July 26, 2023
On July 15 (Saturday), after breakfast, we rode the motorcycle to Tampico, Illinois, the birthplace of President Ronald Reagan.
Tampico is a small village that is very proud of its native son. They have an excellent museum dedicated to Ronald Reagan.
We parked the motorcycle outside the museum and birthplace of President Ronald Reagan. That’s right, President Reagan was born at home in the apartment above what became a bank. The downstairs had been a bakery and/or restaurant before being sold to the bank in 1919.
The museum starts in the building next door to the bank. They have many displays of related to President Reagan and the village when he was a boy.
Apparently, he would often put his fist underneath his chin for pictures. The docent pointed out several pictures of the young Ronald Reagan with his fist under his chin. It made him easy to spot.
Ronald Reagan worked as a lifeguard while he was in college. He saved over 70 people, though one girl admitted that he had saved her three times!
People from Tampico made a sign and went to the inauguration parade. President Reagan and Nancy saw the sign and pointed.
President Reagan kept his promise to visit Tampico and a mat was made for President Reagan to step on. He did step on the mat and several pictures were taken.
Books about the Reagans and letters were also on display. There was a display devoted to the USS Ronald Reagan.
They have almost every poster from the movies Ronald Reagan was in. Their collection is almost as complete as the Reagan’s own collection was.
The next post covers the apartment that Ronald Reagan was born in.
Blackberry Homestead 