August 13

The trend continues… it is late enough that I will not add comments tonight. But it will probably not be until Tuesday since I will be driving home late tomorrow.

Yes, it is now Tuesday. This part of the country seems so compact, it seems any place is no more than an hour from any other place. That was the case from North Providence in Rhode Island to Springfield, MA, the home of Springfield Armory NHS. This was our country’s first armory, and did it ever deliver on its mission. Technological advances and manufacturing improvements helped make this the best gun manufacturer around, quite something for a Federal Government entity to lay claim to.

George Washington, in 1777, decided an arsenal needed to be built to store supplies for the war effort, selecting Springfield for the honor. Come the year 1794 and Washington determines two Federal armories should be created, so the new country could make its own muskets instead of relying on other countries. Various pieces of equipment used over the years to make the components of the various Springfield rifles are on display in the VC/Museum. The process at first was pretty manual. Even in 1860 the output was about 10,000 rifles. But the Civil War got things cranking. By 1864 the output was 276,000 a year. This was one reason the Union won the Civil War. The VC/Museum was the main operations building (#13) of the armory when it was built in the 1840s. Behind it sits the Commanding Officer’s house, building #1. This structure was quite extravagant for a base commander. Criticism fell on Col. Ripley who was the commander during the 1840s, and the money he “embezzled” from the government to enlarge his home. A court of inquiry exonerated the charges. Most of the remaining buildings (many others were sold off in 1968 when the Army closed the armory) now house the Springfield Technical Community College.

Weir Farm NHP is one of the most peaceful spots in the entire National Park System. The surroundings are precisely why J Weir selected this area for his home and studio. A man named Erwin Davis wanted a painting which Weir had obtained on a trip in Europe. He proposed a swap; the painting and $10 for a 153-acre farm in Branchville, CT. Weir went up one day to view the property and immediately agreed to the exchange. The house in which Weir lived was expanded twice, to accommodate more and more family and guests. Out the backdoor are the Young and Weir studios. A staff member had the Weir Studio open, so I walked inside. Remember the art room in your junior high school? This was it, ten-fold. Across the street is the Artist-in-Residence Studio. The NPS gives opportunities for artists to live and work in the park. The current artist was supposedly on the grounds during my visit but I did not meet her. The ranger who gave the tour of the Weir House said about 85% of the items in the home are original to the three generations of family who lived here. I noticed a couple of telephones. The ranger said it was a party line. It was a thrill to see them, after the other houses on my NE Loop which were pre-telephone days. I want to thank the entire staff at Weir Farm. They had said they were tracking my progress over the months, wondering when I would arrive at this park. As I was leaving, I noticed the rangers in the VC were excitedly talking to other visitors. That kind of energy is a primary reason visits to our National Parks can be so memorable.

Just another hour over to Hyde Park in the State of New York. I was able to make it in time to Eleanor Roosevelt NHS for the last tour of the day, at 3:30 PM. When I was planning this Quest in 2022, the VC and home were open on Mondays. But not now. So, thankfully, I was here late on Sunday. While waiting for the house tour to start I walked around the grounds. The swimming pool which FDR had added to the property looked inviting. Aside from being a great recreation for kids and grandkids, it helped FDR in his fight with polio. Tennis courts were on the other side of the Stone Cottage. The VC is in the Stone Cottage. This building was the residence of two of Eleanor’s closest friends, Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook.

The mosquitos were flying as we waited to go into Eleanor’s residence, so the park ranger quickly shuffled us in. We were told that Eleanor had died in 1962, with the house then being turned into four rental properties. A development company was going to buy the house in 1970, but uproar from the community nixed that work, allowing the NPS to acquire ownership. One of Eleanor’s sons had held a sale of the household items after his mother’s death which is why a vast majority of items shown in the house were not actually owned by Eleanor. Our ranger tour guide said he was present at the sale. Various pieces have been donated back to the NPS over the years. Eleanor did not live like we think of rich people. Val-Kill did not have air conditioning, so she would sleep out on the porch. She also slept there during the winter, unless the temps got too low. Her china pattern, as displayed on the table in the dining room, was Franciscan Apple, which can still be bought today by the masses (my mother had a full set, which is now with my son).

These nearly 200 acres used to be part of the larger FDR estate. When FDR died, Eleanor was giving the opportunity to buy the property. Yes, the ranger said she had to buy the land and house. He did not know the details as to why. One last story he told was about the night Amelia Earhart was at a reception with the Roosevelts. Amelia asked Eleanor if she would like to go for a flight, right then and there. Eleanor agreed. Upon returning she told FDR she wanted to become a pilot. FDR chuckled and said the number of times she had hit the estate’s stone entry posts when driving a car was proof she should not become a pilot. In 1947, after another accident (she lost two front teeth), the State of New York revoked Eleanor’s driver's license; forever.

With all that said, the work which Eleanor Roosevelt did for our country and our world is at a level not many of us have achieved. And Val-Kill is where she strategized her efforts. This world needs more Eleanor Roosevelts.