<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" > <channel> <title>Dwight D. Eisenhower – THROUGH THE EYES OF JEFFERSON</title> <atom:link href="https://eyesofjefferson.com/tag/dwight-d-eisenhower/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com</link> <description>Presidential site adventures as told by a bobble head</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:35:23 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">167670250</site> <item> <title>268: HOBNOBBIN’ WITH A LITTLE STYLE, GRACE, AND SILENT CAL IN CUSTER STATE PARK</title> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/268-hobnobbin-with-a-little-style-grace-and-silent-cal-in-custer-state-park/</link> <comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/268-hobnobbin-with-a-little-style-grace-and-silent-cal-in-custer-state-park/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:05:33 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[American bison]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Begging Burros]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bumbleberry pie]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Calvin Coolidge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cathedral Spires]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Coolidge Summer White House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Custer South Dakota]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Custer State Park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Grace Coolidge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hood Tunnel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mule deer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[National Treasure: Book of Secrets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Needles Eye Tunnel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Needles Highway]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Purple Pie Place]]></category> <category><![CDATA[State Game Lodge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sylvan Lake]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wildlife Loop Road]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=20053</guid> <description><![CDATA[For the first time since we left Michigan ten days earlier, my photographer and his wife, Vicki, didn’t wake up to an alarm clock. Tom figured the three of us needed a more-relaxed day, which he figured would be spent…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">For the first time since we left Michigan ten days earlier, my photographer and his wife, Vicki, didn’t wake up to an alarm clock. Tom figured the three of us needed a more-relaxed day, which he figured would be spent driving, climbing, and hiking in and around Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was roughly 9:15am on Sunday September 17, 2023 when we finally left the Mountain View Lodge near Hill City. After Tom carefully placed me on the backseat of the van, I had one thing, and one thing only, on my mind – I couldn’t wait to see the State Game Lodge, which served as President Calvin Coolidge’s Summer White House in 1927. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Surprisingly, Tom didn’t seem to have a well-laid out plan for Custer State Park. I made that discovery when I heard him tell Vicki we were just going to “wing it” for the day. My photographer also said besides the State Game Lodge, he didn’t know what to expect in the park except for the beautiful scenery and its abundance of wild critters.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At a few minutes before ten o’clock, Vicki navigated the van onto Needles Highway – which was a 14-mile stretch of winding and twisting two-lane paved road that bisected the center of Custer State Park. We visited Sylvan Lake, which we found out later was the film location for a memorable scene in the 2007 movie ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’. After we spent time in and around the famed Needles Tunnel, the three of us made our way to a very scenic area named Cathedral Spires. Finally, at the end of the Needles Highway, my photographer’s wife drove us to the promised land where I got the chance to visit the Summer White House of President Calvin Coolidge. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="800" height="557" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?resize=800%2C557&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20056" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?resize=300%2C209&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?resize=1024%2C713&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?resize=768%2C534&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?resize=1536%2C1069&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-9.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our first point of interest along the Needles Highway came when Vicki drove through Hood Tunnel, which at 10′ 6″ wide, was the widest of the three tunnels along that highway. However, the Hood Tunnel was also the smallest, with a height of only 9′ 10″ tall.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="573" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?resize=800%2C573&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20058" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?resize=300%2C215&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C734&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?resize=768%2C550&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1100&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom set me in the magic waters of Sylvan Lake, which was created in 1891 when a dam was built across Sunday Gulch Creek.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="500" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?resize=800%2C500&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20059" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?resize=300%2C188&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?resize=768%2C480&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?resize=1536%2C960&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-10.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It turned out Sylvan Lake was also used for a scene in one of my photographer’s favorite movies – ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="335" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAT-TREAS-2.jpg?resize=800%2C335&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20076" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAT-TREAS-2.jpg?w=1366&ssl=1 1366w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAT-TREAS-2.jpg?resize=300%2C126&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAT-TREAS-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C429&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NAT-TREAS-2.jpg?resize=768%2C322&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this scene from ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’, Ben Gates (foreground) had just activated the mechanism which opened the secret passage behind Mount Rushmore. The area where we hiked can be seen in the background across Sylvan Lake.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20061" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?w=1133&ssl=1 1133w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1 682w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-11.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I wanted to surrender my hand to the heart of the warrior, like Benjamin Gates did in the movie. But unfortunately, I wasn’t standing anywhere near the precise spot where that scene was filmed. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="569" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?resize=800%2C569&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20060" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?resize=1024%2C729&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?resize=768%2C547&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?resize=1536%2C1093&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-47.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the movie, Sylvan Lake appeared to be directly behind Mount Rushmore, when it was actually located fifteen miles southwest of the historic landmark.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="539" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?resize=800%2C539&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20062" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?resize=300%2C202&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?resize=1024%2C690&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?resize=768%2C517&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?resize=1536%2C1035&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-13.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Although we didn’t see Ben, Abigail, or Riley near Sylvan Lake, we did see a guy in a kayak as he enjoyed the calm waters. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1049" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?resize=800%2C1049&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20063" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?w=1296&ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?resize=229%2C300&ssl=1 229w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?resize=781%2C1024&ssl=1 781w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?resize=768%2C1007&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-12.jpg?resize=1171%2C1536&ssl=1 1171w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The three of us caught an up-close glimpse of a young mule deer as it foraged for food in the brush.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="678" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?resize=800%2C678&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20072" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?resize=300%2C254&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?resize=1024%2C867&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?resize=768%2C651&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?resize=1536%2C1301&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-NEEDLES.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Vicki parked near the entrance to the Needles Eye Tunnel, Tom placed me on the edge of a barricade at a scenic overlook. At that moment, I wondered why he puts me in such perilous situations.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="807" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=800%2C807&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20064" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?w=1686&ssl=1 1686w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=298%2C300&ssl=1 298w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=1016%2C1024&ssl=1 1016w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=768%2C774&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?resize=1523%2C1536&ssl=1 1523w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-15.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom placed me on the van’s dashboard as Vicki threaded the needle. That’s right – we were headed through Custer State Park’s famous Needles Eye Tunnel, where motorists were forced to take turns going through the opening from both directions.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20065" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-17.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer, Vicki, and I had this spectacular view of the tunnel from the Needles Highway Scenic Overlook. The Needles Eye Tunnel is in the distance just to my left.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="549" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?resize=800%2C549&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20066" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?resize=300%2C206&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?resize=1024%2C703&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?resize=768%2C527&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?resize=1536%2C1054&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-18.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At the Needles Highway Scenic Overlook, the three of us also had this view of the rocky hillside above us.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20067" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-19.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">One of the more breathtaking vantage points of the day came when Tom carried me up a short path at the Cathedral Spires pullout.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20068" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-20.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in amazement while looking at the Cathedral Spires, it was difficult to imagine anything more spectacular in nature.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20069" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?w=1133&ssl=1 1133w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1 682w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-21.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I didn’t know what to expect at Custer State Park, but it surely didn’t disappoint.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="619" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?resize=800%2C619&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20070" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?resize=300%2C232&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?resize=1024%2C793&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?resize=768%2C595&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?resize=1536%2C1189&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-22.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On the road to the State Game Lodge, we saw a lone American bison resting in a field.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At roughly 12:45pm, Vicki pulled our van into the parking lot of the historic State Game Lodge. The large stone and wood hotel was built between 1919 and 1922 and is located on the eastside of the 71,000-acre park, roughly 13 miles east of Custer, South Dakota. Upon first glance, I was very impressed by the historic hotel – especially when Tom photographed me standing in the same places around the exterior where Calvin and Grace Coolidge had posed in 1927 during their summer-long stay. As you know by now, I love standing in the footsteps of our Presidents. There was also an unexpected surprise – it turned out President Dwight Eisenhower had resided at the State Game Lodge during his week-long visit in 1953.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">President and Mrs. Coolidge, along with their entourage, came to the Black Hills to escape the scorching heat of the swamp – otherwise known as Washington D.C. Known as a man of few words, Coolidge was deemed as a person who disliked most everything, and it was written by reporters that his primary feat was to sleep more than any other President in history. The Coolidge’s had vacationed on the Massachusetts’ shore in 1925, and a year later, they travelled to the Adirondack Mountains in New York for the summer. In 1927, Cal was resolved to vacation somewhere “West of the Allegheny’s and East of the Rockies.” The political leaders of South Dakota, including the Governor and Senators, talked Coolidge into staying in their state as a way to promote tourism in the Black Hills. In their pitch to the President, they boasted of lofty peaks, magnificent forests, sparkling streams and an “ideal” climate. They also mentioned the area was splendid for fishing, golf, polo and tennis. The biggest concern Coolidge had for the visit was whether or not the flies and mosquitos were bad; claiming: “The last place we went, they nearly pestered me to death.” The other aspect the President hoped to avoid was crowds as he became annoyed easily when people gathered and gawked at him. Sounds to me like Calvin Coolidge was high maintenance, which reminded me of my photographer.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the President and First Lady arrived on June 16, 1927, they had the entire State Game Lodge to themselves – along with their collies, Rob Roy and Prudence Prim; Grace’s pet racoon, Rebecca, who lived in a wicker basket; and five canaries. The Secret Service and other staff members resided in nearby cabins. Coolidge also had set up a formal office for himself and other officials at the Rapid City High School. Throughout his extended stay, the President made visits to Indian reservations, mines, farmers’ picnics, county fairs, church socials, and rodeos. Coolidge also relished the area’s climate – he professed to feeling healthier while he enjoyed a great deal of fishing. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The most surprising event during Calvin Coolidge’s stay in the Black Hills came on August 2nd when he met with reporters at his office in Rapid City. The visit at Custer State Park had gone better than the President could have ever imagined, and he felt healthier than he had in years. When all of the members of the press arrived, Coolidge handed each reporter a slip of paper, of which was typed a single line: “I do not choose to run for President in nineteen twenty-eight.” For a moment, the reporters sat in stunned silence. Then someone asked Coolidge if he had anything else to add. The President said “No”, and he walked out of the room. Silent Cal was a man of few words.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">On August 10th, the President rode horseback with his entourage to Mount Rushmore, sporting the boots and 10-gallon hat given to him by local residents. Even though Coolidge did his best to limit his public appearances during his vacation, the President went to Mount Rushmore to help preside over the dedication of the mountain-carving project led by Gutzon Borglum. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Before the President presented Borglum with six steel drill bits which the artist could use to start carving the mountain, Coolidge delivered a dedication speech: “We have come here to dedicate a cornerstone laid by the hand of the Almighty. The union of these four Presidents carved on the face of the everlasting Black Hills of South Dakota will be distinctly American in its conception, in its magnitude, in its meaning. No one can look upon it without realizing it is a picture of hope fulfilled. Its location will be significant. Here in the heart of the continent, on the side of a mountain which probably no white man had ever beheld in the days of Washington; in territory acquired by the action of Jefferson; which remained unbroken wilderness beyond the days of Lincoln; which was especially loved by Roosevelt.”</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20088" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-6.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Welcome to the State Game Lodge, located in Custer State Park in South Dakota. President Coolidge used the lodge as his Summer White House from June 16th to the early part of September 1927.