Michigan!

Wow. With work picking up, and all of our travel, we’ve been remiss in updating the blog. So, here goes…

Gerald Ford Presidential Museum

Continuing our tour of Presidential Libraries and Museums, we stopped in Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. It was really a treat.

Walking in from the parking lot, we first came upon the burial site for President and Mrs. Ford. Nearby was a plaque commemorating the humility Ford brought to the office: “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President with your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me with your prayers. I have not campaigned for either the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman – my dear wife – as I begin this very difficult job.”

Some interesting tidbits:

As a student at the University of Michigan, Ford ran for student body President on the Progressive ticket and lost.

He was a star on the Michigan football team, helping the team win the National Championship in 1932 and 1933. Ford was named team MVP in 1934 (his senior year).

Ford received offers from two professional football teams, the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, but turned them down to take a position as head boxing coach and assistant football coach at Yale University.

Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ford enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After repeated requests to be sent to a combat unit, Ford was sent to the Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Monterey, a light aircraft carrier. He would earn 10 battle stars by war’s end.

As a Republican Congressman from Michigan, Ford never lost an election – winning 13. He initially defeated an incumbent Republican in a primary battle.

Ford’s love for the University of Michigan continued, and he had the Marine Corps band play “The Victors” (Michigan’s fight song) in place of “Hail to the Chief.”

In 1975, there were two different assassination attempts against Ford on separate trips to California. On September 5th, the Secret Service stopped Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (a Charles Manson disciple) in Sacramento after seeing her with a pistol at an event in Capitol Park. Two weeks later, Sara Jane Moore, a radical activist, fired a gun at the president in San Francisco, but a bystander and former Marine knocked the weapon out of her hand.

We really enjoyed the museum. See more photos in our gallery.

Holland

We stopped in the town of Holland, Michigan and visited a quaint area commemorating the Dutch heritage of many from this area. There was a gift shop selling wooden shoes. We can’t imagine wearing them. They look very uncomfortable.

Birthplace of the GOP – Jackson, Michigan

There’s been quite a debate over the years about where the Republican Party was officially founded. Jackson, Michigan is one of those places. We found the marker that commemorates the first official convention of the Republican Party.

Ann Arbor & The Big House!

We arrived at our campground near Ann Arbor, and began preparing for the big game – Michigan’s home opener against Oregon State. Zack flew in for the weekend, and Jeff’s dad and step-mom joined us for the game. It was a blast (as always) and thankfully, Michigan came away with a big win on a cold and rainy day. Here are some highlights.

Henry Ford Museum

The Henry Ford Museum is the largest indoor-outdoor museum complex in America. It’s a National Historic Landmark in Dearborn, Michigan.

The museum is named for its founder, the noted automobile industrialist Henry Ford, and based on his desire “to preserve items of historical significance and portray the Industrial Revolution.”

We were captivated by the exhibits – not just vehicles. The collection contains many rare items including the presidential limousine John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated; Abraham Lincoln’s chair from Ford’s Theatre and the Rosa Parks bus.

Henry Ford said of his museum:

“I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used…. When we are through, we shall have reproduced American life as lived, and that, I think, is the best way of preserving at least a part of our history and tradition.”