Cincinnati and the Taft National Historic Site
I'm in Cincinnati, Ohio, a cornucopia for 
potus_geeks. I'm staying at a hotel next to a big statue of James Garfield, even though he mostly hung out in the north part of the state, I'm told. I managed to fit in a visit to the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. Allow me to share some of what I saw with you.
1-2. The statue of President Garfield, next to a hotel named after him, both on a street named after him.
3-5. The exterior of the site. My rental car is the only one in the parking lot.
6. I received a tour led by a very nice young park ranger who knew a lot about Presidents even though her major was middle eastern studies. First I watched a 15 minute film on Taft and when I left the theatre, this guy was there to greet me.
7. One of the exhibits, outlining Taft's "life of service."
8-9. The original Taft home has been refurbished to look as it did when the Tafts lived there. It was sold a couple of times and even turned into apartments and therefore little in the place is original. But the reconstruction is based on how it looked when Taft's parents and young Willie lived there. This is a family room. The green hose is a gas line for the gas lamp. The second room is a parlor. Apparently long drapes were a sign of affluence. The style was for the rich to have long curtains to show that they could afford the material.
10. A portion of an exhibit about "young Will".
11. Before he was president, Taft was Solicitor General of the United States (in Benjamin Harrison's administration) and then an appellate court judge, also appointed by Harrison, all in his 30s. So what did you accomplish in your 30s?
12. Taft was Governor of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War under President McKinley.
13. Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft Secretary of War. He looks pretty fierce in that fur-collared coat.
14. I chuckled at this very unflattering picture of Taft's backside.
15. When Taft learned by telephone that he won the Republican nomination for President in 1908, there just happened to be a photographer in the room.
16. This is part of an exhibit about the 1908 election. There was also an audio clip of some sound bytes of Taft and William Jennings Bryan from that election campaign.
17-19. Portions of the display about Taft's presidency, including his falling out with Theodore Roosevelt, leading to the election of Woodrow Wilson.
20. Here is Taft saying goodbye to his son Charlie as the latter heads off to fight in the great war (world war one.)
21. The caption to this photo, taken of Taft when he was a law professor at Yale, reads "at Yale as part of the training for the Home Defense Guards, Professor Taft practiced calisthenics." Can you spot Big Bill in the picture?
22. The Taft family.
Flippancy aside, I very much enjoyed this museum. The staff were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, and the museum itself is terrific. If you find yourself in Cincinnati, I highly recommend the trek to 2038 Auburn Avenue. Oh and I should also mention, it's free!
potus_geeks. I'm staying at a hotel next to a big statue of James Garfield, even though he mostly hung out in the north part of the state, I'm told. I managed to fit in a visit to the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. Allow me to share some of what I saw with you. 1-2. The statue of President Garfield, next to a hotel named after him, both on a street named after him.
3-5. The exterior of the site. My rental car is the only one in the parking lot.
6. I received a tour led by a very nice young park ranger who knew a lot about Presidents even though her major was middle eastern studies. First I watched a 15 minute film on Taft and when I left the theatre, this guy was there to greet me.
7. One of the exhibits, outlining Taft's "life of service."
8-9. The original Taft home has been refurbished to look as it did when the Tafts lived there. It was sold a couple of times and even turned into apartments and therefore little in the place is original. But the reconstruction is based on how it looked when Taft's parents and young Willie lived there. This is a family room. The green hose is a gas line for the gas lamp. The second room is a parlor. Apparently long drapes were a sign of affluence. The style was for the rich to have long curtains to show that they could afford the material.
10. A portion of an exhibit about "young Will".
11. Before he was president, Taft was Solicitor General of the United States (in Benjamin Harrison's administration) and then an appellate court judge, also appointed by Harrison, all in his 30s. So what did you accomplish in your 30s?
12. Taft was Governor of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War under President McKinley.
13. Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft Secretary of War. He looks pretty fierce in that fur-collared coat.
14. I chuckled at this very unflattering picture of Taft's backside.
15. When Taft learned by telephone that he won the Republican nomination for President in 1908, there just happened to be a photographer in the room.
16. This is part of an exhibit about the 1908 election. There was also an audio clip of some sound bytes of Taft and William Jennings Bryan from that election campaign.
17-19. Portions of the display about Taft's presidency, including his falling out with Theodore Roosevelt, leading to the election of Woodrow Wilson.
20. Here is Taft saying goodbye to his son Charlie as the latter heads off to fight in the great war (world war one.)
21. The caption to this photo, taken of Taft when he was a law professor at Yale, reads "at Yale as part of the training for the Home Defense Guards, Professor Taft practiced calisthenics." Can you spot Big Bill in the picture?
22. The Taft family.
Flippancy aside, I very much enjoyed this museum. The staff were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, and the museum itself is terrific. If you find yourself in Cincinnati, I highly recommend the trek to 2038 Auburn Avenue. Oh and I should also mention, it's free!