Harry S Truman National Historic Site

Harry Truman suddenly found himself President of the United States a mere three months after becoming Franklin Roosevelt’s third Vice-President when Roosevelt died in April 1945. The Harry S Truman National Historic Site recounts his life from boyhood to President and his naïve belief he could return to his home in Independence, Missouri as a private citizen again.

Because his house is in a still active residential neighborhood, the visitors center is several blocks to the east in the Independence business district. Here, a video covers high points of Truman’s life and a gift shop offers a small selection of the usual merchandise. Tickets for a tour of the house are available (free) at the information desk.

I arrived just after opening and was able to get tickets for the first tour of the day.  The house has been left exactly as it was when Bess Truman passed away in 1982, ten years after Harry had died.  It is a modest home, especially by today’s ex-President standards. This was actually Bess’ childhood home which had become the Truman’s on her mother’s death.

Across the street is a small house – part of the NPS holdings – named the Noland Home.  It is open for visitors with no tickets required.  This was the home of Harry’s aunt whom he visited frequently. He noticed young Bess across the street, and on one visit in 1910, volunteered to return a cake plate that his aunt had borrowed. He reportedly spent over two hours “returning” the plate, and a romance had started.

I was amazed to learn that Truman did not receive Secret Service protection after leaving office – the last President so. Following the Kennedy assassination, all three former Presidents were given protection though Truman argued against it (President Johnson allegedly ended the discussion telling Truman he was getting it anyway).

The Trumans thought they would return to Independence and pick up the private life they had left years before. Of course, that didn’t happen. A fence had to be installed around the house to keep people off the property, and the Secret Service was housed across the street in a small house that today is an AirBnB.

Walking through the house, I was amazed at the true simplicity of the life they did live. One example that stands out was the kitchen floor.  Bess had ordered new linoleum, but didn’t want to pay the extra to have it glued and sealed edge-to-edge.  Some of it started to curl at a seam across the middle of the kitchen. One can still see the nails that Bess herself hammered into the flooring to secure it.

In the garage sits the last car Harry bought not long before his death – a 1972 Chrysler Newport. It has a vanity license plate of “5745”.  Any guesses as to the meaning?

I learned quite a lot that I did not know about Truman during this visit. It’s always hard to tell how much of history has been “embellished” over the decades, but it does appear Truman was very much the man his legacy claims; someone who would likely not survive the political arena of today.

Steve

The vanity plate 5745 stands for May 7, 1945 – VE Day, the end of World War II in Europe.