In a few words, I describe the Eisenhower Presidential Museum, Library, Childhood Home, and Place of Meditation as quiet, solemn, peaceful, and respectful.
I am in Abilene, a small Kansas community of less than 7,000.
Although Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, in 1890, he moved with his family to Abilene when he was two years old. He is often quoted as saying: “The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.”
This sentiment reflects his deep connection to his hometown and its significance in his life and career.
“Ike” graduated from Abilene High School in 1909, worked for more than a year to support a brother’s college education, and then entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He would go on to be elected the 34th president of the United States (1953–61), having been the supreme commander of the Allied forces in Western Europe during World War II.
Eisenhower Center
The 23-acre center includes the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, a repository for presidential papers; the Eisenhower Museum; Eisenhower’s boyhood home; the Visitors Center; and the Place of Meditation.
I first visited Eisenhower’s boyhood home.
The tour is short, and there are few anecdotes offered about the young Ike growing up in this community. I did learn that, after Eisenhower’s mother, Ida, passed away in 1946, the five Eisenhower brothers gave the house and its contents to a memorial foundation for preservation.
When David and Ida, Dwight’s parents, moved to Abilene, the community was known from 1867 to 1885 for its cattle-trail days as “The End of the Chisholm Trail.” It was a Wild West town that was home to a famous U.S. marshal, Wild Bill Hickok.
Statue and Museum
It’s raining, so I quickly take photos of the iconic 11-foot bronze statue of Eisenhower by Robert L. Dean, Jr., and dash into the Museum. The excellent displays and exhibits follow the young Eisenhower through his military career and life as a two-term President. It is a wonderful reflection of the life and career of the President.
The last stop on my two-hour visit is the crypts at the Place of Meditation, where Dwight David Eisenhower and Mamie Doud Eisenhower are buried. Also buried here is their firstborn son, Doud Dwight, who died of scarlet fever at the age of three. The Eisenhowers had a second son, John Eisenhower.
According to General Eisenhower’s wishes, it was hoped that visitors would reflect upon the ideals that made this a great nation and pledge themselves again to continued loyalty to those ideals. The building, with its stained-glass windows and a cross over the graves, led many to describe the crypt as a “non-denominational meditation chapel.”
When I was a young child, Eisenhower was the President. I was too young to remember or understand the man or the position at the time. In retrospect, I admire the him for what he did for this nation, including playing a crucial role in the establishment of the Interstate Highway System in the United States.
In 1956, he signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which created a 41,000-mile network of highways designed for defense and civilian travel. This system has been called the Greatest Public Works Project in History, significantly impacting American society and transportation.
I can easily recommend the Eisenhower Complex and all the other attractions in Abilene, including Seelye Mansion, the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, and the Dickinson County Heritage Center.
For more information about Abilene and the Eisenhower Complex, click here.
