More About Harry Truman

Once we finished touring the Presidential Library, we drove about a mile to the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. We wanted to see the house where Harry and Bess met and lived most of their married lives.

With our free first-come, first-served tickets in hand, we walked to the house a few blocks away to meet the docent. Photos of the interior were not allowed, but the NPS website has a virtual tour of 219 North Delaware, Independence, Missouri, for those who are curious.

Bess Wallace Truman’s maternal grandfather built the Queen Anne-style house. Modest and cozy inside, touring the house was like visiting my grandparents’ homes.

Harry and Bess held their wedding reception at the house in 1919. When Harry moved in with Bess, he also shared the home with his mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. Bess’s two brothers, who built small homes on the property, rounded out the close-knit family.

During Harry’s two terms as president, the house served as the Summer White House and hosted the couple when they were home for the holidays.

It wasn’t until 1952, after Bess’s mother died, that the Trumans bought the home, modernized it and made it theirs until their deaths.

One story the docent told us was that the couple often found plants and other items missing from the yard. A short fence helped keep people off the property. We also learned that a lattice structure with a climbing vine gave the couple privacy from gawkers looking through the windows as Harry and Bess ate their meals.

How fortunate we are that Bess bequeathed the property, including furniture and other artifacts, to the United States of America in December 1982. Tourists get to learn about the simple life Bess and Harry created for themselves in Independence, Missouri, after his last term as president.

The Noland House at 216 North Delaware.

While Harry may have adopted the Wallace family as his own, he still had family nearby. His favorite aunt, Margaret Ellen Truman Noland (Harry’s father’s sister), and cousin, Mary Ethel Noland, lived across the street from the Wallace family.

The house was open to tour during our visit. Acquired by the National Park Service in 1991, it became part of the Harry S. Truman Historical Site after extensive renovation, rebuilding, and modernization.

The small rooms contained artifacts and posters that detailed the stories and history of the objects displayed. I wondered where Harry must have slept when he came to visit with the Noland clan and Bess. I imagine him wrapped up in a brown wool blanket on the parlor floor during the winter and sprawled out on the porch during hot summer nights.

Also included within the national historical site is the Truman Farm Home in Grandview, Missouri. Perhaps we will visit the 5.25-acre remnant of the family’s former 600-acre farm during a future visit to Missouri. And if we ever make it to Key West, we’ll need to stop in at the Truman Little White House, the only presidential museum in Florida.

Best BBQ in the State?

Someone had told us, “If you’re in Kansas City, eat at Slap’s for the best BBQ in the state.” So we made the 12-mile drive from Independence to the westside of Kansas City. The line told us the wait was worth it, and we agreed. But the best BBQ? We ate BBQ five times or more while in Missouri and I’d be hard pressed to choose which was the best. All of them were delicious in their own way.

Lexington, Missouri

On April 15, 2023, we met up with my cousin Jill and her granddaughter Scarlett in Lexington. Woo-hoo! A visit with Jill after all these years, and maybe a tour of a Civil War battlefield, and a quaint little town on the Missouri River.

After a big, long hug from Jill, she and Scarlett drove us around town while we gazed upon the beautiful historic homes, majestic trees, and the quaint downtown area where newly opened stores promised a resurgence.

In the photo below, the red brick, white trim, arched windows with black shutters impressed me with its character. Then I walked around the corner for another perspective.

What a surprise to find a much larger home from what I originally thought. Which door was the official entrance?

Battle of Lexington State Historic Site

To stretch our legs, we pulled into the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site. The Oliver Anderson House, once known as “the best-arranged dwelling house west of St. Louis,” was at the center of a bloody 3-day Civil War battle in 1861.

The visitor center’s displays depict the surrounding battlefield and back-and-forth control between the Federals and the Southerners.

Lexington’s location on the Missouri River served as a valuable commerce artery and the Union wasted no time in taking control. Col. James Mulligan commanded 3,500 Union soldiers of the Illinois Irish Brigade, operating from the Masonic College, and using the Oliver Anderson House as a hospital.

When Mulligan caught wind that Maj. Gen. Sterling Price was marching toward Lexington with 15,000 Missouri State Guard troops to wrest control of Lexington, Mulligan called for reinforcements and had his troops prepare for battle. They built a maze of pits and double-row trenches to keep the enemy at bay.

When Price arrived in town on September 12, 1861, he demanded that Mulligan surrender. Confident reinforcements would soon arrive, Mulligan refused. The fighting began in earnest on September 18, 1861. On the second day, Price’s troops surrounded Mulligan’s cutting off supplies and freshwater. The reinforcements never arrived to support Mulligan so on the third day, he had no choice but to surrender.

Price’s victory was short-lived when, two weeks later, the Union army reclaimed Lexington, forcing the Southern troops to retreat to southwest Missouri.

The tours had finished by the time we arrived, so Scarlett and I went out to at least see the building up close and peek in the windows. The windows didn’t give us much to look at, but we saw evidence of the battle where bullets penetrated the brick 162 years ago.

After the tour of Lexington, Jill and her partner Al gave us a grand tour of their basement. Collections of antiques spanning all shapes, sizes, and types filled every nook and cranny and included wine bottles, Asian artifacts, jukeboxes, a piano, and on and on. I could have spent all day browsing through the well-organized aisles. But alas, it was time to go.

Family History

Two days later, we stopped by Jill’s California, Missouri, house to pick up a set of family photos. I had seen photos like these in antique stores before and never knew that my family’s history had likewise been documented. I’m honored Jill chose me to keep them safe for future generations.

The smaller fancy-framed photo is of my grandfather, William Frank Winebrenner, and his older brother, Virgil G. Winebrenner.

The small black framed photo of a family of nine is of Jill’s and my great-great-grandfather, William Franklin Winebrenner, and great-great-grandmother, Cordelia Stinson Winebrenner, my great-grandfather William Golder Winebrenner, and Jill’s great-grandfather Oren Elmer Winebrenner (both standing on the right side), and their siblings.

They were a handsome group of men with their full mustaches and dark hair. The brothers reminded me of a photo I’ve seen of Wyatt Earp and his brothers. Or maybe I’m thinking of Kurt Russell in the movie Tombstone. Either way, I think the men represent well the fashion of their days.

I’m not sure whose farm is represented in the larger framed photo and Jill didn’t remember. But I like the blue sky with puffy clouds, the buildings, and the wide open space of the field.

Up next: We head to St. Louis, ride the St. Louis Arch tram, tour the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, and visit with our niece and her family.

Safe Travels