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="623" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?resize=800%2C623&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20098" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?resize=300%2C233&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C797&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?resize=768%2C598&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1195&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On the lawn in front of the State Game Lodge, a local Boy Scout presented President Coolidge with a saddled horse.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1136" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?resize=800%2C1136&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20095" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?w=1197&ssl=1 1197w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?resize=211%2C300&ssl=1 211w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?resize=721%2C1024&ssl=1 721w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?resize=768%2C1091&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-27.jpg?resize=1082%2C1536&ssl=1 1082w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing near the spot where Calvin Coolidge stood in 1927 when he was photographed wearing ridiculous-looking cowboy attire – including a$$less chaps. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20096" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD.jpg?w=980&ssl=1 980w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">With his wife Grace beside him, President Coolidge posed for photographers as he donned the cowboy attire which was gifted to him by local residents. If Silent Cal wanted to maintain a low profile in South Dakota, he certainly missed the mark by wearing that outfit.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="581" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?resize=800%2C581&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20089" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?resize=300%2C218&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C743&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?resize=768%2C557&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1115&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was near this spot, directly behind me, where President Calvin Coolidge was photographed in 1927 with a large group of people – including the governor of Wyoming.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="575" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-2.jpg?resize=800%2C575&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20090" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-2.jpg?w=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-2.jpg?resize=300%2C216&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COOLIDGE-SD-2.jpg?resize=768%2C552&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even though Coolidge had removed his cowboy attire for this June 13, 1927 image, he still wore the ten-gallon cowboy hat as he stood alongside Wyoming Governor Frank R. Emerson.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="606" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=800%2C606&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20093" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=300%2C227&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=1024%2C776&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=768%2C582&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=1536%2C1164&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-25.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I can’t forget about First Lady Grace Coolidge, who sat here with one of her dogs for a photograph during her stay at the State Game Lodge. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="543" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GRACE-COOLIDGE.jpg?resize=800%2C543&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20094" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GRACE-COOLIDGE.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GRACE-COOLIDGE.jpg?resize=300%2C204&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GRACE-COOLIDGE.jpg?resize=768%2C521&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Grace Coolidge sat alongside the State Game Lodge steps with her dog Prudence Prim.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="559" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?resize=800%2C559&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20097" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?resize=300%2C210&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?resize=1024%2C716&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?resize=768%2C537&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?resize=1536%2C1073&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-33.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">No matter where Tom carried me near the exterior of the State Game Lodge, it felt as though Calvin and Grace Coolidge were there with me. I was happy Tom didn’t force me to wear a$$less chaps.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20087" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During my time at the State Game Lodge, I focused most of my attention on Calvin Coolidge. However, the sign near the front entrance reminded me that President Dwight Eisenhower stayed in the lodge for a week in June 1953.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="460" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IKE-SD.jpg?resize=800%2C460&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20101" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IKE-SD.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IKE-SD.jpg?resize=300%2C173&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IKE-SD.jpg?resize=768%2C442&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During his stay, President Eisenhower received gifts on the stone porch of the State Game Lodge.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1067" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-7.jpg?resize=800%2C1067&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20102" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-7.jpg?w=1275&ssl=1 1275w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-7.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-7.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-7.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Let’s take a look inside the State Game Lodge where two Presidents had once relaxed, entertained, and dined.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="592" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=800%2C592&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20107" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=300%2C222&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C758&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=768%2C568&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1137&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-31-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing on the fireplace in the living room of the State Game Lodge. I imagined President Coolidge seated on the sofa while he read a newspaper. Suddenly, Coolidge looked up at the fireplace and noticed me standing there – nearly as silent as he was.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1011" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?resize=800%2C1011&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20104" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?w=1345&ssl=1 1345w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?resize=237%2C300&ssl=1 237w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?resize=810%2C1024&ssl=1 810w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?resize=768%2C971&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-32.jpg?resize=1215%2C1536&ssl=1 1215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I was basking in the glory of the Presidents during my time inside the lodge. There’s no doubt in my mind, both Coolidge and Eisenhower saw this fireplace during their stays.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="563" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?resize=800%2C563&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20105" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?resize=300%2C211&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?resize=1024%2C720&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?resize=768%2C540&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?resize=1536%2C1081&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-28.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer and I were informed the dining area behind me was used by Calvin Coolidge during his three-month stay in 1927.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1211" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?resize=800%2C1211&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20106" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?w=1123&ssl=1 1123w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?resize=198%2C300&ssl=1 198w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?resize=676%2C1024&ssl=1 676w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?resize=768%2C1163&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-29.jpg?resize=1015%2C1536&ssl=1 1015w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There were seven original lodge rooms in the upper level of the State Game Lodge. Calvin Coolidge slept there, and so did Ike – but not together. President Coolidge and his wife stayed in Room 37, which consisted of two separate rooms and still boasts the original desk used by Coolidge. Twenty-six years later, Eisenhower spent his week-long stay in Room 36.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Following our photoshoot near the exterior of the State Game Lodge, Tom carried me inside where I posed in the living area, and then outside of both President’s second-story rooms. My photographer tried to gain access to Coolidge’s room, but he was told the room was occupied and there was no way we’d be able to see the interior. Even though the two of us were disappointed, mainly because the original desk the President had used was still inside the room, we understood the reasoning. There was one thing I knew for certain – Tom will make sure the three of us have reservations for that room during our next visit to the Black Hills.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was 1:30pm when my two companions decided to have their main meal of the day in the State Game Lodge dining room. While it wasn’t the same dining area used by the Coolidge’s in 1927, it was nonetheless a very elegant eating area. For the next 45 minutes, I had the pleasure of watching my photographer stuff his face at the lodge’s all-you-can-eat buffet – which included chili made with buffalo meat. Let me tell you, that moment was reminiscent of when John “Bluto” Blutarsky ate his lunch at Faber College in the 1978 movie ‘Animal House’.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When we left the Calvin Coolidge Summer White House behind, I couldn’t believe what I heard come from the “Blutographer’s” mouth – and no, it wasn’t a belch. Out of nowhere, Tom said to his wife: “Let’s drive into Custer and get some pie. I met a guy in the hotel lobby this morning and he said the best rhubarb pie in the world comes from the Purple Pie Place in Custer. And as luck would have it, I’ve saved some room for a little slice of pie heaven.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Thirteen miles later, after we cut through the heart of Custer State Park, the three of us arrived in front of a bright purple, two-story building located on the western side of Custer, South Dakota. When the Purple Pie Place originally opened in 1981, it sold roughly four pies per day. But four decades and four owners later, the P³ sells an average of 100 to 150 pies each day during the summer and fall. Even though Tom had no intention of buying a slice of rhubarb pie, which is what the place is most famous for, my photographer did order a slice of bumbleberry pie à la mode; while Vicki stayed with a more traditional piece of cherry pie, with no ice cream. I had to admit – the bumbleberry pie and vanilla ice cream looked so scrumptious I wanted Tom to smear a gob onto my painted lips. Then I realized – he didn’t get that fat by sharing his pie with a bobble head.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1067" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1067&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20118" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE-2.jpg?w=1275&ssl=1 1275w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE-2.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE-2.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Purple Pie Place in Custer, South Dakota featured lunch, dinner, ice cream, and the best homemade pie in the world.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="574" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?resize=800%2C574&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20119" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?resize=300%2C215&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?resize=1024%2C734&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?resize=768%2C551&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?resize=1536%2C1101&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PURPLE-PIE-PLACE.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This was Tom’s bumbleberry pie à la mode, but unfortunately, he didn’t let me get anywhere near his little slice of heaven.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I laughed to myself as I watched my two companions struggle to get into the van. At one point, I thought my photographer might explode – which would have covered the entire town of Custer in bumbleberry pie, ice cream, and some hour-old chili.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">One of the aspects of Custer State Park that Vicki wanted to experience the most was wild animals, and up to that point, all we saw was one tired buffalo and a lone mule deer. But that all changed when Tom guided us towards a section of the park known as the Wildlife Loop Road – which was eighteen miles of paved roadway through open grasslands and pine-speckled hills where much of Custer State Park’s wildlife call home. We didn’t know for sure which animals we would see at four o’clock in the afternoon, but our eyes were pealed for anything walking on four legs – or on two legs if a Sasquatch was there.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">While the park’s brochure boasted of a countless number of wild bison, pronghorn, whitetail and mule deer, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, eagles, and hawks, the animal population must’ve had that Sunday afternoon off. For nearly two hours, the only critters we encountered was a couple of bison herds and a group of fairly tame, free-range, burros – which were affectionately known as the “begging burros” because they’re known to mooch food from passing motorists. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="688" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?resize=800%2C688&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20120" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?resize=300%2C258&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?resize=1024%2C881&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?resize=768%2C660&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?resize=1536%2C1321&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-39.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A herd of wild bison along the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="644" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?resize=800%2C644&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20121" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?resize=300%2C241&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?resize=1024%2C824&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?resize=768%2C618&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?resize=1536%2C1236&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-40.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The first bison we saw on the “Loop” stayed quite a distance from us.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="897" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-37.jpg?resize=800%2C897&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20122" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-37.jpg?w=892&ssl=1 892w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-37.jpg?resize=268%2C300&ssl=1 268w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-37.jpg?resize=768%2C861&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">However, one rogue bison was situated near a fence when Tom photographed it.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="522" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?resize=800%2C522&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20123" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?resize=300%2C196&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?resize=1024%2C668&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?resize=768%2C501&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?resize=1536%2C1002&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-42.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Then we came to the area of the park where we saw the “Begging Burros”. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="553" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?resize=800%2C553&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20124" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?resize=300%2C208&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?resize=1024%2C708&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?resize=768%2C531&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?resize=1536%2C1063&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-44.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some of the wild burros kept their distance from the tourists.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="560" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?resize=800%2C560&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20125" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?resize=300%2C210&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?resize=1024%2C717&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?resize=768%2C538&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?resize=1536%2C1075&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-43.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While others wanted their piece of the pie – bumbleberry pie!