National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site A red barn on the ridge of a green prairie.
view map
text size: largest larger normal
printer friendly
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
Simple Beginnings
 

“In no other land could a boy from a country village, without inheritance or influential friends, look forward with unbounded hope.”

Herbert Hoover

 
A black-and-white portrait photograph of a seated baby boy.

Herbert Hoover NHS Collection

Herbert Hoover believed strongly that being born in the United States offered him a life of unbounded opportunity.

Born in a two-room cottage to a family of modest means, Herbert Hoover had a life of unlimited potential in the United States. His parents' beliefs and lifestyles left a lasting impression, even though the time they all lived together was short. It took a community to raise the Hoover children: aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends with like beliefs to guide them to adulthood. In particular, Herbert's mother's belief in her Quaker faith, family, and higher education gave her children a foundation and direction to their lives after her death.

You are exiting the National Park Service website

Thank you for visiting our site.

You will now be redirected to:

We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.

Rows of wooden pupils' desks.

Did You Know?
The West Branch Schoolhouse was built in 1853 making it the oldest building at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The town's Quakers also used the one-room building as their first meetinghouse.
more...

Last Updated: November 30, 2010 at 13:53 MST