The President's Childhood, Preserved for History
JULY 7, 2007 Listen to this Story
This week President George W. Bush celebrated his 61st birthday in Washington, DC with his family. The President may call DC his home, but his hometown of Midland, Texas, is still a hub of nostalgia for the Bushes. Independent Producer Kyle Gassiott takes Weekend America deep into Bush territory, as the family home now becomes a museum.
Notes from Producer Kyle Gassiott:
I actually got the idea for this story from my dad, who has been to the Bush Childhood Home Museum three times. He kept telling me how well done it was, but I didn't believe him because I never saw any cars in the parking lot when I was home to visit. He's right, the museum has great exhibits and has been really well restored, but I saw few people there.
Gayle Dodson was the right person to be my guide. I've known her since middle school, and many people consider her to be the unofficial hostess of Midland. She is not only the head docent for the GWB Childhood Home, she has also been the chairman of Midland's Fourth of July children's parade for 32 years. I stopped by the parade on the Fourth of July to ask people if they had been to the Bush Home Museum yet—none had, but the majority of people I spoke with supported Bush. Not surprisingly in an oil town like this, the biggest complaint with the president was over high gas prices.
Surprising for me was that in Bush's largely conservative hometown, I didn't find many people who had been to the museum. Two other destinations in town, the Museum of the Southwest and The Petroleum Museum, see upwards of 30,000 or more visitors each year. Of course the George W. Bush Childhood Home has only been open for one year and those numbers could rise—along with the price of oil.
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- Music Bridge:
- O Kentucky
- Artist: Papa M
- CD: Three Songs
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