Stories

Poets, playwrights, fiction writers, and essayists participate in the Artist-in-Residence Program at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Most of us have been asked this question, and many of us are still looking for the answer— life is a continuous journey, and few of us know just where we may end up. Herbert Hoover could not have know that he would become the 31st President of the United States. He did believe in the "American dream"— that if you work hard, have faith in yourself, and treat others fairly and charitably, then you can accomplish anything.

Herbert Hoover, mining engineer, humanitarian, statesman, and 31st President of the United States, was born August 10, 1874 in a simple two-room cottage in West Branch, Iowa. His Quaker family had helped settle the town, and their principles of honesty, hard work, simplicity, and generosity guided Hoover throughout his life of service to the nation and the world.

Numerous historic sites, museums, and homes in the United States and abroad commemorate the life of President Herbert Hoover.

Writer Gaynell Gavin was artist-in-residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in 2011. During her residency she wrote the nonfiction essay "Reflections of a Neophyte Prairie Topophiliac".

The restored Friends Meetinghouse, where young Herbert Hoover and his family worshipped, represents the values of the community that shaped Hoover’s early years in West Branch.

Uncover the hidden history of World War I in the national parks!

Find a brief genealogy of Herbert Hoover's family, starting with his parents.

Herbert Hoover's long and accomplished life began in 1874 in a two-room cottage in the center of West Branch, Iowa. His ancestors arrived in horse-drawn wagons hoping to find a new life for their families as they settled in this developing, primarily Quaker, midwestern rural community.

Herbert Hoover grew up in a supportive family and as a member of a close-knit Quaker community. His childhood experiences in West Branch included the deaths of both parents. Young Herbert relied on values like hard work and faith to overcome being an orphan.

"In The Tallgrass" is an animated short film produced by Erin Anfinson, 2017 artist-in-residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

A colorful pallette of flowers mixes with the green, purple, and golden hues of native grasses from April until late October.

Birds perch, flutter, nest, hunt, and soar at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Their colors and songs add visible and audible vitality to the park’s dignified commemorative setting. This bird checklist, based on data from scientific surveys, is your own tool for measuring the vital signs of the park’s natural areas.

Writer Gaynell Gavin was artist-in-residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in 2011. During her residency she wrote the nonfiction essay "Reflections of a Neophyte Prairie Topophiliac".

To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation.

Fish and aquatic invertebrate communities can tell us a lot about the health of streams. We monitor the aquatic community in Hoover Creek at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site to help managers understand the condition of the creek and how it may be changing. Most of the fish and aquatic invertebrates in Hoover Creek are tolerant or moderately tolerant of poor water quality and habitat conditions.

Monitoring breeding bird populations helps scientists and park managers evaluate the health of the prairie ecosystem at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

Scientists monitor plant communities to measure changes in the tallgrass prairie at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The studies help park managers to adapt their land management practices.

Fishes occur in Hoover Creek when the flow is stable. Visitors commonly see minnows like creek chub. Changes in water quality often affect fish species. Many species are intolerant of poor water quality so monitoring fish communities is a useful way to asses environmental conditions within a stream.

Park scientists monitor nonnative plants that threaten the native plant communities of the tallgrass prairie.

Scientists compare prescribed fire treatment with changes in plant community richness and diversity.

The National Park Service monitors aquatic invertebrate species in Hoover Creek to evaluate the stream's water quality and ecological integrity.

Citizen scientists— volunteers of varying expertise who help research natural resources— contribute to the body of scientific knowledge collected from Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

Studies of sound at Herbert Hoover NHS helps identify sources of noise and inform future management decisions.