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Brick Entryway on S. College Street Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932: A Fleeting Visit
You just came down the hill in front of Old Main, which was built after McMillan Hall to provide more classrooms and a chapel. On Oct. 19, 1932, the all-male student body was gathered in the chapel to hear a lecture by a visiting speaker denouncing alcohol, which had been illegal in the United States since 1920 because of a prohibition amendment. Normally, when chapel was dismissed the students would have walked directly to classes, but on this particular Wednesday, classes were delayed. Instead, the W&J students and faculty streamed down the hill to College Avenue. They wanted to catch a glimpse of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the New York governor running for President, as he drove by in a touring car. Roosevelt was accompanied by his son and six motorcycle police. The motorcade continued to Main Street where they encountered several thousand townspeople. To the disappointment of the crowd, Roosevelt stopped for only a few minutes before continuing to a speaking engagement in Wheeling. Roosevelt won Washington County in the presidential election the following month when he beat Herbert Hoover in the midst of the Great Depression. Despite the convictions of people like the chapel speaker, prohibition was repealed at Roosevelt’s urging a year after his election.
Directions to next stop:
Turn right and walk along S. College St. to the end of the block at the intersection with E. Beau St. Turn left and cross S. College St., then proceed up E. Beau St. to the intersection with S. Main St. Make a left on S. Main St. without crossing; continue until you can see the courthouse portico across the street.
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Washington County Courthouse Portico
John F. Kennedy, 1962: Calm Before the Storms
Many residents living in Washington today still remember John F. Kennedy’s speech on Saturday, October 13, 1962. Kennedy came to stump for local Democrats in their bids for re-election, and people flocked to see the President. As you look across to the Courthouse portico, imagine the streets filled in every direction with thousands of people. Some hung out of windows, some waved protest signs, and some provided security for the teeming crowd. The bands of Avella and Washington High Schools played while the crowd waited for the President. He eventually arrived in an open-top convertible driven up Beau Street. From a podium filled with staff and politicians, Kennedy encouraged the crowd to vote for local Democrats in the upcoming election. After 10 minutes, he concluded his remarks but not his visit. He stayed for another two hours for lunch at the George Washington Hotel and a rest period that gave him time to watch part of a Penn State football game. In photographs, Kennedy looks friendly and relaxed, but he didn’t know that a crisis was brewing. Just four days later, Kennedy would learn about the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba, the greatest challenge to his presidency. A year and one month later, his Presidency would end abruptly with his assassination in Dallas, Texas. For residents of Little Washington, the memory of Kennedy’s visit – a calm before national storms – remains a treasured piece of local history.
Directions to next stop:
Proceed down S. Main St. and make a left at E. Cherry Ave. The entrance to the George Washington Hotel lobby is under the pillars on your right. The hotel invites tour-takers to go through the doors into the lobby if there is not a private event underway.
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George Washington Hotel
Harry S. Truman, 1953: Private Citizens
In 1953, Harry S. Truman finished his eighth year as President, after first ascending to the Presidency with Franklin Roosevelt’s death in 1945, and then winning re-election in 1948. During his presidency, World War II ended and the Korean War began. After leaving office, Truman and his wife spent three weeks on a road trip that brought them to Little Washington.
Harry and Bess Truman did something unprecedented—they arrived in Little Washington without staff or Secret Service agents, and with Truman himself at the wheel. They were returning from New York City to their home in Missouri. The Trumans spent the night at the George Washington Hotel and tried to keep a low profile. When a reporter called their room, Truman courteously answered a few questions but declined a full interview. The Trumans ate dinner in the hotel’s Pioneer Grill, then quickly retreated to their room before leaving the next morning. A picture of the Trumans in the elevator, taken by a Washington Observer photographer, seems to capture their tenuous grip on privacy. They only wanted to be treated like private citizens, but couldn’t quite dodge the camera. They might have been warned if they read the letters of James Monroe, who wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1817 that he found it impossible to travel as a private citizen.
Directions to next stop:
After exiting the George Washington Hotel, return to S. Main St. Turn left and walk to the intersection with E. Wheeling St., then turn left again and walk a few feet until you see the sign and stairs for the Union Grill on your left. You may want to have a seat on the bench.
Union Grill
Bill Clinton, 1992 and 2008: On the Campaign Trail
Bill Clinton, the forty-second President of the United States (1993 – 2001), has been one of the most frequent presidential visitors to Washington, Pennsylvania. The political campaign trail has brought Clinton to Washington on three occasions: once when stumping for his own election, once for his wife’s nomination as the Democratic candidate, and once for Barack Obama.
Clinton’s first visit to the city came on April 26, 1992, when he was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination against Jerry Brown, just two days before the Pennsylvania primary. He made a brief stop at the Union Grill, where approximately 200 party activists had gathered. A photo of Clinton and the owner of the restaurant appears in the main dining room. Clinton’s next visit came on March 10, 2008, when he stumped for his wife Hillary at the Henry Memorial Gym on the W&J campus. The former President spoke some 35 minutes to a crowd estimated at 2000 people. Hillary Clinton proved a popular candidate locally, winning 78% of the vote in Washington County. His final appearance in the city came in the waning days of the 2008 presidential campaign when he again addressed a large crowd at the Henry Memorial Gym on October 29. Clinton showed up this time on behalf of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Clinton wryly observed that “at the start of the race, I was for someone else,” but urged those in attendance to back Obama in the forthcoming election.
Directions to next stop:
Return to corner, cross E. Wheeling St., then cross S. Main St. Proceed down S. Main St. just a few steps to the Whiskey Rebellion statue (of three men whispering).