</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="541" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?resize=800%2C541&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20126" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?w=1700&ssl=1 1700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?resize=300%2C203&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?resize=1024%2C692&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?resize=768%2C519&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?resize=1536%2C1038&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-45.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">We encountered one last bison as it walked along a section of grasslands.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1169" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?resize=800%2C1169&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-20127" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?w=1163&ssl=1 1163w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?resize=205%2C300&ssl=1 205w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?resize=701%2C1024&ssl=1 701w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?resize=768%2C1123&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CUSTER-PARK-46.jpg?resize=1051%2C1536&ssl=1 1051w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Then it turned and charged towards my photographer and me – almost as though it caught a whiff of pie.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Even though we saw some bison and burros, the time we spent on the Wildlife Loop Road turned into a huge disappointment. We had hoped to see some animals with claws, or long antlers, or perhaps even a critter with very big feet, but that never happened. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The sun was very low on the western horizon when we returned to the Mountain View Lodge at roughly 6:45pm. After my photographer struggled to get up the stairs and into our room, he collapsed in his bed seconds after he placed me alongside the television set. I knew my two companions were exhausted, and it didn’t take long before they were fast asleep.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I wasn’t sure what was on the following day’s agenda except I knew we had another full day of sightseeing in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In my mind, I hoped we’d see Mount Rushmore again; but I knew that might not set well with Vicki as we had just visited that monument in 2021. But since we were only ten miles from one of the most spectacular and beautiful Presidential sites in the country, how could we not go there? But after that – I didn’t know what to expect; although I did hear Tom tell his wife he didn’t want to revisit the Crazy Horse Memorial again.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I stood alone in the darkness throughout the night, and for the most part, my mind was filled with the sight of bumbleberry pie. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I envisioned I was standing on a table and holding five playing cards – two black aces, and two black eights; but I couldn’t make out the fifth card. Then I heard what sounded like someone cocking the hammer of a revolver. Was it Booth; or Czolgosz; or Guiteau; or perhaps even John Hinckley, Jr? It turned out to be my wild, wild imagination – likely caused by the aroma of fresh bumbleberry pie. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://eyesofjefferson.com/268-hobnobbin-with-a-little-style-grace-and-silent-cal-in-custer-state-park/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">20053</post-id> </item> <item> <title>222: JUST PLANE FUN ON BLACK FRIDAY IN DAYTON</title> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/222-just-plane-fun-on-black-friday-in-dayton/</link> <comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/222-just-plane-fun-on-black-friday-in-dayton/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:57:40 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aero Commander U-4B]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Air Force One]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Apollo 15 Command Module]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bill Clinton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bockscar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Columbine III]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Endeavour]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fat Man atomic bomb]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[George HW Bush]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald Ford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gulfstream III]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Harry S Truman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jacqueline Kennedy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jimmy Carter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John F. Kennedy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lady Bird Johnson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lockheed JetStar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Love Field Dallas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lyndon B. Johnson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mamie Eisenhower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Pat Nixon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Richard Nixon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ronald Reagan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sacred Cow]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SAM 26000]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sarah T. Hughes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[T-39 Sabreliner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Flying White House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Independence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=14021</guid> <description><![CDATA[As soon as my photographer’s alarm went off at 6:00am in our Dayton, Ohio hotel room, I couldn’t wait to hit the road. It was Friday November 25, 2022; which was more than just Black Friday to me. That’s because…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As soon as my photographer’s alarm went off at 6:00am in our Dayton, Ohio hotel room, I couldn’t wait to hit the road. It was Friday November 25, 2022; which was more than just Black Friday to me. That’s because 59 years ago, November 25th was a day of national mourning – President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery after an emotional funeral procession through Washington D.C. I’ve heard my camera guy’s story many times about how his family was glued to their black and white television set as JFK’s horse-drawn flag-draped casket slowly made its way to Arlington. He recalled being a seven-year-old kid coloring in a Bugs Bunny coloring book as he sat on the floor in front of the TV. Exactly 59 years later, on a nearly cloudless morning in Dayton, Ohio, the JFK assassination was about to come back to life for us once again. And I couldn’t wait!</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My companions had the Jeep packed and we were mobile by 8:30am. During the 11-mile trip from the hotel to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, I laughed to myself when Tom once again recited his “Bugs Bunny coloring book” story. I could tell my photographer was just as excited as I was to get back to the museum. After all, it had been over eight years since we last saw SAM-26000, which was Air Force One that transported President Kennedy to Dallas on November 22, 1963. But this visit would be different – we would have an unlimited amount of time to see Air Force One, as well as the other Presidential airplanes that were on display. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">In 2014, my photographer and I, along with our favorite travel companion Bob Moldenhauer, went through a required security protocol before we were shuttled onto the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where the Presidential planes were housed in a special hanger. Once inside that hanger, the three of us, along with about 30 other tourists, had roughly 45 minutes to see all of the aircraft – and that wasn’t nearly enough time. Tom and I managed to get onboard JFK’s ‘SAM-26000’, Eisenhower’s ‘Columbine III’, and Truman’s ‘Independence’, but that was about it. Things have changed since then, and in my opinion, they’ve changed for the better. Roughly two years after our visit, all of the Presidential airplanes were removed from the highly secured Air Force Base and relocated in the public museum on the base’s property where they’re displayed today.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Vicki pulled into the parking lot of National Museum of the United States Air Force at 8:45am. We had 15 minutes to wait before the doors opened, but there was already a small handful of folks waiting at the entrance. Once the doors opened and we made it through security, the three of us high-tailed it towards the furthest building on the sight – the place where the Presidential airplanes were on display. Once inside that large building, we had the entire place to almost to ourselves. There were a couple of other tourists in the area – ones who were a bit quicker than my two companions.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">There were four major Presidential planes on display – JFK’s SAM-26000 Air Force One, Ike’s ‘<em>Columbine III</em>‘, Truman’s ‘<em>The Independence</em>‘, and FDR’s ‘<em>Sacred Cow</em>‘. Visitors were allowed to walk through each of those large Presidential planes, but Plexiglass walls lined both sides of the main aisle from floor to ceiling. The extremely narrow passageways made it difficult for larger people, like my photographer, to get from the entrance of each plane to the exit. And for those folks who suffered from claustrophobia, they would’ve been advised to stay out of the planes altogether. Besides those four large Presidential aircraft, there were four smaller planes used in the past by the Chief Executives as well. Due to their smaller size, the public were prohibited from walking onboard those airplanes. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14136" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AIR-FORCE-MUSEUM.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The National Museum of the United States Air Force is one place I highly recommend visiting. However, start your visit when the doors first open in the morning. Since entrance is free, the museum draws thousands of visitors each day and the place is usually crawling with people by 11am.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>SAM – 26000 AIR FORCE ONE</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Used by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, and Bill Clinton</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14030" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-19.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> This Boeing VC-137C was the first jet aircraft built specifically for use by the President of the United States. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, along with industrial designer Raymond Loewy, created the paint scheme for Air Force One in 1962. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="462" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-36-2.jpg?resize=800%2C462&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14102" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-36-2.jpg?w=1188&ssl=1 1188w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-36-2.jpg?resize=300%2C173&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-36-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C591&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-36-2.jpg?resize=768%2C443&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Kennedy and his wife were photographed as they exited Air Force One in May of 1962, shortly before the First Lady helped redesign the paint scheme.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14031" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-16.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Kennedy was transported in SAM-26000 to West Berlin, Germany on June 26, 1963 where he delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14032" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-15.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The SAM designation of the plane stood for Special Air Missions. Three of the most famous air missions of SAM-26000 were when President Nixon flew to China in 1972; JFK went to West Berlin in 1963; and JFK arrived in Dallas on the morning of November 22, 1963.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="643" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-38-2.jpg?resize=800%2C643&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14081" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-38-2.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-38-2.jpg?resize=300%2C241&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-38-2.jpg?resize=768%2C617&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After landing in China, President Richard Nixon and his wife Pat were photographed as they left Air Force One on February 21, 1972. Shortly before they departed for Asia, Nixon had the words “The Spirit of ’76” applied to the nose of SAM-26000.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14033" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-14.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was a true honor for me to pose in front of the Presidential seal painted on the side of SAM-26000.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="532" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-32.jpg?resize=800%2C532&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14086" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-32.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-32.jpg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-32.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-32.jpg?resize=768%2C511&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Richard Nixon and his wife Pat posed for a final time in front of Air Force One SAM-26000 before they departed Washington on August 9, 1974. The Nixon’s were in the air over Missouri when Gerald Ford took the Oath of Office, which was immediately followed by pilot Colonel Ralph Albertazzie sending a radio message to the Kansas City air traffic control to inform them that Air Force One would now have the call signal SAM-27000.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14034" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-10.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom allowed me to pose with the same Air Force One backdrop as JFK had in Dallas.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="700" height="469" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-29-2.jpg?resize=700%2C469&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14082" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-29-2.jpg?w=700&ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-29-2.jpg?resize=300%2C201&ssl=1 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The President and First Lady were greeted by one of the thousands of people on hand at Love Field in Dallas.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14035" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-8.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my position just outside of the plane’s rear door, I had an amazing view of the vertical stabilizer of SAM-26000.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="644" height="460" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-41-2.png?resize=644%2C460&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14103" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-41-2.png?w=644&ssl=1 644w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-41-2.png?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Kennedy waveD to the crowd in Fort Worth, Texas as he was about to board Air Force One on November 22, 1963. Next stop – Dallas.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14036" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-11.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Everywhere I posed near Air Force One, I thought about the images of President Kennedy at Love Field roughly 45 minutes before he was shot and killed.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="800" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14083" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-27-2.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President and Mrs. Kennedy and Vice President and Mrs. Johnson near Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas. Roughly 45 minutes after this image was taken, all four lives, and our nation’s history, were changed forever.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14037" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-12.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When I posed near the tail section of Air Force One, it gave me an eerie feeling. It was though I could see JFK’s casket being removed from the plane at Andrews Air Force Base before it was loaded into an awaiting hearse.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="469" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-39-2.jpg?resize=800%2C469&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14091" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-39-2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-39-2.jpg?resize=300%2C176&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-39-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C600&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-39-2.jpg?resize=768%2C450&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The coffin containing the body of slain President Kennedy as it was loaded into the awaiting hearse at Andrews Air Force Base.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14038" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once on-board SAM-26000, I had a great view of the plane’s cockpit. The pilot of Air Force One on that fateful day in Dallas was Colonel James B. Swindal.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14039" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Due to the Plexiglass partitions that kept visitors squished like sardines, it was difficult for me to pose in the spot where Lyndon B. Johnson took the Presidential Oath of Office on Air Force One after the death of President Kennedy.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="744" height="583" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-22-2.jpg?resize=744%2C583&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14088" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-22-2.jpg?w=744&ssl=1 744w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-22-2.jpg?resize=300%2C235&ssl=1 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At 2:38pm CST, Lyndon B. Johnson took the Presidential Oath of Office from Judge Sarah T. Hughes. The new President was flanked by his wife, Lady Bird Johnson to his right, and by Jacqueline Kennedy on Johnson’s left.