Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Prior to the Civil War, there was a small community of roughly 1,500 free people of color who lived in St. Louis. One member of this community was Bob Wilkinson. Wilkinson was born in Pennsylvania in 1817 and eventually made his way to St. Louis, where he became a successful barber. Wilkinson was featured in Cyprian Clamorgan's 1858 book "The Colored Aristocracy in St. Louis," which featured short biographies of prominent free African Americans in the area. After the Civil War, Wilkinson continued his business and had his own barbershop at the Southern Hotel at the intersection of 4th and Walnut streets. Image: Bob Wilkinson, Daguerreotype by Thomas M. Easterly, 1860 (Missouri Historical Society).

William Wells Brown (1814-1884) was a writer, speaker, and abolitionist who spent much of his youth enslaved in St. Louis, Missouri. As a teen, Brown was hired out by his enslaver to work as a valet on steamboats traveling along the Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio Rivers. In 1834, Brown successfully escaped from slavery while the steamboat he was working on was docked in Cincinnati, Ohio. Writing about his experiences in St. Louis, Brown stated the following in his 1847 auto...biography: "Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing States, yet no part of our slave-holding country, is more noted for the barbarity of its inhabitants, than St. Louis . . . numerous cases of extreme cruelty came under my own observation; to record them all, would occupy more space than could possibly be allowed in this little volume."

Join Park Guide Evan Meyer for a short tour of Father Dickson Cemetery, a historically Black cemetery located two miles north of Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. This video is closed captioned and audio described for those with hearing and visual impairments.

Happy birthday to renowned photographer Ansel Adams! Adams is best remembered for his stunning photography of natural wonders like Yosemite Valley and the Grand Canyon. His photos inspired national curiosity about and preservation of public lands. However, forty-five years before Adams picked up his first camera another photographer was capturing images that would prompt President Grant to create the first national park, Yellowstone. In 1871, William Henry Jackson joined th...e first federally funded expedition to northwestern Wyoming. Jackson's photographs of the remarkable landscape were presented to Congress, and on March 1, 1872, Grant signed Yellowstone National Park into law. Learn more about William Henry Jackson here: https://www.nps.gov//historycult/william-henry-jackson.htm Image: William Henry Jackson and another man with photographic equipment on mountain near Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, 1871-1878. (Library of Congress).

What was Ulysses S. Grant's real name? How did the unassuming boy from Georgetown, Ohio get accepted to West Point? On February 19, 1839, Ulysses S. Grant's father Jesse wrote to his former personal and political friend, Congressman Thomas Hamer of Ohio asking for a cadet appointment for my son, H. Ulysses to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Although he and Grant had experienced a falling out years prior, Hamer was rushed to find a nominee and therefore... consented to nominate the seventeen-year-old, Hiram Ulysses Grant. However, when Hammer submitted the nomination he mistakenly listed the boy's name as U.S. Grant. It's easy to understand his confusion since everyone called young Hiram by his middle name, Ulysses. The "S" listed on the nomination is thought to have come from Grant's mother's maiden name, which was Simpson. Despite having his name incorrectly listed by Hamer, Grant was accepted into West Point. When he tried to correct the mistake at the academy he was told that the name on record could not be changed. This was no problem for Grant, who preferred the name Ulysses. As for the middle initial "S", Ulysses would soon find it incorporated into numerous patriotic nicknames given to him by his classmates, including Uncle Sam Grant and United States Grant.

Today is National Miners' Day! Miners have one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs you can imagine. Prior to the Civil War, after moving away from White Haven, Ulysses S. Grant and his family lived in Galena, Illinois, a town named for the mineral galena, or lead ore. Galena had been one of Illinois's earliest boomtowns, and in the 1850's, it was the largest city on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Lead mining had always been an important economic activity in Ga...lena, and in 1868, President-elect Grant visited several mines around the town. Grant also owned stock in several gold and silver mines in the Western U.S. which turned a handsome profit in the years just after the Civil War. Image: a drawing of President-elect Grant, wearing a wide brimmed hat and smoking a cigar listens to miners in Galena, Illinois. The miners are holding a piece of ore and are speaking to Grant. The text reads: "Grant and the miners - the President-elect taking a lesson in mineralogy, at the lead mines, near Galena, Ill." (Library of Congress)

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer! Join us tomorrow for our annual holiday celebration, A Spirited Holiday Past. Each year the park rings in the holiday season with a special event featuring festive decorations, skits, music, and cooking demonstrations. This year's event has gone mostly virtual, but there is still much to enjoy! Starting tomorrow, you will find virtual programming including gingerbread cooking demonstrations, 19th-century holiday music, and a special holida...y-themed craft activity on our website. Enjoy these videos and craft project with your loved ones from the comfort and safety of your own home. Although much of our program has moved online this year, you are still welcome to visit the park, pick up a craft kit, and see President Grant's home White Haven decorated in splendid greenery for the holiday season. Open house 10 AM-4 PM. To participate in our virtual program please visit our website (link in the first comment).

