Yep, you read the title right. Just what do the 34th president and Ranch Style Beans have in common? Trust me, this ain't a "Six Degrees" thing. Read on.
I spent the week at Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas on the banks of lake Texoma. Eisenhower is a big deal in these parts. Understandable, considering he was a war hero, the primary architect for the Allied victory in Europe and of course No. 34.
And he's considered Denison's favorite son because he was born there (even though he didn't think so until he was president). You see, the Eisenhowers only lived in Denison for 2 years and the President thought he was born in Tyler, about 150 miles to the southeast.
Confused, yet? Let me muddy the waters a little more. David, Ike's fathe, came to Denison in 1889 from Kansas. The store he had owned there had failed, and he was looking for work on the Railroad, which was a big employer in the area.
The reason he went alone was simple. Ida, Eisenhower's mother, was not about to uproot the young family and move to a new town until she David had both a job and a place for them to live. Once those were secured, she gathered up her two sons, one an infant, the luggage and her sewing machine and railroaded it down from Abilene. This in itself was quite a feat, since it was rare for a woman to ride the rails alone in the 1880's let alone one with two small children.
Life was tough in Denison. The only work David could find was as an engine wiper. That's exactly what it sounds like. He spent 12 hours a day, 6 days a week wiping down the big locomotives. For this he was paid the handsome sum of $24 a month, of which $8 went to rent on the small house just steps away from the railroad tracks.
Ike was born on October 14, 1890 in the house by the tracks. Needless to say, the salary of an engine wiper wasn't going to cut it with a family of 5, so in 1892 the family moved back to Kansas, where David was able to secure employment though connections in the church.
Quirky side note: Ike was apparently a pretty good cook. He had to be, because Mamie didn't cook. A quote attributed to him was "It was either learn to cook, or the family had to survive on steak and potatoes."
So, Eisenhower never really remembered his time in Denison. When entering his place of birth on his application for West Point, he only remembered that it was a railroad town, so he put Tyler, which was another major hub. Many years later, a local Denison resident who had helped Ida with young Dwight and sent a letter to the President asking if he was that some infant. Eisenhower initially said no, but a consultation with Ida revealed that Denison was indeed the correct place of birth.
That realization set off a flurry of activity, beginning with the purchase of the house by the City, refurbishment of same, a presidential breakfast in the dining room (probably the first solid food the President had ever eaten there), designation by national and state historical agencies, and an annual celebration of Ike's birth that continues to this day.
Quirky side note #2. While president, Eisenhower was invited to a celebration at his birthplace. He came, along with several Texas dignitaries and their entourages, as well as a film crew. They all crowded into the tiny dining room of the house for a "Big Texas Breakfast." Later, the whole team had a second meal of barbecue. Ike reportedly said "I've only been here two hours and have had two big meals. I need a nap."
The state park itself doesn't have anything to do with the birthplace, other than sharing names. It's basically a recreational park, with boat ramps, fishing docks and a few spots for swimming. And the Eisenhower (see a pattern yet?) marina is quite the establishment, with space for boats both small and huge.
And just what does this all have to do with my favorite "Husband Pleasin'" canned beans? In 1872, the Waples-Platter grocery company was founded in Denison to supply goods to the railroad and it's workers. In 1885 it renamed it's wholesale grocery business the White Swan Line, an name familiar today in the restaurant industry. Waples-Platter's greatest and longest lasting achievement was the creation of, you guessed it: Ranch Style Beans.
See, I told you it wasn't six degrees of separation, just 3 or 4.
Among the other places to visit in Denison are the Red River Railroad Museum in the old Katy building (named for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, or MKT or Katy), and the Grayson County Pioneer Village. The Museum was closed when I was in town, but I got some fun video of the village, which you can find here:
I'm headed to the Dallas area for a couple of weeks to see some friends and family, as well as for a high school reunion (#45). I haven't really made any plans, but trust me, it ain't hard for me to get into trouble in the ol' stompin' grounds.
Later, folks.