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14040" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From this area near the rear of Air Force One, it’s easy to see how narrow the visitor’s passageway was. It was in this section of the airplane where the casket of JFK was placed for transport back to Washington D.C.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14041" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-7.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The four seats behind me were removed by the flight crew to make room for the slain President’s casket for the trip back to Washington.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14044" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?w=1224&ssl=1 1224w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JFK-18.jpg?resize=1098%2C1536&ssl=1 1098w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing alongside President Kennedy’s personal cigar box and a cigar from SAM-26000. I laughed to myself as I thought: “No wonder Bill Clinton liked JFK so much!”</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>COLUMBINE III</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14045" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-7.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> The aircraft behind me, the only Lockheed VC-121E built, served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal airplane from 1954 until he left office in January 1961. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14046" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Eisenhower named this aircraft, his third Constellation, <em>Columbine III</em>, after the official state flower of Colorado in honor of his wife Mamie. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14047" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> An adopted daughter of that state, Mrs. Eisenhower formally christened the <em>Columbine III</em> on November 24, 1954, with a flask of water from Colorado instead of the traditional bottle of champagne. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-8-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14106" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-8-2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-8-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-8-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-8-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This photograph was captured on November 24, 1954 as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower christened <em>Columbine III.</em></figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14049" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom took this photo of me near <em>Columbine III’s</em> galley, which was near the front of the plane.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14050" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During my first visit inside <em>Columbine III</em>, I saw a mannequin of President Eisenhower seated in the seat behind me. Perhaps the likeness of Ike was removed because it frightened small children. I know it scared me when I first saw it.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14051" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CBINE-6.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ike sat in the back of the plane and at times, watched film footage shown from the 16mm film projector on the opposite side of the aisle.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>THE</strong> <strong>INDEPENDENCE</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Harry S Truman</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14052" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This Douglas VC-118 was the military version of the Douglas DC-6 commercial airliner of the day. This aircraft was built specifically to transport the President of the United States.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="639" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?resize=800%2C639&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14097" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?w=1619&ssl=1 1619w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C818&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?resize=768%2C614&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-14-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1228&ssl=1 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Harry S Truman was photographed as he shook the hand of the Shah of Iran on November 16, 1949 at Washington National Airport.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14053" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-6.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Truman made his first flight aboard <em>The Independence</em> on August 31, 1947 when he travelled to Brazil for a conference. The plane’s most historic flight came in October 1950 when Truman flew to Wake Island to discuss the Korean War situation with General MacArthur.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14054" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-7.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Douglas Aircraft Co. suggested the paint scheme that consisted of an American eagle with feathers that carried down the fuselage to the vertical stabilizer.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="526" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-11-2.jpg?resize=800%2C526&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14098" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-11-2.jpg?w=1074&ssl=1 1074w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-11-2.jpg?resize=300%2C197&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-11-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C673&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-11-2.jpg?resize=768%2C505&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This iconic image featured <em>The Independence</em> as it flew over the United States Capitol.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14055" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At the suggestion of the pilot, President Truman named the craft <em>The Independence </em>after his hometown in Missouri. As I stood at the doorway before entering the plane, I thought to myself: “It’s a good thing Truman didn’t live in Toad Suck, Arkansas!”</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14056" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once inside <em>The Independence</em>, Tom carried me down the narrow aisleway where I saw a table and some playing cards that featured an image of the Presidential airplane on back.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14057" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-HST-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once again, my photographer had a difficult time as he navigated the extremely narrow walkway through the aircraft. In this image, I’m standing near the rear of the plane.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>SACRED COW</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14058" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This Douglas VC-54C Skymaster was the first aircraft specifically built to fly the President of the United States. Its official name was <em>The Flying White House</em>. However, the plane became better known by its unofficial nickname, <em>Sacred Cow</em>, which was a reference to the high security that surrounded the plane wherever it went.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14059" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The <em>Sacred Cow</em> transported President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in February 1945. That trip to Yalta was FDR’s only flight aboard the plane before his untimely death two months later.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14061" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Following FDR’s death, President Truman used this aircraft exclusively for the first 27 months of his administration. On July 26, 1947, Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 aboard the <em>Sacred Cow</em>. That act, which became effective two months later, established the U.S. Air Force as an independent service, making the <em>Sacred Cow</em> the “birthplace” of the United States Air Force. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14062" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Near the rear of the plane was where I saw the elevator used to transport President Roosevelt onto the <em>Sacred Cow </em>in his wheelchair.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14063" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-COW-6.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this image, I’m standing near the <em>Sacred Cow’s</em> extended elevator entrance and a replica of FDR’s wheelchair.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>LOCKHEED JETSTAR</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14065" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> In 1961, the U.S. Air Force acquired six Lockheed VC-140B JetStars to transport the President of the United States, high-ranking government officials, and other heads of state. Those JetStars could operate from runways too small for larger USAF jet transports. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14066" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Lyndon Johnson used the JetStars while serving as Vice President and President when he flew to his ranch in Texas. Although he never flew on this specific plane behind me, he called the one he did use “Air Force One Half”.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14067" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-JETSTAR-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While this JetStar did carry Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan a number of times, it never served as their primary Presidential aircraft. </figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>GULFSTREAM III</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton </strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14069" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the early 1980s, the Gulfstream Aerospace C-20B was selected to replace the Air Force’s aging Lockheed JetStars.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14070" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Besides being used by Presidents Ford, Carter, Bush 41, and Clinton during and after their terms, this Gulfstream III behind me was also used to transport Cabinet members, First Ladies, and other VIPs as well.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="559" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CLINTON-1.jpg?resize=800%2C559&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14093" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CLINTON-1.jpg?w=823&ssl=1 823w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CLINTON-1.jpg?resize=300%2C210&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-CLINTON-1.jpg?resize=768%2C537&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Bill Clinton was photographed after arriving in Queenstown, New Zealand for a two-day APEC meeting on September 14, 1999.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14071" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-GULF-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Gulfstream behind me was in service for 30 years before being retired in 2015. </figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong> T-39 SABRELINER</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Lyndon B. Johnson</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14073" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> From August 1968 until early 1973, this T-39A Sabreliner behind me was assigned to Bergstrom AFB, Texas, in support of former President Lyndon B. Johnson as he traveled to and from his ranch in nearby Stonewall. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14075" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-SABRE-2-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Following President Johnson’s death in 1973, the plane continued to fly to test advanced equipment. During those tests of the Speckled Trout research program, the plane behind me was given the nickname <em>Speckled Minnow</em> due to its small size.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>AERO COMMANDER U-4B</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14077" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> This Aero Commander U-4B behind me was used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1956 to 1960 for short trips. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="447" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?resize=800%2C447&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14094" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?w=1936&ssl=1 1936w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?resize=300%2C168&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C572&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?resize=768%2C429&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C858&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> A pilot himself, President Eisenhower would often take the controls, primarily during trips between Washington, D.C. and his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14078" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> The first Presidential aircraft to have only two engines, the U-4B was also the first Presidential aircraft to carry the familiar blue and white paint scheme. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14079" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-AERO-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> After President Eisenhower left office, the aircraft transported high-ranking government officials, including the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Air Force. </figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We spent roughly two hours in the building where the Presidential planes were on display. I laughed to myself each time my photographer tried to squeeze his fat frame through the narrow passageways of the first three planes, but I got worried during our tour of the fourth one – the <em>Sacred Cow</em>. Somewhere in the center of the aircraft, the narrow walkway made a 90-degree left turn followed by an immediate 90-degree right turn. I became claustrophobic in the dark and narrow confines, and I could tell Tom wasn’t feeling well either. One thought did pop into my head, however. How in the heck-fire did Franklin Roosevelt navigate that turn in his wheelchair? Well, it turned out FDR only flew once in that plane, and he likely didn’t venture much past the State Room at the rear of the aircraft.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">By 11 o’clock, our freedom inside the museum was in jeopardy as hundreds of visitors had poured into the place like ants at a picnic. Luckily, we had finished the Presidential airplane section first and Tom had only two historic vehicles left to see – the Apollo 15 Command Module and <em>Bockscar</em>, the bomber that flew over Nagasaki, Japan to drop the second atomic bomb.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We didn’t have far to go to see <em>Endeavour</em>, the Command Module for Apollo 15, as it was in the same building as the Presidential planes. Although there were numerous space-related items on display to see in the <em>Space Gallery</em>, it was the small capsule that was the sole focus for my photographer. When I posed as close as I could to <em>Endeavour</em>, it was hard to believe how small it looked. After all, the interior of the capsule was roughly the size of a minivan where three adult men made their home-away-from-home during their 12-day mission that began at launch on July 26, 1971 and ended on August 7th with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. I wanted Tom to set me on one of <em>Endeavour’s</em> windows, the same windows Command Module pilot Al Worden looked out of when his colleagues David Scott and James Irwin headed for the lunar surface aboard the Lunar Module <em>Falcon</em>. Unfortunately, a Plexiglass fortress, built around the capsule, prevented my photographer from reaching the historic space craft.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>APOLLO 15 COMMAND MODULE</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14112" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-1.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing just outside of the Plexiglass barricade that surrounded <em>Endeavour</em>, which was the Command Module of Apollo 15.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="817" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?resize=800%2C817&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14115" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?w=1542&ssl=1 1542w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?resize=294%2C300&ssl=1 294w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?resize=1003%2C1024&ssl=1 1003w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?resize=768%2C784&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-3-2.jpg?resize=1505%2C1536&ssl=1 1505w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Apollo 15’s Command/Service Module <em>Endeavour</em> as seen from the Lunar Module <em>Falcon</em> during rendezvous. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14114" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-AGAIN.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was cool when Tom and I discovered that all three Apollo 15 astronauts, Scott, Worden, and Irwin, were United States Air Force officers, which was the likely reason <em>Endeavour</em> was on display in that particular museum.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="625" height="874" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-4-2.jpg?resize=625%2C874&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14116" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-4-2.jpg?w=625&ssl=1 625w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-4-2.jpg?resize=215%2C300&ssl=1 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Endeavour</em> was photographed seconds before splashdown in the North Atlantic Ocean. One of the three main parachutes had malfunctioned, but only two were needed for a safe landing.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="614" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-SPLASH.jpg?resize=800%2C614&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14117" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-SPLASH.jpg?w=848&ssl=1 848w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-SPLASH.jpg?resize=300%2C230&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APOLLO-15-SPLASH.jpg?resize=768%2C590&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At 6:54am local time on August 7, 1971, Apollo 15’s Command Module <em>Endeavour</em> splashed down about 287 nautical miles north of Honolulu, Hawaii.