Hide the bathroom scaleit’s National Greasy Food Day! Residents at White Haven were no strangers to greasy foods of various kinds. Ulysses’ brother-in-law, Louis was especially fond of a ‘southern’ food staple called corn dodgers. According to Julia, they were enjoyed by the Dent’s enslaved laborers and the Dent family members alike. She recalled, On one of his vacations, Louis complained that he had not had a bit of corn bread since his return home. Mamma said: ‘I am su...re you have had some kind of corn bread at every meal.’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘I want those cakes old Aunt Eadie makes.’ (Old Eadie cooked for the farmhands.) An order was sent to Eadie, and the next repast a plate was upon the corner of the table upon which rested three golden corn ‘dodgers’ (a cake familiar to every southern and western home.) Just as mother, Nell, Louis and I were sitting down, Louis exclaimed, ‘Mamma, may I say grace?’ Mamma bowed assent, feeling much pleased and surprised at the request, when Louis, in the most solemn manner, said: ‘Three corn dodgers for the four of us, Thank the Lord there are no more of us.’ -The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant, pg. 44-45 According to author and food historian Suzanne Corbet there are a variety of ways to make corn dodgers, and recipes vary depending on available ingredients and personal preferences. Below are two different recipes from Suzanne that you can try at home! Let us know in the comments if you make them and how they turn out. Corn Dodgers 2 cups cornmeal 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoons melted butter or bacon grease 2 cups boiling water Place cornmeal, salt and bacon grease in a mixing bowl. Stir in water to make a thick mush dough. Dough can be dropped by spoonful on a greased baking pan and baked at 425 degree oven until golden brown and crisp. Or dough can be shaped by hand into log shapes and pan fried in grease until gold brown on each side. Corn Dodgers 2 cups white cornmeal 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon butter or grease 1 cup buttermilk Grease for frying. Mix together cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in butter, buttermilk, mix until dough form. Shape dough into bullet (logs) shapes. Heat a heavy skillet over a high medium heat filled with about a 1/4-inch grease. Fry dodgers until are golden brown on each side. Best served hot. Image: Uncooked cornmeal. Wikimedia Commons.

December often brings cold weather and quiet times to reflect and relax. No matter the time of year, National Parks are a great place to find peace and relaxation. Join us and other parks and historic sites as we explore ways of #findingpeace through our shared public lands and history. Ulysses and Julia Grant loved their Missouri home White Haven, and during their early courtship enjoyed spending time together exploring the idyllic woods and rolling hills of the 850 acre es...tate. For enslaved laborers at White Haven, peace and relaxation were hard to come by, and may have meant sneaking away to have a moment alone, or to visit a friend or loved one on a neighboring farm. What are some favorite places you go to find peace? #FindingPeace #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Images: The banks of Little Prairie Creek, which runs through Ulysses S. Grant NHS, covered in a dusting of snow in December 2017.

Join us this Saturday for A Spirited Holiday Past! President Grant's home White Haven will be decorated in splendid greenery for the holiday season. Visit in-person to tour the home and pick up a DIY holiday craft kit or join us online at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/a-spirited-holiday-past.htm for virtual programming including General Grant's ginger cake cooking demonstration, 19th century holiday music, and at-home craft activities. FREE. Reservations are not required. A Spirited Holiday Past is an annual event hosted in partnership with eleven other St. Louis area historic sites. Learn more at www.historicsaintlouis.org

On October 24, 1859, Ulysses S. Grant wrote a letter to his brother, Samuel Simpson Grant, from St. Louis. Simpson had been in St. Louis to visit the Grant family and had left a horse with Ulysses, who described what happened next: "About two weeks ago a man spoke to me [about the horse] and said that he would try him the next day and if he suited [would] give me $100 for him. I have not seen the man since but one week ago last Saturday he went to the stable and got the hors...e saddle and bridle since which I have seen neither man nor horse. From this I presume he must like him. The man, I understand, lives in Florissant, about twelve miles from the city." "The man that has your horse is Capt. Covington . . . he intends to give me an order on his agent for the money on the 1st of the month when rents are paid. At all events I imagine the horse is perfectly safe." Image: Samuel Simpson Grant circa late 1850s (image shared by Noma Petroff).

On this day in 1863 Major General Ulysses S. Grant arrived in Chattanooga, wet, dirty, and well, in the words of Charles Dana, having ridden from Bridgeport. He immediately called a staff meeting to consider strategies for breaking the Confederate siege of the city. Image: General Grant at Lookout Mountain,1863. Left to right Gen. Grant, Gen. Rawlins, Gen. Webster, Col. Lagow, Col. Hillyer. Library of Congress

Who was the last Confederate general to surrender during the Civil War? Stand Watie (Degataga), principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, was not only the final Confederate commander to surrender to Union authorities, he was the only Indigenous person to reach a general's rank during the Civil War (honorable mention goes to the Seneca Ely Parker, who was brevetted to the rank of Brigadier General in the Union Army on April 9, 1865). Watie, whose Cherokee name Degataga means "...Stand Firm," was born in Georgia in 1806. He moved with his family to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) after the Cherokee people were forced to leave their ancestral lands. Like many prominent Cherokees, Watie was a slaveowner and harbored a deep distrust of the federal government. Even though only a tenth of the Cherokee populace owned slaves, they overwhelmingly voted to support the Confederacy. Watie formed a cavalry regiment and was commissioned as a Colonel, and fought at Pea Ridge and several engagements against Union troops and other Cherokee groups in Indian Territory. In May 1864, Watie was made a brigadier general and given command of First Indian Brigade of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi. However, Confederate control of Indian Territory was rapidly slipping away, and after the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee in April 1865, Stand Watie, commander of the last significant Confederate force, surrendered on June 23, 1865. Images: a black and white photograph of Stand Watie, and a color photograph of his burial marker in Polson Cemetery in Delaware County, Oklahoma (both photos from Wikipedia).

