Gwen Wright of PBS's History Detectives introduces Operation Paperclip, which, at the end of World War II, brought Nazi scientists to work for the U.S. Many of the CIA documents related to this project remain classified, despite demands for their release.
Wes Cowan of PBS's History Detectives briefly describes the Freedom of Information Act and how to request records from government agencies.
The Hayes Presidential Center contains the residence of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States, a library and museum, and the tomb of the president and his wife Lucy Webb Hayes. Hayes's uncle, Sardis Birchard, named the site Spiegel Grove from the German word for mirror. It was based on the reflections from the pools of water under the trees. The homestead, a stately mansion, is furnished in late 19th-century style. The library and museum building houses the personal papers and mementos of the Hayes family, the Civil War, and the White House. Hayes's tomb is encased in a monument of Vermont granite from his father's farm.
A second website for the Presidential Center can be found here.
The center offers exhibits; tours; research library access; lectures; and recreational and educational events, including living history events.
Warren G. Harding launched himself into the White House in 1920 with his famous "front porch" campaign, which he conducted from his Victorian home in Marion, OH. The restored house was built in 1891 and contains almost all original furnishings owned by President Harding and his wife Florence. Adjacent to the Harding Home is a press house used during the 1920 campaign which now serves as a museum dedicated to President and Mrs. Harding's lives. Located two miles from the Home and Museum is the Harding Tomb, a circular monument of white Georgia marble containing the remains of President and Mrs. Harding, set in 10 acres of landscaped grounds.
An individual website for the Harding Tomb can be found here.
The house and museum offer exhibits, tours, and educational programs; the tomb is open to the public.
Ulysses S. Grant was born 27 April 1822 in picturesque Point Pleasant near the mouth of Big Indian Creek at the Ohio River. This restored one-story, three-room cottage, which was built in 1817, was next to the tannery where Grant's father worked. The small cottage is furnished with period items. At one time the birthplace made an extensive tour of the United States on a railroad flatcar and was also temporarily displayed on the Ohio State fairgrounds.
The site offers tours.
Harry Truman was born in a modest frame house in Lamar, Missouri. The home has been faithfully preserved so that modern visitors can explore the home exactly as it was during the first year of Harry Truman's life. The home has no electricity or running water, and is furnished in a manner typical of the late 1800s.
The home offers guided tours. The website offers a brief history and visitor information.
Missouri's first legislators met in the buildings of the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site to undertake the task of reorganizing Missouri's territorial government into a progressive state system. From June 4, 1821, to Oct. 1, 1826, heated debates of state's rights and slavery filled the rooms of the temporary Capitol. The second floor of two adjoining Federal-style brick buildings was divided and used as Senate and House chambers, an office for the governor, and a small committee room. The first floor of the Peck brothers' building housed a general store and Ruluff Peck's family residence. Chauncy Shepard operated a carpenter shop on the first floor of the adjoining building. For a nominal fee, visitors can take a guided tour through the actual restored and furnished rooms where Missouri state government was created and first practiced. The restored Peck brothers' general store and residence have been furnished as they might have looked in the early 1800s. Admission is free to the historic site's interpretive center, which offers two floors of exhibits and an orientation show.
The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.
Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site, Columbia, contains the grave of Missouri's 22nd governor (18751877), Charles Hardin, along with descendants of George Jewell. The most well-known member of the Jewell family buried in the cemetery, William Jewell, died while establishing a college in Liberty, MO, that bears his name.
The site is open to the public.
Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln left his home of 17 years in order to assume to office of President, where he served until his assassination in 1865. The Lincoln Home has been restored to its 1860 state, and shows a different side of Abraham Lincoln to visitors. In the home, visitors can see Lincoln as a husband, father, and politician.
The site offers visitor information, a lesson plan for teachers, a museum shop, and brief historical information about both the historic Lincoln Home and Abraham Lincoln himself. In order to email the park, use the "contact us" link on the webpage.
The Washington Monument is the most prominent, as well as one of the older, attractions in Washington, D.C. It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence, and then became its first President. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, 555' 5/8" high, and averages 30 to 40 miles visibility in clear weather. It was finished on December 6, 1884.
The monument offers elevator rides to its top.