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During our time alongside the Apollo 15 Command Module, I thought about the three astronauts who flew inside <em>Endeavour</em>. Moonwalkers Scott and Irwin were the first to drive on the lunar surface as they covered over 17 miles in their rover. Those two also found and collected the legendary Genesis Rock, which was thought to be part of the Moon’s early crust; and Scott validated Galileo’s theory by dropping a falcon feather and hammer to prove they would hit the ground at the same time due to lack of air resistance on the Moon. But their flight wasn’t void of controversy, however, as Scott and Irwin carried unauthorized postal covers to the lunar surface. Some of those covers ended up in the hands of a West German stamp dealer, who in turn sold them for righteous bucks. Reprimanded for their poor judgement, the all-Air Force crew members of Apollo 15 never flew for NASA again. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us had a long walk to get from the Presidential and Space Galleries of Building 4 to the World War II Gallery, which was located near the front of the museum. But at some point during the hike, my companions decided they needed to land some grub onto the runway of their stomachs. Tom and Vic found the Valkyrie Cafe on the second level of Building 1 and their goal was to devour a hot pretzel and Diet Coke before we made our way to <em>Bockscar</em>. I heard my photographer say he didn’t want to eat a lot because he had scheduled a late lunch at a <em>Triple D</em> joint near Cincinnati, but Tom knew he had to have something to keep his stomach from making a scene in public. When we arrived at the cafe, however, there were no pretzels and no Diet Coke. Tom and his wife had to settle for ham and cheese sandwiches and Gatorade, which was not exactly the cuisine they had hoped for.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Once their sandwiches were choked down, my companions and I took the elevator back downstairs where we searched for the final aircraft on our visit – the historic and controversial Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as <em>Bockscar</em>. As I posed for the first of a handful of photos near the giant silver bird, I couldn’t help but think of the role <em>Bockscar</em> played in ending World War II. Following in the footsteps, or contrails, of the <em>Enola Gay</em> (which had dropped a uranium-based atomic bomb on Hiroshima three days earlier),<em> Bockscar</em> pilot Major Charles Sweeney navigated that same B-29 roughly 29,000 feet over Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. At precisely 10:58am local time, bombardier Captain Kermit K. Beahan opened the plane’s doors and dropped the plutonium-based <em>Fat Man</em> atomic bomb, which detonated 43 seconds later at an altitude of 1,600 feet above the city’s industrial valley. Six days after the second atomic bomb detonation on his country, Japan’s Emperor Hirohito surrendered to the Allied Forces. On September 2, 1945, surrender papers were officially signed onboard the USS Missouri – thus putting an end to World War II.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14123" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Unlike the <em>Enola Gay</em>, which was on display in Chantilly, Virginia, I was able to get very close to <em>Bockscar</em> in Dayton, Ohio. The nose art was added to the fuselage after the Nagasaki bombing mission.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="538" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?resize=800%2C538&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14127" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?w=1799&ssl=1 1799w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?resize=300%2C202&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C689&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?resize=768%2C517&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1033&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-7-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Boeing B-29 crew photo taken August 11, 1945, two days after the Nagasaki mission. Note there is no nose art on the aircraft. Pictured from left were M/S John Kuharek, Sgt Albert “Pappy” Dehart, 2nd Lt Fred Olivi, S/S Edward Buckley, Capt Kermit Beahan, Maj Charles Sweeney (pilot), S/S Raymond Gallagher, Capt James Van Pelt, 1st Lt Charles “Don” Albury, and Cpl Abe Spitzer. (U.S. Air Force photo) </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14124" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It’s unimaginable the amount of fury that was unleashed after the bomb bay doors were opened on this plane on August 9, 1945. While the U.S. government justified the atomic attack by estimating tens of millions of lives were saved by ending the war that way, there were still 129,000 to 226,000 Japanese people who perished in the two attacks. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="716" height="511" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-6-2.jpg?resize=716%2C511&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14128" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-6-2.jpg?w=716&ssl=1 716w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-6-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Bockscar</em> en route to Japan with the atomic bomb on board. (National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14125" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood near the cockpit of <em>Bockscar</em>, I thought about the unfortunate and unlucky people of Nagasaki. After all, their city was the secondary target. Bad weather and zero visibility had forced the crew to abandon their primary target of Kokura, Japan.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14126" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?w=1712&ssl=1 1712w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The name <em>Bockscar</em> was derived from the pilot who usually flew the B-29, Capt. Frederick Bock, Jr. On the historic day when Nagasaki was destroyed, Bock piloted <em>The Great Artiste</em> – a B-29 that served as an observation plane during both atomic bombing missions.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14132" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLANE-BOX-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom wanted me to pose alongside his namesake, the <em>Fat Man</em> atomic bomb. Obviously, this was an exact replica and not the bomb that was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="956" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?resize=800%2C956&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14131" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?w=1324&ssl=1 1324w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?resize=251%2C300&ssl=1 251w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?resize=857%2C1024&ssl=1 857w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?resize=768%2C918&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BOMB-NAG.jpg?resize=1286%2C1536&ssl=1 1286w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This was the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. Thankfully, <em>Fat Man</em> was the last atomic weapon detonated during wartime.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As the three of us finished our time near <em>Bockscar</em>, I nearly laughed out loud when I heard Vicki nonchalantly say to my photographer: “When you kept saying we were going to see <em>Bockscar</em>, I thought you meant a railroad boxcar, not a huge airplane. I kept wondering to myself why a train car would be on display at an Air Force Museum.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My time near that B-29 bomber gave me a huge dose of reality – a wake-up call, so to speak, about the evils of war. In my resin mind, over 99 percent of the human population on this planet are good people who just want to live life and take care of their families the best way possible. In some nations, however, it’s the folks in a leadership role who have made the world an unstable environment in which to co-exist. Those leaders do their best to squash the freedom of their own citizens and then they threaten war against others who try to help those citizens live free. And since that summer day in 1945, when the <em>Fat Man</em> was dropped over Nagasaki and the mushroom cloud billowed skyward, our world has been changed forever. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At a dinner party for some friends in the late 1940s, Albert Einstein was asked what weapons he thought would be used in World War III. After a moment of reflection and deep thought, he said he wasn’t sure what weapons would be used in that war. Einstein continued, however, by saying there was no doubt which weapons would be used in World War IV. “Stone spears.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the three of us were back in the Jeep and headed south towards North Bend, Ohio, a final thought popped into my head that was fueled by my visit alongside <em>Bockscar</em>. It was something I heard while my photographer watched the movie ‘Iron Man’ on television in the recent past. In one scene, Tony Stark was asked about world peace. Stark said to the reporter: “My old man had a philosophy – peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">For the sake of our planet and everyone on it, let’s hope Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have “sticks” the size of their…. well, let’s just think of a word that rhymes with ‘Venus’. </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://eyesofjefferson.com/222-just-plane-fun-on-black-friday-in-dayton/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14021</post-id> </item> <item> <title>124: “FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO”</title> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/124-four-score-and-seven-years-ago/</link> <comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/124-four-score-and-seven-years-ago/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2021 03:32:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Abraham Lincoln]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bedford County Memorial Park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bedford Springs Hotel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Buchanan Hotel Mercersburg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Buchanan Summer White House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dwight Eisenhower house Gettysburg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Evergreen Cemetery Gettysburg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gettysburg Address]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gettysburg Address site]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gettysburg National Cemetery]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gettysburg Pennsylvania]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gettysburg Railroad Station]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Greencastle Pennsylvania]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Harriet Lane birthplace]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Buchanan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Buchanan Birthplace State Park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Watson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lincoln Address Memorial]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McKinley boyhood home Poland Ohio]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mercersburg Pennsylvania]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Moss Spring Cemetery]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philip Livingston]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philip Livingston grave]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Prospect Hill Cemetery]]></category> <category><![CDATA[robber fly]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Soldiers' National Monument]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stony Batter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Old Mansion House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Wills House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category> <category><![CDATA[William McKinley]]></category> <category><![CDATA[York Pennsylvania]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=7356</guid> <description><![CDATA[Thirty-three days had passed since my trip with my photographer and Mongo to Canton and Kent, Ohio. While the COVID-19 pandemic had seemed to slow a bit in the past month, it was definitely not over. Luckily for us, hotels…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Thirty-three days had passed since my trip with my photographer and Mongo to Canton and Kent, Ohio. While the COVID-19 pandemic had seemed to slow a bit in the past month, it was definitely not over. Luckily for us, hotels and some sites began to open up on a scaled-back basis as we headed out on a personal record 23-day trip that was scheduled to take us along the eastern seaboard from New York to South Carolina. My photographer had planned on visiting or travelling through 12 states; unfortunately, some of those states were still considered COVID hotspots. To lessen their exposure, however, Tom and Vicki put together a COVID kit that consisted of hand sanitizer, alcohol spray, rubber gloves, wipes, a thermometer, and a variety of face masks – I had a couple of masks as well. My photographer and his wife also vowed to avoid eating inside restaurants and they’d do their best to avoid large crowds of people. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Not only did we have a lot of Presidential sites penciled into the agenda, Tom also arranged a week-long stay at a beach house in North Carolina’s Outer Banks; his entire family planned on meeting us there. In my mind, I knew that my photographer and his wife would enjoy that week at the ocean with their four grandkids, but it would be a wasted week for me. There were no Presidential sites on Hatteras Island that I knew of. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We left St. Clair, Michigan at 4:30am on Wednesday July 8, 2020 in a rented black Ford Edge. As we headed for Poland, I was in my usual spot inside the camera case situated on the back seat. That’s right, I said Poland. It turned out that it was Poland, Ohio and Tom wanted to take me to the home site where William McKinley lived growing up. After our 283-mile drive, Tom parked the Edge at the Poland Town Hall and he carried me the short distance along South Main Street to the Presidential site.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The McKinley’s left Niles, Ohio and moved to Poland when William was nine years old because of the better schools. The future President left home in 1859 for college in Pennsylvania but returned home a year later because of illness. In 1861, William left again to fight in the Civil War; he returned a second time after the war was over. In 1867, he left Poland for good when he moved to Canton to begin his law practice and kick-start a political career. When we arrived at the site, there was a historical marker situated between the street and the Home Savings Bank parking lot. At some point, McKinley’s boyhood home had been razed; as a matter of fact, locals have called the site “The William McKinley Memorial Parking Lot.” As I posed for a handful of images near the historical marker and the parking lot, I thought about William growing up there; perhaps he walked along Main Street on his way to school or played with friends in their front yard.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="621" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?resize=800%2C621&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7362" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?w=4137&ssl=1 4137w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?resize=300%2C233&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?resize=768%2C596&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C795&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09105-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From the age of nine until he left his family as a young adult, William McKinley lived in a home that once stood at this site along Main Street in Poland, Ohio.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1110" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1110&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7363" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?w=3943&ssl=1 3943w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?resize=216%2C300&ssl=1 216w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1065&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?resize=738%2C1024&ssl=1 738w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0198-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer learned that the McKinley’s family home once stood directly behind me where the handicap parking place was located in the bank’s parking lot. I laughed to myself when I heard the locals refer to the site as “The William McKinley Memorial Parking Lot”.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="594" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?resize=800%2C594&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7364" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?w=4266&ssl=1 4266w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?resize=300%2C223&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?resize=768%2C570&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C760&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09118-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in front of the McKinley boyhood home site in Poland, I envisioned young William playing in the front yard or walking to school along Main Street.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We left Poland without trying any pierogis, kielbasas, or sour cucumber soup and headed southeast into Pennsylvania. Around 12 noon, after a 163-mile ride, we arrived in Bedford – which was located roughly halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. From an opening in the camera case, I saw that we were at the Bedford Springs Hotel – which once served as the Summer White House to President James Buchanan. Located on the outskirts of town, the hotel was known for its nearby freshwater mineral springs that were reputed to have healing powers. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us made the long hike from our parking place behind the hotel to the front of the enormous complex where I posed for some photos. The noon-time temperature was in the mid-90s and my companions fought the uphill route to the building. The hotel was established in 1806 and is one of the last and best-preserved 19th century resorts that’s based on mineral springs. Ten years after it was built, young attorney James Buchanan made his first visit to the hotel and spent most summers there until he became President in 1857. During his Presidency, the Bedford Springs Hotel served as his Summer White House. As a matter of fact, the first transatlantic cable sent from England to the United States was received by President Buchanan at that hotel on August 12, 1858. We went inside where I posed in the lobby; one of the suites; and on a desk that was used by the Buchanan during his many visits to the hotel. As we walked around, we discovered that William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor also used the Bedford Springs Hotel for getaways and meetings.