Last updated: February 5, 2021
Place
Hoover Nature Trail
Adam Prato
Quick Facts
The Hoover Nature Trail follows the railroad that passed through the president's hometown. As a child, Herbert Hoover developed an early interest in geology while collecting interesting rocks along the railroad grade.
Railroad & Prosperity
Within ten years after the railroad arrived in 1870, West Branch grew from a tiny crossroads community to a bustling village, despite the generally hard economic times that followed the panic of 1873. By 1910 fourteen passenger trains passed through town daily, as did numerous freight trains.
Early Interest in Geology
The railroad tracks east of Downey Street brought something else for a curious and enterprising Bertie Hoover: a fascination with geology. He scoured the gravel of the track bed for agates and fossil corals. In his memoirs Hoover wrote, "Their fine points came out wonderfully when wet, and you had to lick them with your tongue before each exhibit."
Train Depot
The West Branch depot, built in 1871 and which once stood nearby, was the scene of orphaned eleven year old "Bert" Hoover's departure for a new and uncertain life in Oregon in 1885, and where Hoover made his triumphant return as the newly nominated Republican candidate for president in 1928.
Rail to Trail
The rail line was abandoned shortly after the Rock Island Railroad declared bankruptcy in 1980. Thanks to the efforts of local citizens, in 1990 the three miles of railroad right-of-way between West Branch and Oasis was reopened as a segment of the Herbert Hoover Nature Trail. The Cedar County Conservation Board operates the trail.