DNR
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At a glance... 1009 Truman |
417-682-2279 |
Acreage: 2.51 |
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Visit the birthplace home of the only Missourian ever
elected President of the United States - Harry S Truman. Born
May 8, 1884, in a downstairs bedroom of a small frame house
in Lamar, Harry Truman was the son of John Anderson and
Martha Ellen (Young) Truman.
The Truman birthplace, which the family occupied until Harry
was 11 months old, was built between 1880 and 1882. The
Trumans purchased the 20- by 28-foot house as newlyweds in
1882 for $685. Visitors today can view its four downstairs
rooms and two upstairs rooms, as well as the smokehouse, well
and outhouse located in the back. The modest furnishings
inside the house and the surrounding landscaping accurately
represent a typical home of its style during the time the
Trumans resided in Lamar. It has neither electricity nor
indoor plumbing.
The United Auto Workers donated the home to the state in 1959 for preservation as a state historic site. President Truman himself attended the dedication on April 19, 1959. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Like Truman's trademark country mannerisms and down-to-earth sensibility, the small home possesses an essence of Missouri hospitality that seems to welcome every visitor with open arms.
