When you see this little Victorian cottage, what is your first thought?  Well, despite the broad array of answers that might be invoked by such a question, the first thought is probably not one of a presidential nature.  Between 1883 and 1884, John Anderson Truman and his wife Martha Ellen Young moved to this fairly new, modest dwelling in Lamar, Missouri.  Lamar was within miles south of the parental farm of John Anderson Truman near Kansas City, Missouri.  While career-wise, no one is quite sure of their exact endeavors in Lamar, it is certain that John and Martha rented this house for at least eleven months and that during that time their first child was born on May 8, 1884 in the downstairs bedroom–to become the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman.  Just why the Trumans only lived in Lamar for such a short time is unknown, but it is probable to say that it had something to do with money or the lack there of…

We wouldn’t recommend a voyage to Lamar, Missouri just to see this, but would certainly encourage including it on a larger exploration in the Kansas City area, which might include a day dedicated to the Truman-related built environment.

Three flames for this cottage.

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