The family was in the Mid-Hudson area of New York State back in August. We were on the west side of the river, when we crossed the Mid-Hudson Bridge from Highland to Poughkeepsie.
Q: Wait, it’s now the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge. When did THAT happen?
A: The bridge was renamed… in 1994 though the span is rarely referred to by its official name.
Q: And why is it named for him anyway?
A: “Governor and local resident [FDR] and his wife Eleanor attended the opening ceremony on August 25, 1930.”
Q: And I mention this all because…
A: We needed to cross the bridge to visit Hyde Park, the location of the longtime home of the 32nd President of the US. It’s just five miles north of Poughkeepsie.
Q: So is the town or the FDR estate called Hyde Park?
A: Well, the town is, but the estate was.
“Dr. John Bard had called his estate ‘Hyde Park’ in honor of Edward Hyde, who was Lord Cornbury and Governor of New York.” A tavern owner named his business ‘Hyde Park Inn’, then “applied for a post office to be located at his Inn, which was nothing unusual. The request was granted as the ‘Hyde Park Post office’… the Post Office’s name was ‘Hyde Park’, and thus residents’ mailing address was ‘Hyde Park’…the settlement’s name [was changed] from Stoutenburgh to Hyde Park officially in 1812.”
Q: And the estate of FDR.
A: Springwood is the site of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site maintained by the National Park Service.
Q: What else is there?
A: Usually, the Presidential library – the first one designed by a sitting President – and a museum. The bad news is when we were there, they were under renovation. The good news is if we go back after June 2013, we can visit the refurbished buildings for free with our already purchased tickets.
Q: Why was the place so special to him?
A: It was his boyhood home, and it had (has) a spectacular view of the Hudson River and beyond.
Q: He got married to his cousin?
A: Eleanor Roosevelt was a distant cousin. She was “given away” by her uncle, Theodore Roosevelt on March 17, 1905, after which he went to attend a St. Patrick’s Day parade, taking about a third of the guests with him.
Q: Did Eleanor like Hyde Park?
A: Springwood was still her mother-in-law Sara’s home. And Franklin was very devoted to his mother. She preferred her own place, Val Kill, a couple miles away.
Q: Franklin had an affair with Lucy Mercer, and Eleanor offered Franklin a divorce. Why didn’t they split?
A: From here: “Sara… said that if he left his wife she would cut him off without a cent. Louis Howe, Franklin’s trusted adviser, said that a divorce would mean the end of his political career. So Franklin agreed to stay in the marriage under two conditions set down by Eleanor: he had to break off with Lucy Mercer immediately and for good, and he could never again share his wife’s bed. Franklin observed the second part of the agreement. How long he kept the first has been a matter of some scholarly debate.”
Q: When did FDR develop polio?
From here: “In 1921, when he was 39 years of age, [FDR] contracted an illness…. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The diagnosis at the onset of the illness and thereafter was paralytic poliomyelitis. Yet his age and many features of the illness are more consistent with a diagnosis of Guillain–Barre´ syndrome, an autoimmune polyneuritis.”
Q: How did he able to hide his ailment?
A: When he had to stand, he would, literally, lean on his son. He used leg braces to try to strengthen his legs. But mostly, he hid the fact that he could not walk, with collusion by politicians and the news media. It was said that his affliction made him a much more compassionate man.
Learn more about FDR HERE and HERE, among other places.
Fascinating stuff. I hadn’t realised before that FDR had had an affair, something to do with powerful politicians I suppose. The fact that he didn’t split from Eleanor shows that he was a qualified pragmatist!
I agree with Shooting Parrots! This is fascinating! We never talk about Roosevelt without a tremendous feeling of respect and gratitude, for the fact that he ended the war ( together with Harry Truman and Churchill, and millions of brave soldiers of the allied forces)!
Good post!
Interesting stuff, did not knew much about this.
Sweet post. I visited Hyde Park a few years ago. It’s a great visit although when you go back I’m sure it will be even better. Were you at least able to walk along some of the trails around and in back of the house?
I recall seeing a movie years ago about his life with Eleanor. Am I correct that he never really wanted to marry her in the first place?
Leslie
abcw team
Meryl – we did. Lovely gardens, too. we’ll be back next August.
Fascinating History. It really is interesting to learn the behind the scenes life of one of our presidents.
Very interesting post. I recently watched the movie “Warm Springs” and it was interesting seeing them come up with the method of him using his son and using his arms as the strong part of appear to walk. Carver, ABC Wed. Team
I learned about FDR in high school but his being a polio victim didn’t register until i watched “Warm Springs”.
Q is for…
Human nature is always the same…Go back to the beginning of time. However, this was quite facinating, as I had never heard of the affair, and the stipulations Eleanor put on it.
BTW~ My husband is a real man too, and likes my Quiche! HaHa.
Your knowledge of American history and politics is amazing! I really should have been assigned to teach it then I would have learned it all in a hurry.
Fascinating take on the theme!
Informative Q&A, sure don’t know most of it so thank you!
Ordinary Words…Liked your Q&A presentation to reveal the info♫
Two visits for the price of one – what a bargain!
A post office in one’s business premises – that’s quite convenient.
Thanks for the American history lesson ! Always good to learn things you don’t know !
First Q & A I’ve seen for FDR-great post!