Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

[NewFlyBoy]

Several times per week I walk my dog in the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Park not far from my home in Hyde Park, NY. The site (about 800 acres -- much reduced from the over 1,500 acres when FDR owned it) contains FDR's home (Springwood), Eleanor's home (Valkill), FDR's hilltop retreat Top Cottage (where he famously threw a hot dog cook out for the King and Queen of Great Britain), the FDR Presidential Library and Museum (the first of its kind in the nation and the only one from which a sitting President governed the nation -- it was the "White House North" when FDR was in Hyde Park), and a really nifty visitor's center building (containing one of my favorite stops -- the New Deal Bookstore). Franklin and Eleanor are buried in the gardens of the estate as well. Their famous black Scots Terrier "Fala" is buried in a marked grave near the Roosevelt's grave in the gardens. FDR faced a daunting set of circumstances when assuming the Presidency: facisim and autocracy on the march on multiple fronts worldwide, a decimated economy in a world-wide depression, among many other challenges. Eleanor was a staunch advocate for civil and human rights (she was one of the principal authors of the UN Human Rights Declaration). Given all that has happened in the last year or so, I felt compelled to stop by their graves today while walking my dog and thank them (along with the tenacity of Winston Churchill and the British people, as well as the sacrifices of the Soviet army) for saving the U.S. and the world almost 90 years ago. I feel like we are approaching an "FDR moment" in our current history.
Here's a photo I snapped today in the garden. Eleanor's grave is in the foreground, FDR's behind with the flag marker. As we are deep in winter here, the garden is not as beautiful as it is in season. I have many photos of the garden from this past summer and fall in full bloom.

[Baxter]

Great monument for some truly great people.

[Teaticket]

Thanks Bill. I've had similar thoughts lately too. When it is safe to do so we'd love come by and to get a tour with you.

[malachi]

Thanks, Bill! Appreciate the reflections.

My grandparents (mom's side) were huge FDR fans and for a year during the Great Depression lived on almost nothing but their tomato garden. They were better off than some but were grateful for the many FDR initiatives. Our local town hall (built 1881) resided on my parents' 4 acres in rural Illinois. My parents were also mostly Democrat but registered Independent and voted such in local elections. When I turned 18 my dad and I walked the 100 yards to the town hall so I could register as an independent and vote. My grandmother was a local election judge and said, "Well, I guess that's how you were raised."

[NewFlyBoy]

Thanks Bill. I've had similar thoughts lately too. When it is safe to do so we'd love come by and to get a tour with you.

When the craziness ends I would be most happy to be your tour guide. Within a 20 minute drive of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Park sites are also the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic site, Ogden Mills Mansion Staatsburg, and of course, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome -- if you come make it a long weekend and visit them all! Here are some links:

FDR:
https://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm

Presidential Library and Museum:
https://www.fdrlibrary.org/

Eleanor:
https://www.nps.gov/elro/index.htm

Vanderbilt:
https://www.nps.gov/vama/index.htm

Mills Mansion:
https://millsfriends.org/

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome:
https://oldrhinebeck.org/

BTW -- about 40 minutes South is the United States Military Academy at West Point with a really terrific military museum :
https://history.army.mil/museums/IMC...int/index.html

....and several other mansions, etc. to visit....