen set was used to sign the unconditional surrender of all German forces on May 7, 1945. This historic pen set was presented to President Harry Truman by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
This green safety plug came from the plutonium bomb known as “Fat Man”, which was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. The plug prevented the bomb’s accidental detonation. This green plug was removed and replaced with a red activating plug once the aircraft carrying “Fat Man” had departed on its mission. When “Fat Man” detonated, it killed between 60,000 and 80,000 Japanese people; 150 of which were soldiers.
When Rory saw the displays and learned about the bombing of Japan with atomic weapons, he took a moment to write his thoughts in a nearby book. I couldn’t have said it or written it better myself. It’s the youth of the world, such as nine-year-old Rory Watson, who must ensure “Fat Man” was the last nuclear device ever used against humanity.
This original copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune was published on November 3, 1948, the day after the Presidential election. The paper featured the erroneous headline ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’. Today, original authentic copies of this newspaper are worth between $3,000 and $4,000.
President Truman was photographed holding a copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune during a train stop at the St. Louis Union Station two days after the election. Truman posed for photographers and said “That ain’t the way I heard it!”
President Truman wore this top hat during his inauguration on January 20, 1949.
President Harry Truman and Vice President Alben Barkley were photographed as they left the White House and walked to the 1949 inaugural viewing stand.
Most Presidential Libraries and Museums feature a replica of the Oval Office, and Truman’s was no exception. While most of the furnishings, including the Theodore Roosevelt desk, were exact replicas, the room was furnished with original decorations used by Truman in 1950.
President Truman was photographed in the Oval Office on April 6, 1949 when he signed the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact.
Tom snapped this closeup image of some of the items on Truman’s desk. Each one of the artifacts were on the Theodore Roosevelt desk during Truman’s second term in office.
My photographer and I noticed the framed photos of the President’s wife and daughter, which Truman kept on display behind the Theodore Roosevelt desk.
The same two framed photos can be seen in this image of President Truman taken on July 26, 1948.
My photographer liked Truman’s television set he used in the Oval Office. I heard him tell Rory it looked like the one his grandmother once owned.
This replica Truman Oval Office was constructed to the same specs and scale as the real Oval Office in the White House. Although the decor was different, it reminded me of the night my photographer and I visited Trump’s Oval Office along with Bob Moldenhauer and Scott Gast on May 17, 2019.
Rory and Little Abe looked at home in the Oval Office. And to think, in just 26 years, Rory could run for President of the United States. And with his smarts, demeanor, wit, charm, and his way with the female voters, he just might get elected.
One of the more heartbreaking artifacts on display was this Purple Heart that was sent to President Truman out of bitter disrespect. When my photographer read the letter out loud, I nearly cried. Truman received the letter and medal after his Presidency and kept them in a locked credenza drawer in his office at the library. His staff discovered them twenty years after Truman had died.
Rory was very nervous as he held me up behind Truman’s original ‘The Buck Stops Here’ desk plaque. The reason for the boy’s anxiety was because Tom had told his grandson what happened when Bob Moldenhauer attempted the same feat at Mount Vernon on May 15, 2019. That one didn’t end well.
When the White House was renovated during President Truman’s administration, Harry salvaged the State Dining Room fireplace mantel for future use at his Presidential Library. This original mantel was installed in the 1902 renovation by President Theodore Roosevelt – TR ordered the carved lions changed to buffalo.
The mantel behind me bears the quote from a letter President John Adams wrote to Abigail on the first night he moved into the White House in 1800. During my tour of the White House in 2019, I saw the State Dining Room fireplace had the same quote, written in the same identical font.
I’m standing near the Presidential China Set used in the State Dining Room during the Truman administration. The set was first used on April 3, 1952 at a luncheon honoring Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The 1,572-piece set cost a staggering $28,271.40.
President Truman wore this colorful shirt and visor during some of his visits to the Little White House in Key West, Florida.
I’m standing near a 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan limousine designed by the Ford Motor Company for use by government officials during the Truman administration.