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7366" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?w=4320&ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09122-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Bedford Springs Hotel was built in 1806 and became known for its natural freshwater springs that were reputed by Native Americans to have “healing powers”. The water behind me was a fountain, however, and was not a natural mineral spring.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="479" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?resize=800%2C479&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7368" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?w=5975&ssl=1 5975w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?resize=300%2C180&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?resize=768%2C460&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C614&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?resize=800%2C480&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0213-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Although James Buchanan used the Bedford Springs Hotel as his Summer White House, Presidents W.H. Harrison, Polk, and Taylor also visited there as well.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7369" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?w=4320&ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09138-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I posed just outside the front of the magnificent hotel, I wondered if the four Presidents had once walked through those same front doors.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="616" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?resize=800%2C616&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7370" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?w=3952&ssl=1 3952w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?resize=300%2C231&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?resize=768%2C591&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C788&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09130-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The interior lobby of the hotel was spectacular. Near the spot where I’m standing, I saw several hotel guestbooks that were signed by the Presidents who had stayed here.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1149" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1149&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7371" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?w=3755&ssl=1 3755w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?resize=209%2C300&ssl=1 209w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1103&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?resize=713%2C1024&ssl=1 713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0221-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This Sheraton desk that I’m standing on was used by President James Buchanan during his many visits to the hotel.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1197" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1197&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?w=3421&ssl=1 3421w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1149&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?resize=684%2C1024&ssl=1 684w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0230-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While no one in the hotel could tell us for sure where Buchanan stayed when he was there, we found a meeting room that was a suite in the past. I stood on the room’s fireplace mantel and just below a photograph of the President.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7373" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?w=4320&ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09145-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person at the reception desk mentioned that this section of the hotel was the oldest and was likely there when the four Presidents had stayed there.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When I was carried inside the elaborate hotel, it felt as though I took a step back in time and there were moments when I knew Buchanan’s presence was there; especially when I stood on his desk. We walked inside the air-conditioned hotel and around the grounds for roughly 90 minutes before we made the long hike back to the Edge. Vicki hurried to get the vehicle cooled down before my companions headed north into downtown Bedford. Once there, they enjoyed Subway subs along the shore of the Raystown Branch Juniata River. During lunch, I was surprised to hear my photographer say to his wife: “We’ve been awake since 3am, let’s hit some antique shops in town and spend the night in Bedford. We don’t have to be in a hurry to go anywhere.” I was stunned – it was only two o’clock in the afternoon and he decided to call it quits for the day. Every trip that I’ve been on with that guy was well-orchestrated and we were on the go from sunup to sundown. I started to wonder what the heck was wrong with my photographer. Was he slowing down in his old age? </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="676" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0258-2.jpg?resize=800%2C676&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7377" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0258-2.jpg?w=1525&ssl=1 1525w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0258-2.jpg?resize=300%2C254&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0258-2.jpg?resize=768%2C649&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0258-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C866&ssl=1 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A mallard duck took flight from the shore of the Raystown Branch Juniata River in Bedford, Pennsylvania.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="670" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0251-3.jpg?resize=800%2C670&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7379" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0251-3.jpg?w=885&ssl=1 885w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0251-3.jpg?resize=300%2C251&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0251-3.jpg?resize=768%2C643&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> While my photographer and his wife enjoyed their Subway sandwiches, they saw an osprey who was about to have fresh fish for its meal. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7380" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?w=6000&ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC_0263-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once we had registered and were unpacked at the nearby Quality Inn in Bedford, the three of us spent some time in the tranquil Bedford County Memorial Park. Not only did we visit the 60-foot tall illuminated cross in the cemetery, but the view from that hill was spectacular.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1067" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1067&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7381" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?w=3240&ssl=1 3240w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DSC09149-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in the shadow of the gigantic cross, I was able to spend some time without my mask as there wasn’t another person within a quarter-mile – except dead ones.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After my companions had registered and unpacked their belongings at the Quality Inn a few miles north of downtown Bedford, the three of us spent some time at the nearby Bedford County Memorial Park – which was located across the highway from our motel. In that large cemetery, we walked uphill to a 60-foot tall illuminated cross that we saw from our room. With no one else there, except for the dead, it gave my photographer and his wife a chance to enjoy the peaceful and spectacular view of the area sans masks. Since it seemed as though there weren’t many choices for dinner that were nearby, Tom and Vicki saw that Champs Chicken had very good on-line reviews and it was located inside the Shell gas station that was located in front of the cemetery. When we got there, I thought about Clark W. Griswold: “I’m so hungry I could eat chicken from a gas station.” In our room, where my companions ate their ‘Champs’, I laughed when Tom said out loud: “This has to be the worst dried-out chicken and rancid mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. I can’t believe anyone would write a good review of that food.” </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Day One of our long trip had come to an end. After the lights went out at 8:30pm, I stood alongside the television set throughout the night and thought about the Lincoln sites I would see in Gettysburg the following afternoon. And although I knew that Tom had looked forward to Gettysburg as well, it was our scheduled stop before Gettysburg that he had anticipated for quite some time. My photographer was about to “meet” his fifth great grandfather; it was a reunion that I figured would be revolutionary and was 189 years in the making.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>**********</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We got an early start to our day on Thursday July 9, 2019 as we were packed and on the road by 6:45am. The sun was shining, and the sky was cloudless as we made the 43-mile drive to the place where our 15th President James Buchanan was born. James Buchanan Birthplace State Park was located a half mile or so west of the small village of Cove Gap, Pennsylvania; and at first, the drive along the narrow roadway into the woods seemed eerie. When we arrived at the birthplace site, the three of us were alone; with the exception of a lone female camper whose tent was about a hundred yards away.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">In the distance, I saw a 31-foot-tall pyramid that marked the spot where James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791. That memorial, which was placed there by the efforts of Buchanan’s niece Harriet Lane Johnston, represented the Stony Batter complex that James Buchanan, Sr. owned. The Buchanan property once included cabins, barns, stables, storehouses, a general store, and an orchard. Young James lived at Stony Batter until the age of six before his father moved his business into nearby Mercersburg. That small town was where Tom had planned on taking me after our visit in the woods.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7388" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?w=4000&ssl=1 4000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0284-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was an honor for me to visit the birthplace site of President James Buchanan. The pyramid behind me represented the exact spot where Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="535" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?resize=800%2C535&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7389" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?w=5643&ssl=1 5643w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?resize=300%2C201&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?resize=768%2C513&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C685&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0277-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Although I thought the stone pyramid was okay, I had wished the Stony Batter cabin in Mercersburg would’ve been preserved at this site instead.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="626" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?resize=800%2C626&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7390" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?w=4085&ssl=1 4085w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?resize=300%2C235&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?resize=768%2C601&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C801&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09151-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Harriet Lane Johnston, who was James Buchanan’s niece, spearheaded the effort to have the 31-foot tall stone pyramid erected on the President’s birth site.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7391" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?w=4171&ssl=1 4171w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09160-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The stone tablet on the pyramid read: ‘This monument marks the birthplace of James Buchanan; fifteenth President of the United States; Born 23 April 1791, Died 1 June 1868’.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The peacefulness was deafening in the Buchanan Birthplace State Park; the silence was broken only by the occasional whistle of songbirds. While I thought the 31-foot-tall pyramid at the site was better than a typical historical marker, there was no doubt in my mind that the Stony Batter cabin in Mercersburg belonged in that woods. I figured the potential of vandalism to the cabin, however, was likely the main reason the birth home was moved from it’s original location.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After my photographer and his wife walked around the site and enjoyed the natural sounds of boredom, we made the four-mile jaunt into Mercersburg where Tom tried to find the Stony Batter cabin that was on the campus of Mercersburg Academy – a private prep-school that was established in 1836. Vicki drove around the school’s campus until my camera guy spotted the log cabin; it stood alone in historical solitude near the Academy’s football field. As Tom carried me towards Stony Batter, the small log cabin where James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791, I questioned it’s authenticity. To me, the cabin almost looked too pristine. It turned out, however, that Penn State scientists performed a tree-ring analysis on the logs in 2011 and discovered that those logs pre-dated the birth of Buchanan. When Stony Batter was removed from the original birthplace site, it had been moved three or four times before it found a permanent home in Mercersburg in 1953.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="596" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?resize=800%2C596&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7394" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?w=4094&ssl=1 4094w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?resize=300%2C223&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?resize=768%2C572&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C763&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09170-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This small log cabin was owned by James Buchanan, Sr. and once stood at his Stony Batter complex where his son, the future 15th President, was born.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="599" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?resize=800%2C599&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7395" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?w=5221&ssl=1 5221w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?resize=300%2C224&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?resize=768%2C575&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C766&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0298-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While I stood on the window sill of Stony Batter, I wondered if this cabin was indeed the actual birthplace of James Buchanan. I wanted to believe it was!</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="721" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?resize=800%2C721&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7396" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?w=3699&ssl=1 3699w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?resize=300%2C270&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?resize=768%2C692&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C923&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0309-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer tried to open the cabin’s door, but it was locked; likely due to the virus or due to lack of interest. But from my vantagepoint as I looked through the window, it didn’t appear there was much inside anyway.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="615" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?resize=800%2C615&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7397" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?w=4199&ssl=1 4199w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?resize=300%2C230&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?resize=768%2C590&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C787&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09175-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Following his birth in this cabin, James Buchanan lived in the small home until age six.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">From Stony Batter, we headed into the city center of Mercersburg that was only a few blocks away. The three of us set out on foot to find a few of the James Buchanan sites that were there; including the Buchanan Hotel – which was his boyhood home; the Colonel Murphy hotel where Buchanan gave his first campaign speech; and the birthplace home of his White House hostess Harriet Lane. Mercersburg was a quaint town with a population of roughly 1,500 residents. My companions ended their 25-minute stroll through historic downtown with a visit to the One North Coffee and Bake Shop where Vicki ordered a bagel and Tom enjoyed a frozen lemonade smoothie.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="620" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?resize=800%2C620&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7398" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?w=4139&ssl=1 4139w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?resize=300%2C232&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?resize=768%2C595&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C793&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09182-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Buchanan Hotel, which was built in 1796, was once the boyhood home of James Buchanan. The Buchanan’s moved there when James was six.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7399" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?w=4320&ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09180-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">By the time James Buchanan was ten years old, his father was one of the town’s leading businessmen. The young Buchanan learned a lot by watching his father run this hotel.