Learning about President Ronald Reagan.

 We always said that when we retired, we would do day trips like visiting Presidents Reagan's home in Dixon, Illinois.   Until today, we had never done it.  Today, we drove to Dixon Illinois to visit one of his childhood homes and to Tampico where he was born.  It was about 50 miles from the park to Dixon.  

This arch welcomes you to Dixon

This is the back of the one of the houses in which President Reagan lived as a child.  His parents never owned a home of their own.  When President Reagan became secure financially, he brought his mother her first home.  The door on the back porch opens into their kitchen.  The window on the left is in the bedroom he shared with his brother Neil or "Moon."  His father gave both the boys their nicknames which they were known as all their lives.  President Reagan's was "Dutch." 

This house was built from a kit from Montgomery Ward.  We have seen several kit houses from Sears but never one from Montgomery Ward.  We were told that the diamond window near the peak of the house is a way to identify a Montgomery Ward home.

This was their kitchen.  None of the furniture in the home is original; however, when restoration began President Reagan and his brother were consulted and helped pick out furniture just like what was in each room.

This was the parlor located at the front of the house.  The boys were told that they were not to go into this room. It was the room their mother taught college classes of etiquette.  She wanted the room to remain neat and boy-free.

This picture on the mantle of the fireplace was taken when President Reagan returned to the restored home.  As a kid he had a secret hiding place for money under a tile by the fireplace.  He always said that he couldn't keep money because Moon would take it.  When he and Moon was there, President Reagan picked up the tile and there was four pennies under the tile that he had hidden from his brother.  He showed his brother that he did not go into the room; instead, he would get down on his knees and leaned over to the tile to put his money underneath.

Carol has been having trouble with his back and hip so he was always looking for a place to sit.

The parlor.

The dining room.   The glass-fronted cabinet contains several cups and saucers that were given to Nell Reagan as a payment for singing at young couples wedding.  She was a very talented women who sang, sewed to supplement the family income, taught a college class, and taught Sunday School classes.  Nell was a devoted believer in Jesus Christ and the loving wife and mother to her alcoholic husband.  The house had three bedrooms but the brothers shared one to allow the extra bedroom to be a guest bedroom.  She visited inmates in the local jail and read the Bible to them.  When they were released, she invited them to spend their first night of freedom in this guest room.

In her bedroom we saw a Bible opened to her favorite verse, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. "  2  Chronicles 7:14.
President Reagan used her Bible opened to this verse for the swearing in ceremony four times:  two times as governor and two times as president.   Mike Pence also used the same Bible/verse at his swearing  in for Vice-President.

 

1914 Ford was in their garage.  His father was good at repairing cars and would often earn extra income working on cars.

This statue sits at the end of the street the Reagan house is located.  Also on that same street is the library.  Nell Reagan encouraged reading and both boys visited the library weekly.  The church they attended is also on this street.  Nell and the boys attended regularly and were baptized by ministers of the church.  The school they attended was also on this street.  The citizens of Dixon call the street "Reagans' Way."

Tampico is where President Reagan and his brother were both born.

Jack and Nell Reagan lived in an apartment over the bank.  They both worked at a department store across from the bank.  Jack was a shoe salesman and Nell sold hats.

This mural was on the side of a building in the town.

This is the cabinet that covers the safe of the bank the Reagan's lived above.  The cabinet is beautiful.  

The safe inside the cabinet.

Notice the beautiful metalwork inside the safe.

This is the safe alarm which would be set daily.

The bedroom in which both President Reagan and his brother were born.

Their dining room.

Their kitchen.

The boys' room.

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This was a common window shared with the apartment over the adjoining building.  It was great for shared childcare.

This is the museum is next to the bank.  They had a guest book for visitors' to sign.  There are visitors from all over the world.  We were told that visitors from Germany are emotionally moved because of the part President Reagan played in getting the Berlin Wall torn down.

The bank.

We had a great day learning about President Reagan and his family.  His mother and smalltown upbringing helped shape his life.

We got back to camp around 4:00 p.m. and spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the park.  It has certainly not been our usual fall trip but we did enjoy it.  Iowa is a beautiful state with interesting historical information.  We saw a national monument, a presidential library, a presidential birthplace and home, beautiful rural scenes, relaxing campsites and state parks, time well spent with a grandson,  and quaint small cities.  It was a trip worth taking.  We drove the motorhome only 1350 miles in 12 days.  That was good for us physically.