On July 10, 2013 I was on my first Presidential site trip. Our first stop was at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio; home of our 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes. Once there, I was immediately carried to the front of Spiegel Grove and posed for my first photograph at a Presidential site. Although I was excited, my excitement was short-lived as emergency sirens blared throughout town. We had no time to waste and there definitely was no time to tour the interior.
As the sirens wailed in the background, I found myself standing on the tombstone of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes. President Hayes died in his bedroom at Spiegel Grove on January 17, 1893 from a heart attack. His final words were: “I know I’m going where Lucy is.” On that day, I went where they both were; but due to the storm, my visit was short-lived. My only hope was that we could get back to the car and out of town before the storm hit.
As I was carried past the Hayes Presidential Library headed for the parking lot, the storm hit. My photographer, his wife Vicki, and I took refuge in the basement of the library, which had lost power. Emergency lights kept us from being totally in the dark. Fifteen minutes of wondering what was going on outside, the storm had passed. We walked outside and saw the carnage; luckily, our car was spared from a tree that was blown over – but others were not so lucky. Below are photographs from the aftermath of the storm.
Unfortunately for some of the visitors to the Hayes site, their vehicles did not escape damage. Our Avenger missed damage by about 15 feet.
Luckily Spiegel Grove escaped any major damage from the storm, but the same could not be said for the giant oak known as ‘Grover Cleveland’. The historic tree was destroyed by the strong winds.
Once we knew the home had escaped damage, we went back to the Hayes burial ground to make sure the grave had survived the storm as well. Although the area was littered with branches and leaves, it appeared the Hayes’ were still resting in peace.
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