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="626" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?resize=800%2C626&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7400" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?w=4069&ssl=1 4069w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?resize=300%2C235&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?resize=768%2C601&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C802&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09185-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">James Buchanan was 16 years old when he left Mercersburg for college.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="607" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?resize=800%2C607&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7401" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?w=4249&ssl=1 4249w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?resize=300%2C228&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?resize=768%2C583&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C777&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09191-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing in front of the Lane House, which was located across Main Street from the Buchanan Hotel. In this house, on May 9, 1830, Harriet Lane was born. Harriet was the niece of James Buchanan and served as his White House hostess during his Presidency. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="631" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?resize=800%2C631&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7402" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?w=4047&ssl=1 4047w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?resize=300%2C237&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?resize=768%2C606&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C808&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09200-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Built in 1798 as the Old Mansion House, Colonel Murphy purchased this place in 1845 and turned it into a hotel that he ran for 19 years. On July 3, 1863, a Confederate soldier was killed when shooting began from the hotel’s kitchen.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7403" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?w=4320&ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09203-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In 1856, James Buchanan gave a speech on this balcony; he was heckled by a group of young boys because of his position on slavery. That address became his first speech of his Presidential campaign.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1064" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0334-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1064&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7404" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0334-2.jpg?w=967&ssl=1 967w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0334-2.jpg?resize=226%2C300&ssl=1 226w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0334-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1021&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0334-2.jpg?resize=770%2C1024&ssl=1 770w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Located a short distance from Col. Murphy’s Hotel was a statue of James Buchanan. Since I wasn’t impressed by the likeness of the President, I refused to pose with the sculpture.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Even though it was only 9:10am, the morning temperature had already topped 90 degrees, which made Tom’s frozen lemonade taste that much better. But while that cold drink and the Edge’s air conditioning helped chill his body, the goose bumps that my photographer had developed all over his body came from something else. After an eleven-mile ride into the town of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, Vicki parked our vehicle just outside the main gate of the Moss Spring Cemetery. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">A year or two earlier, Tom discovered from his ‘Ancestry.com’ family tree that his fifth great grandfather, James Watson, had lived in Greencastle and was buried in that small cemetery. With a little research from that point on, my photographer also found out that his ancestor had fought in the Revolutionary War and was commissioned as captain of the “Flying Camp” battalion on July 8, 1776 – just four days after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Ironically, at least for my photographer, was the fact that his ancestor’s commission was signed by John Morton – one of the 56 Signer’s of the Declaration of Independence. Then another pleasant surprise was revealed: James Watson’s mother, Ann (Stephenson) Watson, had a sister named Hannah Stephenson who was the great great grandmother of President William McKinley. When I heard that, I thought to myself: “For Tom, the ultimate Presidential enthusiast, it doesn’t get much better than that!” But I was wrong – it got a lot better. It turned out that after he served in the Revolutionary War, James Watson moved to Greencastle in 1795 and was appointed as the town’s first Postmaster, as well as Justice of the Peace, by none other than President George Washington. While he was the Justice of the Peace for only 19 years, James remained Postmaster of Greencastle for more than 30 years. As a matter of fact, his son John Watson followed in his father’s footsteps and served as Greencastle’s Postmaster for several decades as well. When Tom saw the Postmaster information in a book that Vicki had came across at the cemetery, a huge smile filled his face. My photographer’s own father, Charles Watson, was a mailman in Marine City, Michigan for over 30 years before his retirement in the late 1980s. “That’s amazing – my family was first involved with the United States Post Office in 1795; and nearly 200 years later, my dad was still delivering the mail, too!” Tom said with pride. “I guess I missed my true calling!”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us were lucky that the Moss Spring Cemetery wasn’t very large as some of the ancient headstones were difficult to read. As we carefully walked among the markers, Tom saw an enclosed plot near the back of the graveyard. When the two of us approached the front of that family burial plot, my photographer yelled out to his wife: “Here he is; I found him! It’s James Watson – my fifth great grandfather!” By the look on Tom’s face, it was easy to see how excited he was as he stood alongside the ancient tombstone of his grandfather-times-five. I was happy for him; and when my photographer set me onto his ancestor’s grave, I was truly honored.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="543" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?resize=800%2C543&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7407" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?w=5632&ssl=1 5632w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?resize=300%2C204&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?resize=768%2C521&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C695&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0338-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom captured this image at the entrance to Moss Spring Cemetery in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. After a five-minute search, my photographer found the Watson family plot near the rear of the small burial ground.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7408" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?w=4000&ssl=1 4000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0347-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Since there was only three of us in the cemetery, my photographer didn’t make me wear the darned mask as I posed for a picture on the grave of James Watson and his wife Elizabeth.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1138" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1138&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7409" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?w=3461&ssl=1 3461w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?resize=211%2C300&ssl=1 211w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1092&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?resize=720%2C1024&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0388-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood on the grave of Tom’s fifth great grandfather, it dawned on me that when James Watson was appointed Postmaster of Greencastle, there were no dead Presidents of the United States.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?resize=800%2C576&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7410" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?w=5552&ssl=1 5552w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?resize=300%2C216&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?resize=768%2C553&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C738&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0351-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">James Watson, born in 1743, died at the age of 88 on July 2, 1831; which was nearly five years to the day after Thomas Jefferson, also born in 1743, had died at the age of 83 on July 4, 1826. The other four graves located next to James and Elizabeth belonged to some of their children: The closest was John Watson, then David, and Elizabeth and finally Isabella Watson.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="567" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?resize=800%2C567&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7411" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?w=5248&ssl=1 5248w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?resize=300%2C212&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?resize=768%2C544&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C725&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0404-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Thanks to ‘Ancestry.com’, my photographer was able to enjoy a quiet family reunion at Moss Spring Cemetery in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Tom was proud that his fifth great grandfather knew Declaration Signer John Morton, as well as President George Washington. It was equally as cool that his fifth great grandmother’s sister was the great great grandmother to President William McKinley. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1339" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0355-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1339&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7412" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0355-2.jpg?w=1218&ssl=1 1218w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0355-2.jpg?resize=179%2C300&ssl=1 179w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0355-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1286&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0355-2.jpg?resize=612%2C1024&ssl=1 612w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As we were about to leave the cemetery, Tom spotted an unusual looking insect on James Watson’s headstone. After a little research, my photographer believed it was a robber fly.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">In the past seven years, I had been to some of the most historic places in the United States. But on that Thursday morning in the small town of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, that experience with my photographer may have been the best of all. After Tom said goodbye to his fifth great grandfather and grandmother, we slowly made our way back to the Edge that was parked just outside of the graveyard. There was no doubt in my mind that our visit to Moss Spring Cemetery had moved him; so much so, in fact, that my camera guy wanted to find out more information about his family before we left town. First, we stopped at the Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, which didn’t reveal anything new. However, the friendly woman inside told him about the museum that was located about five blocks away. When we arrived there, that second stop proved futile as well – the pandemic had kept the museum’s doors closed. When the three of us left Greencastle, I knew that my photographer had grown closer to his fifth great grandfather; but I also sensed that Tom needed more. Were there artifacts, uniforms, postal records, portraits of his ancestor in that museum? Was his house still in town? Were there any living descendants in Greencastle – a remote relative that Tom could’ve met? As Vicki drove the vehicle out of town, I knew in my resin-filled heart that we would someday return.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After a 35-mile drive through the sprawling hills of southern Pennsylvania, we arrived in historic Gettysburg just before 12 noon. Although it was my first visit to Gettysburg, I knew it wouldn’t be my last; mainly because the biggest Presidential site in town, the Eisenhower Farm, was closed due to COVID-19. But the virus wasn’t about to dampen Tom’s spirits; while Ike was out, we still had Abe – and that wasn’t too shabby. Our first stop was one that my photographer had been excited to see for a few years – it was the exact location where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. Over the years, historians had tried to pinpoint the spot where Lincoln’s dedicatory platform had been erected. After a comprehensive photographic analysis was completed in 1995, it was determined without much doubt that the site of the dedication platform was inside the private Evergreen Cemetery rather than in the public Gettysburg National Cemetery as was originally thought. As a matter of fact, the analysis pinpointed three existing headstones in Evergreen that marked the platform site. Once Vicki had our vehicle inside Evergreen Cemetery, it took nearly 15 minutes of searching before we found the graves of George Kitzmiller, Israel Yount, and John Koch. When Tom placed me on the ground in the center of those three headstones, I couldn’t help but say to myself: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="536" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?resize=800%2C536&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7416" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?w=5600&ssl=1 5600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?resize=300%2C201&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?resize=768%2C515&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C686&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0425-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this image, I’m standing on the hallowed ground where Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. Historians have proven the dedicatory platform stood between the graves of George Kitzmiller (foreground to the right), Israel Yount (tallest stone to the left) and John Koch (dark gray marker in the back right).</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="450" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7417" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?w=2169&ssl=1 2169w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LINCOLN-AT-GETTYSBURG.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The red arrow points to Abraham Lincoln in the only known image of the President in Gettysburg on November 19, 1863.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="622" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?resize=800%2C622&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7418" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?w=3853&ssl=1 3853w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?resize=300%2C233&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?resize=768%2C597&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C796&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09209-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Standing in the footsteps of the Presidents is always a goal of mine. But it’s hard to find a more sacred spot where a President once stood than where Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="548" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?resize=800%2C548&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7419" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?w=5814&ssl=1 5814w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?resize=300%2C206&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?resize=768%2C526&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C702&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0430-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Abraham Lincoln’s “few appropriate remarks” in his ten sentence, 272-word address is arguably the most famous speech in American history – and it occurred where I’m standing inside Evergreen Cemetery. In this photo, I’m facing the same direction that President Lincoln faced when he delivered his Gettysburg Address.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="542" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?resize=800%2C542&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7420" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?w=5828&ssl=1 5828w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?resize=300%2C203&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?resize=768%2C520&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C694&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0436-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even though this was not the site of the Gettysburg Address, it was still cool to pose at the Lincoln Address Memorial that was erected in Gettysburg National Cemetery in 1912.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1113" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1113&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7421" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?w=3708&ssl=1 3708w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?resize=216%2C300&ssl=1 216w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1069&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?resize=736%2C1024&ssl=1 736w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0438-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my position next to the bust of President Lincoln, I thought to myself that the Lincoln Address Memorial should be moved to the actual site inside Evergreen Cemetery.