Presidents' Places: Harry S Truman

This really should be called the Bess Truman Home; the house was Bess' grandparents', then her mother's, before it belonged to Harry and Bess. Harry and Bess lived with Bess' mother until she died, when the home became theirs.

The inside (no photography allowed, of course) is pretty homey. The kitchen was an average kitchen of the 1940s, and the rest of the house was by no means elegant. But Harry did have a Steinway piano. That was a surprise! Supposedly he bought it for their daughter Margaret when Harry first got a good job, but actually it was he who played it. I remember seeing him play The Missouri Waltz on TV once.

The Harry S Truman National Historic Site, in Independence, Missouri, consists of the Truman Home and the Truman Farm; the Truman Library and the Truman Museum are close by, and very interesting.

In addition to his archives the center displays many artifacts of his life and presidency. There is also a replica of the Oval Office as it was during the time he was president.

Closely associated with Harry Truman was Winston Churchill, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I visited the Memorial to Sir Winston located in Truman's home state of Missouri.

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All photos on this site ©Donald L. Mark 1973-2007

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