Ulysses S. Grant is often praised for his leadership skills as a General and President. What qualities and characteristics are essential to effective leadership? What made Grant a better leader compared to his colleagues within the ranks? Is leadership something that comes naturally, or can it be learned? ... Let us know what you think. #WriteOut #WriteOut2020

It's What is it Wednesday! This morning we asked our followers to guess the identity of this unique object from our museum collection. So, what is it? It's a custard cup from the White House! Custard cups, as the name implies, are small cups used for baking and/or serving custards. This particular custard cup was part of a 600+ piece set of "royal purple" china pieces ordered by Mary Lincoln in 1861 and used throughout her husband's administration.

It's What is it Wednesday! Can you identify this object from our museum collection? Leave your guess in the comments below and check back at 3 PM to see if you are correct.

The election of 1856 was the only time Ulysses S. Grant voted for a president before the American Civil War. Park Ranger Nick Sacco describes the political issues surrounding the 1856 election and explains how Grant came to vote for Democrat James Buchanan.

It's National Kentucky Day! Ulysses S. Grant's father owned a home in Covington, Kentucky that still stands today. For roughly a year during the Civil War, Julia and the children lived at this home with Ulysses' parents and younger sisters. During the war and throughout his presidency, Ulysses visited this home on multiple occasions. Kentucky Educational Television produced a short video about the Grant home, which is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iR03Z3ymsA

The National Park Service's monthly theme for October is "Stories Around the Campfire." Let's pretend we're sitting around the campfire and telling stories about our travels. In the comments below, share a picture you've taken while visiting a National Park Service site and tell us a story about that picture. Why did you visit this place? What was the experience like? What was something new that you learned? #WriteOut #RecreateResponsibly Image: Beautiful Fall Colors at White Haven (NPS).

On October 17, 1863, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton personally met General Ulysses S. Grant in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stanton delivered orders directing Grant to take command of the Military Division of the Ohio, which included the Armies of the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee. Although not verified in Grant's papers, a biography of Grant published in 1914 by General Charles King claimed that as Stanton approached Grant and his staff, he allegedly shook the hand of Grant's Medical Director, Dr. Edward Kittoe, and mistakenly proclaimed "How do you do, General Grant? I recognize you from your pictures!" Image: Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Wikipedia).

On October 16, 1859, John Brown's attempted raid of the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry began. Did you know that Ulysses S. Grant's father, Jesse R. Grant, personally knew John Brown? Read the story on our website: https://www.nps.gov//ulysses-s-grant-s-connection-to-john-

On this day in 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law. It was the first national policy governing preservation and it would shape the fate of many of our historic and cultural sites over the next half-century. White Haven was officially designated as Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in 1989, but efforts to preserve the memory of President Grant’s home began long ago. In 1940, architects and photographers from the Historic American Building Sur...vey (HABS) visited the White Haven estate with the intent of capturing images of the home and outbuildings before extensive renovations were made by private owners. Documentation compiled by these individuals is publicly available online today via the links below. Their photos and drawings proved to be an invaluable resource during the National Park Service’s restoration project in the 1990s. Today, the White Haven estate has been accurately restored to its 1875 appearance, in large part due to the documentary efforts of the HABS team. White Haven https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.mo0057.photos?st=gallery Horse Stable https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.mo1775.photos?st=gallery Stone Building https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.mo1854.photos?st=gallery Outbuildings https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.mo1774.photos?st=gallery

Happy National Fossil Day! Did you know? Julia Dent Grant collected fossils during her upbringing on the White Haven estate. In her memoirs, Julia recalled enslaved African American children gathering Petrified Honeycomb for her near Little Prairie Creek. We came upon a beautiful shadowy, moss covered nook. My little maids exclaimed: ‘Oh! Miss Julia! Haven this for your playhouse, and we will mark it out with all the pretty stones we can find.’ Hastening to the brook, the...y gathered all the ‘petrified honeycomb’ and round boulders they could find, placing these so as to mark the supposed walls of my mansion. -Julia Dent Grant Today, we know that Julia was referring to a fossil known as Favosite Tabulate Coral or ‘Honeycomb Coral’. A severe storm in 2005 uprooted a large walnut tree on the park grounds, revealing this (see image) 350-million-year-old fossil wedged in its roots. Tabulate fossils like this are abundant in Paleozoic marine sediment worldwide. This example is Mississippian Limestone. Have you ever collected fossils? What does this story from Julia’s memoirs teach us about her relationship with enslaved children on the White Haven estate?