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1124" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1124&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7423" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?w=3460&ssl=1 3460w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?resize=213%2C300&ssl=1 213w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1079&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?resize=729%2C1024&ssl=1 729w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0446-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Soldiers’ National Monument was located in the center of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Contrary to popular belief, that statue does not rest on the site of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our time inside Evergreen Cemetery turned out to be an emotional stop for me. It’s hard to describe the feeling I had when I stood on the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln had arrived in Gettysburg while the Civil War still raged on; and it was only four months after the bloody three-day Battle of Gettysburg had taken place. His purpose was to help dedicate the new Gettysburg National Cemetery where Union soldiers who had died in the battle were being buried. While Lincoln’s short ten-sentence, 272-word address was not the primary speech of the day, it became one of the most well-known speeches in American history. As we prepared to leave the site and head next door to the National Cemetery, I envisioned President Lincoln as he finished his speech: “That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” I imagine that every one of the 10,000 people who were in attendance that November had goosebumps when the President recited that line; I know I had little bumps on my resin body just thinking about it. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us walked through a section of the Gettysburg National Cemetery where I posed at the Lincoln Address Memorial for a few photos. Even though the early afternoon temperature became uncomfortable for my photographer and his wife, we made the 300-yard hike to the Soldiers’ National Monument that was dedicated on July 1, 1869 and marked the central point of the cemetery. During Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the President faced the large flag pole that stood where the Soldiers’ National Monument was later erected. At one time, most people believed that the large monument marked the site of the Gettysburg Address; but photographic evidence proved that to be erroneous. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After my companions had dined on their McDonald’s lunch in their SUV on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Vicki navigated our Ford Edge into the center of the city where she parked near Lincoln Square. From there, Tom carried me to a large red brick home that stood on the southeast corner of the square. At roughly 6:00pm on November 18, 1863, Lincoln was escorted two blocks from the train station to the home of David Wills where he spent the night. Wills owned the largest home on the square and was also the principal backer for the national cemetery that was to be dedicated the following day. Abraham Lincoln stayed in a large upstairs bedroom where he polished-off the final details of what became his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln also returned to the house after the dedication ceremony where he had an early dinner and greeted visitors in the home’s main hallway before he departed for Washington. Although I was photographed near the exterior of the house, the COVID-19 pandemic had forced the historic home to be closed – which meant I couldn’t visit the room where Lincoln had slept. I found it very ironic, however, that when President Lincoln stayed overnight in the Wills House, it’s believed he suffered from a mild case of smallpox and was a bit ‘under the weather’ when he delivered his historic address. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="593" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?resize=800%2C593&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7424" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?w=4300&ssl=1 4300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?resize=300%2C222&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?resize=768%2C569&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C758&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09220-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The David Wills house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was where Abraham Lincoln spent the night before he delivered his famous address on November 19, 1863.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1055" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1055&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7425" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?w=3220&ssl=1 3220w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?resize=227%2C300&ssl=1 227w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1013&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?resize=776%2C1024&ssl=1 776w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09223-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The large upstairs bedroom where Lincoln stayed was located behind the two second-floor windows on the right side of the photo</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7426" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?w=6000&ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0466-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood on the window of the Wills House, it was as though I could see President Lincoln walk out of the nearby front door as he headed towards the national cemetery to deliver his Gettysburg Address.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="996" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?resize=800%2C996&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7428" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?w=2069&ssl=1 2069w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?resize=241%2C300&ssl=1 241w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?resize=768%2C956&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?resize=823%2C1024&ssl=1 823w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09227-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As the statue of Lincoln portrayed the President pointing his hat towards his bedroom at the David Wills house, I was surprised that my photographer didn’t put a mask over my mouth and nose. After all, Lincoln likely had small pox during his visit to Gettysburg and we were in the middle of the COVID pandemic.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Due to the extreme heat, we drove to the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station that was only two blocks north of the Wills House. The historic train station was in operation from 1858 to 1942. The station’s biggest ‘claim to fame’ was when Abraham Lincoln arrived there at 6:00pm on November 18, 1863 and departed for Washington 24 hours later from the same depot. Tom snapped a handful of images of me near the train station, but due to the virus we couldn’t venture inside. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When our visit to the Gettysburg Station had ended, both Tom and I figured that we were finished with the Presidential sites in Gettysburg – but we were wrong. As Vicki drove around the block to get out of town, my photographer noticed a historical marker that had the words ‘Dwight D. Eisenhower’ on it. It turned out to be a very nice house on Washington Street where Dwight, Mamie, and their son Icky lived from May to September 1918. When the Eisenhower’s lived there, it was the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house at Gettysburg College and students were away during the summer months. During their time in that two-story brick house, Mamie called it “our first family home”.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="574" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?resize=800%2C574&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7429" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?w=5548&ssl=1 5548w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?resize=300%2C215&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?resize=768%2C551&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C735&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0480-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m small and likely hard to see as I stood on a corner window sill of the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7430" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?w=6000&ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0486-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my position on the train station’s window sill, I stared out at the tracks and envisioned President Lincoln as he emerged from one of the cars. Hundreds of people had gathered around this station to greet the President upon his arrival on November 18, 1863.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="953" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?resize=800%2C953&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7431" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?w=3993&ssl=1 3993w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?resize=252%2C300&ssl=1 252w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?resize=768%2C915&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?resize=860%2C1024&ssl=1 860w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0498-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing on the porch rail of the 1918 Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house where Captain Dwight Eisenhower, Mamie and son Icky lived from May to September 1918.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="559" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?resize=800%2C559&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7432" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?w=5157&ssl=1 5157w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?resize=300%2C210&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?resize=768%2C537&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C716&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0499-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When he was commander of Camp Colt in Gettysburg, Dwight and Mamie fell in love with the area. When Dwight retired from the military, the Eisenhower’s made their home in Gettysburg – just west of Seminary Ridge.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our Gettysburg experience finished at 2:30pm and we began our journey eastward towards the Lancaster area of southern Pennsylvania. Tom had promised his wife a day of visiting Amish antique stores while they were in Amish Country, which gave me a great reason to not venture out of my camera case for the entire time. Roughly an hour into the trip, my photographer decided he wanted us to stay in York; primarily because he had visited that historic city in 1991 on his Declaration of Independence Tour with Mongo and he wanted to go back. Vicki found a great rate at the Holiday Inn Express on the northeast outskirts of York. Once we registered and my companions had lugged their stuff to our room, the three of us headed into the historic area of downtown York, Pennsylvania.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Two Signers of the Declaration of Independence were buried in York. James Smith’s remains were interred in the First Presbyterian Churchyard and Philip Livingston was buried across town in Prospect Hill Cemetery. It was 5:00pm when Vicki parked our vehicle across the street from the First Presbyterian Church. While his wife stayed in the vehicle, Tom carried me towards the church where he attempted to find an open gate to the burial ground and ultimately to the gravesite of Colonel James Smith. Either because of the time of day or due to the virus, my photographer was unable to find any entryway into the churchyard. I was disappointed as I wanted to stand on the Signer’s grave and pay tribute to James Smith; but Tom decided he didn’t want to risk climbing the fence. It wasn’t because the iron barricade was difficult to scale, my photographer didn’t want to chance getting arrested for trespassing. Had Smith been a President, it may have been a different story with an entirely different ending.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The two of us returned to the Edge empty-handed and disappointed; but we had one more Signer to visit. Vicki drove our vehicle north for two miles where we entered Prospect Hill Cemetery. Once inside, we began the arduous task of finding the final resting place of Philip Livingston. Luckily for us, Tom had an image of Livingston’s ornate tombstone on his phone – it looked like a large trophy with a cup on top. After a fifteen-minute tour all around the hilly cemetery, we found the Signer’s tombstone in the last place we looked. Of course, who would find the grave and then keep looking for it? While my photographer’s wife stayed in the Edge and talked to her daughter on the phone, Tom carried me to the ten-foot tall granite “trophy” and placed me on the only flat surface he could find; which was just above the name plate. In 1776, Livingston was a member of the Second Continental Congress and represented New York when he signed the Declaration of Independence. When the Capitol was moved to York on September 30, 1777, Livingston went there to represent his colony. On June 12, 1778, Philip Livingston died suddenly at the age of 62 while attending a session of Congress; he was originally buried in the churchyard of the German Reformed Church in downtown York. Years later, he was re-interred at Prospect Hill Cemetery when a Sunday School was added to the churchyard and all of the graves were moved. As I stood on Livingston’s tombstone, I thought about his dedication to our nation – especially when the darned British Army captured two of his New York City homes; causing his family to flee for their safety. Unfortunately, Philip Livingston never lived long enough to see American independence won. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7436" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?w=6000&ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0512-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The churchyard burial ground of the First Presbyterian Church in York, Pennsylvania was closed when we arrived. Tom told me that James Smith’s grave was located behind the foliage at the right side of the frame.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1130" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1130&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7437" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?w=3817&ssl=1 3817w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?resize=212%2C300&ssl=1 212w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1084&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?resize=725%2C1024&ssl=1 725w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0516-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was a true honor for me to stand on the tombstone of Philip Livingston, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence. It took nearly 15 minutes to find the grave, but the effort was worthwhile – at least to me.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1135" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1135&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7438" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?w=3846&ssl=1 3846w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?resize=212%2C300&ssl=1 212w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1089&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?resize=722%2C1024&ssl=1 722w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0520-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Philip Livingston died on June 12, 1778 while attending a session of Congress when the United States Capitol was in York. Just 15 days after Livingston’s death, the Capitol returned to Philadelphia.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="951" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?resize=800%2C951&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7444" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?w=3091&ssl=1 3091w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?resize=252%2C300&ssl=1 252w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?resize=768%2C913&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?resize=862%2C1024&ssl=1 862w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC09244-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Above me was a pure blue sky; below me was a pure patriot – Philip Livingston.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="485" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?resize=800%2C485&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7439" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?w=5965&ssl=1 5965w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?resize=300%2C182&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?resize=768%2C466&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C621&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0521-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From our position near Philip Livingston’s grave in Prospect Hill Cemetery, we had a good view of York in the distance.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-7441" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?w=6000&ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0523-2.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer’s wife never left the Edge during our visit to Philip Livingston’s grave in Prospect Hill Cemetery.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During the six-mile drive from Prospect Hill Cemetery back to the Holiday Inn, my photographer and his wife stopped at a nearby Texas Roadhouse for two dinner salads and some rolls. Back in the hotel room, Tom placed me in my usual spot alongside the television where I got to watch them eat their dinner. While I wasn’t thrilled about our Amish agenda scheduled for Friday, I did enjoy the sites we saw on Thursday. I knew the highlight for Tom was our visit to his fifth great grandfather’s gravesite; but my favorite moment was when I stood on the exact location of the dedicatory platform where Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address in 1863. As a matter of fact, when the lights went out in our room around 9:00pm, it was as though I could see Lincoln as he began his speech; except his address was directed to me as I stood near the platform in Evergreen Cemetery: “Seven score and seventeen years ago, your President brought forth to Gettysburg a new belief, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the ideals that all bobble heads are not created equal. Now we are engaged in a great COVID war, testing whether our nation, or any nation so infected, can long endure. The world will little note, nor long remember what was said there, but it can never forget what we did there. It is rather for us to be dedicated in avoiding the great risk that’s before us – and have an increased devotion that those who perished from the virus have not died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new resolve to our freedom from masks and social distancing. And that government of the bobble heads, by the bobble heads, for the bobble heads, shall not perish from the earth.”</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://eyesofjefferson.com/124-four-score-and-seven-years-ago/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7356</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>