Pompeys Pillar National Monument (Episode 21)

Send us Fan MailOn August 10th, 1874 — give or take a few hours around midnight — Herbert Hoover was born in a tiny two-room cottage in West Branch, Iowa. Five people lived in that cottage. Herbert Hoover called it "physical proof of the unbound opportunity of American life."Today, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa is one of the most serene and surprising stops in the national park system — a beautifully preserved prairie, a blacksmith shop, a Quaker meeting house, and the grave of the 31st president overlooking his birthplace.Ranger Chelsea Nelson — who taught herself blacksmithing to get her dream job here — joins The Parks Podcast to share the full story.In this episode: — The remarkable story of Jesse and Hulda Hoover — the blacksmith and the Quaker minister who shaped their son — How Lou Henry Hoover personally designed the restoration of the birthplace cottage in 1935 — The statue of Isis — why the country of Belgium sent an Egyptian goddess to West Branch, Iowa — The tall grass prairie — 80 acres, Iowa's largest, and what you'll hear if you walk through it in the early morning — The blacksmith shop — how Chelsea taught herself blacksmithing to become a park ranger — The gravesite — and why the view from there to the cottage was designed by Hoover himself — What it feels like when visitors arrive skeptical and leave moved — Dogs, snowshoeing, and why the grounds are open 24 hours a dayLinks mentioned: — Plan your visit: nps.gov/heho — Presidential Library and Museum (separate admission): hoover.archives.govSupport the show