This was the farm buggy purchased by Harry Truman’s father in 1914 for use on the family farm in Grandview, Missouri. The buggy was manufactured in Evansville, Indiana and it cost the Truman’s $6.00 in 1914.
All of the Truman vehicles were in the basement of the Presidential Library. The Cosmopolitan was on one side of the room, while the buggy and two other cars were on the side where I’m standing in this photo.
Senator Harry Truman purchased two brand new vehicles in November 1940. The 1941 Chrysler Royal Club Coupe next to me was the one he drove, while the larger 1941 Windsor Sedan was primarily used by Bess. Both cars were painted in a matching “dove gray” color.
As the three of us and mini-Abe made our way from the basement of the Library towards Truman’s personal office, we saw a display which featured the Truman Table. The table came from a Kansas City hotel suite used by the President as his office when he was home in Independence. Ironically, I posed near the historic piece of furniture on the 59th anniversary of when President Lyndon B. Johnson sat at the same table and signed the Medicare Act on July 30, 1965.
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson came to the Harry S. Truman Library to sign the Medicare Act. LBJ chose the library to honor former President Harry S. Truman, who he dubbed the father of the Medicare concept.
When Truman left the White House in 1953, he established an office in Room 1107 of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. When the Presidential Library opened in 1957, Truman transferred his office to the facility and often worked there five or six days a week. In this office behind me, he wrote articles, letters, and his book ‘Mr. Citizen’.
Former President Harry S Truman was photographed as he relaxed in his office in July 1961.
I’m posing in the courtyard at the Truman Library where the President and First Lady were laid to rest.
The cremated remains of Margaret Truman, the President’s daughter, along with those of her husband, were also interred in the courtyard following their deaths.
President Harry S Truman died at the age of 88 on December 26, 1972 and was laid to rest in the courtyard of his Presidential Library two days later. When Bess Truman passed away on October 18, 1982 at the age of 97, she was buried alongside her husband three days later.
In 2016, when Tom placed me on the grave marker, he stepped over the chain and onto some of the flowers. Eight years later, my photographer simply reached over the chain and set me onto the granite slab.
The beautiful and tranquil setting at the Truman gravesite was broken by laughter when Rory told his grandfather he was honored to be a part of his illegal activities. I couldn’t help but think to myself what a role model my photographer was to his grandchildren.
Rory Watson and Little Abe as they posed at the gravesite of Harry and Bess Truman. Truman’s was the third Presidential gravesite the boy had visited, with Ford and Lincoln already on his resume.
My photographer and his grandson Rory posed together alongside the life-sized statue of President Truman before they spent time in the gift shop.
Exactly two hours after we were nearly physically and mentally assaulted by security at the entrance to the Truman Library, Tom, Rory, Little Abe, and I were back inside the toasty Jeep, which was no longer in the shade.
For me, it was great to see all of the artifacts displayed inside the impressive museum. Some of the historic relics were ones I had seen during my 2016 visit, while some were new. I’ve been to all 13 of the official Presidential Library’s in the country and in my opinion, Truman’s ranked fifth. The other four I thought were more impressive were Reagan, FDR, Nixon, and George HW Bush – although it’s a toss-up between Truman and Bush.
But even more important than seeing the library was watching Tom share the experience with his grandson. Rory was all ears when my photographer explained the historical significance of some of the artifacts; plus, the lad seemed to thoroughly enjoy his visit. The interaction between the two was priceless – the torch had been passed.
It was eleven o’clock and our day of visiting Presidential sites had just begun. Now it was time for us to head into the historic district of Independence and walk in the footsteps of Harry Truman in the town he loved the most. And with the temperature already hitting 90 degrees, there was no better place to start than the Clinton Drug Store, which was where Tom said he’d buy an ice cream float for his grandson.
To be continued…
** This post is dedicated to Rory Watson for his enthusiasm and willingness to help his grandfather during Tom’s “illegal activities”. The Watson Presidential legacy lives on! **
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
