Roosevelt on May 5 for a “small informal housewarming.” A special bulletin was posted in the local papers inviting those who did not have a telephone in Warm Springs.įDR became the first and only president to serve for more than two terms, and is known for his leadership during one of the biggest conflicts in US history. Instructions were given to the Foundation telephone operators to call locals in Meriwether, Harris, and adjoining counties to join him and Mrs. Shortly thereafter, he decided to throw a housewarming party to celebrate his new home. He had even announced his intentions before patients and locals in front of the Meriwether Inn. FDR was well on his way to beginning his campaign for president. FDR arrived in Warm Springs in April 1932 and the new cottage was completed. Although his therapy had all but ceased as official duties grew, he still visited Warm Springs as often as possible. ![]() He knew that the presidency was where the power was if he were to be able to achieve such a goal. Governor Roosevelt was able to implement some of his ideas into programs aimed at relief, recovery, and reform in his home state. It was during these early years in Warm Springs, Georgia that FDR developed many ideas to combat the problems faced by millions of Americans. ![]() He saw the lack of education, lack of electricity, banks folding, and family farms being foreclosed. During the previous seven years, he had witnessed the effects of a weak economy in the south. At the same time, he was considering a run for the office of President. ![]() Image courtesy of Roosevelt's Little White House Historic Site.īetween 19, Governor Roosevelt of New York built another cottage in Warm Springs. Shortly after the article was published, polio patients began to arrive hoping to experience the “the Spirit of Warm Springs.” The Warm Springs was such a huge success that FDR opened a polio therapeutic treatment center called the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation in 1926. Unbeknownst to Roosevelt, people with polio across the country read the story with great interest. The article and photographs showing Roosevelt’s shriveled legs were published in the Octoissue of Sunday Magazine and was syndicated nationally. He also commented on the beauty of the area and the hospitality he received, what he called “the Spirit of Warm Springs.” He would come to rely upon these qualities, this spirit, for the next 21 years. The article is notable for many reasons, but mainly for the first time in three years FDR said that he was able to move his right leg. Roosevelt did not want any press coverage but agreed to an interview. There was little fanfare during his first visit, but Cleburne Gregory of the Atlanta Journal came down to find out what the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Vice Presidential candidate was doing in this neck of the woods. It was here that Roosevelt got his first glimpse of rural southern poverty and it left a very strong impression on him. He also began to explore the countryside and towns meeting the local folks. Roosevelt swam daily for the next two weeks. The water was pleasant, he noted, and soon he was able to stand in four feet of water-something he had been unable to do previously. The next day, Roosevelt took his first swim in the Warm Springs pool. That first night, Roosevelt was kept awake by squirrels running across the roof of his cottage. The man who carried him had no idea that, within 10 years, FDR would be the most powerful man in the nation, carrying the weight of a damaged nation on his shoulders. Eleanor came with him and he was carried from the train to an awaiting automobile. ![]() It was his last hope of finding a cure for the polio that had left him crippled three years earlier. Roosevelt visited Warm Springs, Georgia for the first time. Primary image courtesy of Roosevelt's Little White House Historic Site.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |