Truman Home - Harry S Truman National Historic Site

Our August 2017 visit to the Harry S Truman National Historic Site continued with a guided tour of the Truman Home. Tours are limited to eight visitors and last about 30 minutes. Our tour included most of the ground floor of the house. The tour only allows a view from the doorway into several of the rooms. The house is furnished as it was during the Truman's retirement years. Photography is not allowed inside the house. The tour normally includes walking out the kitchen door onto the rear porch to view the grounds. Due to equipment in operation while a contractor was painting the exterior of the house, we had to stay inside and retrace our steps to the front door. The ranger conducting the tour was very knowledgeable of the routines of the Truman family and pointed out the few presidential artifacts the Trumans displayed in their home. Harry's hat and cane were still hung on the coat rack as if awaiting his next morning walk.

A Bicentennial Historic Marker labeled "Truman House" provides a short history of the house:

Built about 1867 by George Porterfield Gates, a mill owner. President Harry S Truman and his wife, Bess Wallace Truman, granddaughter of Gates, made this their home from the time of their marriage in 1919. The "Summer White House" from 145 to 1953.

The two houses immediately behind the Truman house were built for Bess's brothers Frank and George Wallace in 1915-1916. The 50 foot wide lots were split off from the Gates property and given to the brothers as wedding gifts. The two Wallace homes are now owned by the park service and have been preserved, but are not open for visitors.

Bess, her brother Fred, her mother, and grandmother lived in what is now the Truman house. Harry moved in after he married Bess in 1919. Bess's grandmother, Mrs. Gates, passed away in 1924. However, Mrs. Wallace lived with the Trumans in Independence and then in Washington until her death in December 1952 at age 90. After the presidency, Harry and Bess retired to their home on N Delaware Street and lived there until his death in 1972 and her death in 1982. Bess was 97.

Free parallel parking is usually available on N Delaware Street. If you are interested in American history at all, this is an excellent site and well worth your time when you are in the Kansas City area.

219 N Delaware Street

Front of house and start of tour

Stained glass windows of the parlor

Front porch wraps around the side of the house

View from Truman Road

Kitchen wing at the rear of the house and rear porch roof

Truman garage

Mr Truman's 1972 Chrysler

605 W Truman Road

601 W Truman Road

Entrance to the historic site is free. This includes the visitor center and the ground floor exhibits at the Noland Home. A guided tour is the only way to view the Truman Home. The price is $5 per person with children 15 and under admitted for free. An America the Beautiful (annual, military, volunteer, senior, access) or 4th grade pass allows the fee to be waived.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/hstr.

Visitor Center - Harry S Truman National Historic Site

When Franklin D Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, Harry S Truman was sworn in as President of the United States. He had served as Vice President for only 82 days before being thrust into his new role. Truman was re-elected in 1948. He presided over the end of World War II, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, and the racial integration of the armed forces. With a sign on his desk, he popularized the phrase "The Buck Stops Here" in reference to the fact that the president gets to make all the hard decisions and has to live with the consequences. Upon leaving the presidency, the Trumans retired to their home at 219 North Delaware Street in Independence, Missouri.

When Bess Truman died in 1982, she willed her beloved home to the people of the United States. The National Park Service has been tasked with preserving and interpreting the house and grounds. In addition to the Truman home, the park service also owns two houses around the corner at 601 and 605 West Truman Road. These houses were built in 1915-16 for Bess's younger brothers Frank and George Wallace and their families. In addition, the park service now owns the Noland house across the street from the Truman house at 216 North Delaware Street. Harry Truman’s favorite cousins, Nellie and Ethel Noland lived there.

In keeping with the Truman's desire not to be a nuisance to their residential neighbors, the Visitor Center is located five blocks east of the Truman home in the commercial district of Independence at 223 North Main Street. The building housing the visitor center has its own storied past as a fire hall.

The visitor center houses an information desk, exhibits, bookstore, restrooms, and a theater. An excellent film, At Home with Harry and Bess, is shown every half hour. Tickets for a guided tour of the Truman home are sold at the visitor center on a first-come, first-served basis. Maximum tour size is eight people. Free short-term parking is available in a lot across the street from the visitor center.

Exhibits and brochures

Bookstore

More of the bookstore

Book kiosk and information desk

Theater

Entrance to the historic site is free. This includes the visitor center and the ground floor exhibits at the Noland Home. A guided tour is the only way to view the Truman Home. The price is $5 per person with children 15 and under admitted for free. An America the Beautiful (annual, military, volunteer, senior, access) or 4th grade pass allows the fee to be waived.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/hstr.

