Park Rangers Lead Walking Tours of West Branch’s Historic Downtown

Date: May 24, 2016
Contact: Adam Prato, [phone]

WEST BRANCH, IOWA—West Branch is known as being the birthplace of Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States. But it is also home to a remarkable downtown district representing the period from the 1870s through the 1910s when a booming farm economy supported new buildings and businesses in small towns across the Midwest. 

Join a park ranger from Herbert Hoover National Historic Site for a walking tour of West Branch's historic commercial downtown. The tours begin each Thursday in June and July. Meet at the Visitor Center of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site at 5 p.m. Participants are invited to bring a photo, artifact, story, or memory that illustrates how West Branch has changed. The walk will last no more than an hour and cover about a third of a mile. It will conclude at the West Branch Heritage Museum on Main Street. This collection of downtown buildings is on the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service. 

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. "These historic buildings tell an important story and provide a valuable connection in context of time," said Superintendent Pete Swisher. "This represents an opportunity for the public to learn of another important program of the National Park Service." 

Last year the National Park Service launched its "Find Your Park" campaign which began a two year celebration commemorating its first 100 years of preservation and service to the public. "Find Your Park" is aimed at getting people out to experience all their national parks have to offer and to share their favorite stories about National Parks. Visit www.findyourpark.com to learn more. 

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/heho or call [phone].