ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENTS OF OUR TIME
BUT, FIRST, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENTS OF OUR TIME HAD HIS HUMBLE BEGINNING IN THE
SMALL TOWN OF TAMPICO.
>> THE REAGAN'S MOVED HERE IN
1906, AND THEY HAD BEEN MARRIED
A COUPLE YEARS, AND LIVED IN
THIS APARTMENT FOR ABOUT SIX
YEARS.
NONE OF THE FURNITURE IN THIS
APARTMENT BELONGED TO THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY
PICTURES OF THIS APARTMENT WHEN
THEY LIVED HERE NOR DO WE KNOW
HOW MUCH RENT THEY PAID.
BUT THE FURNITURE IS ALL TYPICAL
OF FURNITURE THAT THEY MIGHT
HAVE HAD.
IT IS MIDDLE CLASS.
THEY HAD ELECTRICITY, AND THEY
HAD A TELEPHONE.
BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE RUNNING
WATER.
THE OUTHOUSE IS DOWN THE BACK
STEPS, AND SO WAS THE SOURCE OF
WATER.
>> YET IT WAS WATER THAT BROUGHT
THE REAGANS ALONG WITH MANY
OTHERS TO TAMPICO.
NEARBY A BRANCH OF THE HINEPIN
CANAL WAS DUG WHICH BROUGHT
RAILROAD AND NEW ROADS TO THE
AREA.
>> TAMPICO WAS THE CLOSEST TOWN
WHERE WORKERS COULD LIVE AND
FIND HOUSING AND SUPPLIES AND
DOCTORS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS.
IT WAS REALLY QUITE A BUSTLING
COMMUNITY.
JACK AND NEL BOTH WORKED IN A
GENERAL MERCHANDISE STORE IN
FULTON, ILLINOIS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THEY MET AND
WERE MARRIED.
HE CAME HERE AND FOUND A JOB AT
THE PEL DIXIE PICK ANY STORE
ACROSS THE STREET.
>> BOTH BOYS WERE BORN IN THIS
FRONT BEDROOM, NEIL IS THE OLDER
BROTHER, HE WAS BORN HERE IN
1908 AND RONALD WAS BORN IN
1911.
THE CLOCK ON THE NIGHT STAND IS
SET FOR LITTLE BEFORE SIX,
THAT'S IN THE MORNING, AND
THAT'S THE TIME THAT RON, YOUNG
RON WAS BORN.
THERE WAS A REAL BAD SNOWSTORM
THAT DAY, SO NATURALLY WE HEARD
THAT THE DOCTOR HAD A TERRIBLE
TIME GETTING HERE.
BUT IT ISN'T TRUE.
THE DOCTOR JUST LIVED TWO DOORS
DOWN THE STREET.
WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT NEL
WANTED TO YELL OUT THE WINDOW
FOR HIM.
I THINK MAYBE I WOULD BUY THAT
STORY!
WHEN NEL WANTED TO GO UPTOWN
SHOPPING, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO
CARRY THE THREE MONTH OLD BABY,
YOUNG RONALD DOWNSTAIRS AND BACK
UP WITH ARM LOAD OF GROCERIES
VENAL SO SHE WOULD PASS HIM
THROUGH HERE TO DAISEY NOKES.
DAISEY WAS THE LADY WHO LIVED
NEXT DOOR.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAD A BABY
GIRL THAT THEY WOULD PASS THIS
WAY WHEN DAISEY WANTED TO GO
SHOPPING.
THE PICTURE ON THE WALL SHOWS
YOUNG RONALD DISPLAYING AN
AMERICAN FLAG.
WE THINK IT WAS PROBABLY THE
FIRST TIME.
WHEN RONALD WAS ABOUT FIVE, THE
FAMILY MOVED TO CHICAGO
RETURNING FOUR YEARS LATER AT
THE INSIST TENS OF MR. PIT NEY.
>> ON DISPLAY ARE THE
PRESIDENT'S SCHOOL RECORDS FROM
1919 AND SEVERAL SEVERAL
PHOTOGRAPHS.
THIS WAS TAKEN WHILE HE WAS
WATCHING THE EXCITEMENT AT THE
LOCAL STOCKYARDS.
THAT'S HIM RESTING HIS HEAD ON
HIS HANDS.
>> WHEN HE WAS NINE, HE AND HIS
BUDDY, HE LIVED ABOVE THE PITNEY
STORE.
ONE NIGHT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO
BE STUDYING THEIR SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSONS, AND THEY GOT
MR. WINCHELL'S SHOTGUN, AND SHOT
A HOLE THROUGH THE ROOF.
SO THE PARENTS CAME RUSHING IN
AND THE BOYS BY THAT TIME THEY
WERE PRETENDING TO READ THEIR
SUNDAY SCHOOL PAPER, BUT THEY
HAD IT UP SIDE DOWN.
THEY WERE TRYING TO BE VERY
CASUAL, BUT THE PLASTER WAS
STILL FALLING.
IT WAS (LAUGHING) -- HE TELLS
THAT ON -- HE HAS TOLD IT ON
TELEVISION A NUMBER OF TIMES.
HE DID A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE
FIRST HERE.
HE LEARNED TO SWIM IN THE CANAL
OUT EAST OF TOWN.
HE LEARNED TO RIDE A HORSE ON A
FARM NORTH OF TAMPICO.
I THINK MUCH OF HIS SMALL TOWN
VALUES CARRIED OVERTHREW HIS
LIFE, AND I THINK A GREAT MANY
OF THOSE VALUES WERE ACQUIRED
HERE.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RONALD REAGAN'S BIRTHPLACE CALL (815)438-2130.