Sergeant Bluff Rest Area - Interstate 29 Southbound

Just ten miles south of the Riverfront Trail and Chris Larsen Park in downtown Sioux City is I-29 Southbound Rest Area #15. Since the welcome center had been closed, we decided to stop. The canoe bench was my first clue that this rest area was unique. Embedded in the brick walls were numerous clay tablets depicting some aspect of the Corps of Discovery. Below the brickwork, a band of stone included the names of every person on the expedition and even included Seaman, Meriwether Lewis' dog. I didn't take any pictures inside, but there are murals on the walls and a ceramic map of the Missouri River on the floor of the atrium. We stopped in August 2017.

The rest area webpage is https://iowadot.gov/maintenance/rest_areas/posters/i29sergeantbluff.pdf.

Riverfront Trail - Chris Larsen Park - Sioux City

Returning from our August 2017 trip to Minnesota and the Dakotas, we planned to stop at the Interstate 29 Welcome Center in Sioux City, Iowa to stretch our legs. However, as we approached the exit we noticed a trail tucked in between the interstate and the Missouri River and decided to explore it for a few minutes. The welcome center and the trail are both located at exit 149. Instead of following Larsen Park Road around to the welcome center, we turned right into the first parking lot we found. Once in the lot, we noticed that it also has a boat ramp and parking for vehicles with boat trailers. Signage near the boat ramp noted that we were in Chris Larsen Park. The signs also noted that this section of the Missouri River is part of the Lewis & Clark Water Trail and that the Riverfront Trail is part of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. We decided to follow the Riverfront Trail upstream for what turned out to be a mile before retracing our steps and exploring the boat ramp area. We continued downstream ¼ mile to the marina for a nice view of the Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River. After walking for a very enjoyable 2.5 miles, and realizing we still had miles to go, we headed over to the welcome center and found that it had just closed. With a number of historical attractions nearby, Sioux City is definitely on our list of places to explore.

Topographic map with GPS route

Wide concrete trail

Meandering through the trees

Missouri River

Another view of the river

Between the river and I-29

House and dock on the Nebraska side of the river

A bench about ½ mile from the boat ramp

Distance markers painted on the trail

Our turnaround point

View of the river on the way back

Boat ramp

Missouri River from the boat ramp

Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge

Entry to Chris Larsen Park is free.

The city park webpage is https://www.sioux-city.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/54/164.

The city trails webpage is https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-g-p/parks-recreation-department/trails.

The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/lecl.

Launch Facility Delta-09 - Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Launch Facility (LF) Delta-09 is the only remaining missile silo of the 150 Minuteman II LFs of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing of the US Air Force. While the Air Force named the site "D-9", it is pronounced "Delta 9". The park service has used the spoken designation in all of its written information, so I have as well. The LF has been rendered inoperable to meet the requirements of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The blast door has been opened and a glass canopy erected over the 80 foot deep silo. The actual Minuteman II missile has been removed and destroyed. A training missile has been installed in its place.

When I visited the site in August 2017, a seasonal ranger was stationed there for a couple of hours to answer visitor questions. She had a series of photographs to pass around and interpret as the visitors came and went. Like the vast majority of interpretive rangers I've met, she did a great job of engaging visitors and imparting her knowledge about this specific site and the Cold War in general.

To reach LF Delta-09 from the visitor center, drive west on Interstate 90 about 14 miles to exit 116. Turn west and follow the gravel road for about 0.7 miles as it turns south. The LF is on the right and is the only fenced site in the area. Park in the gravel lot north of the driveway. The gate is latched at the top to only allow foot access to the site. In addition, a chain is hung across the opening about waist high to deter cattle from entering the site. The chain is easily moved to allow entry. Please remember to hang the chain back after passing through the gate opening. The site is open daily from 9 AM to 3 PM, Mountain Time. Contact the visitor center for the interpretive ranger schedule. A self-guided cell phone tour is also available.

The only facility onsite is a portable toilet located inside the enclosure at the northwest corner. Water is not available at the LF. There is no shade at the site and the summer temperatures can soar, so plan to bring water and sunscreen with you.

Entrance gate

Signage at the gate

Interpretive display

Site map

Space inside the fenced enclosure for the erector/transporter to setup
(yellow markers once outlined a helipad)

Silo end of the enclosure

Major components

Motion detector mast

Personnel access hatch

Control panel for access hatch

Glass canopy

Training missile in the silo

Blast door and rails

Hardened high frequency antenna

Diesel generator located underground

Entry to the historic site is free. A fee of $6 per adult is charged for a guided tour of the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility. Tours usually sell out weeks to months in advance, so advance planning is required.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/mimi.