September 19th, 2007

Wednesday We met Pat and Larry for breakfast this morning at the "Cracker Barrel" restaurant. We really enjoyed the food there and we found they are all over down here. Kent likes the French toast and bacon, Sharon likes the grits and gravy. They have the neatest gift shops also, Sharon bought a couple of Christmas presents. We did our goodbyes with Pat and Larry and from there we went to Grant's Farm. This piece of land was purchased in 1903 by August Busch Sr., of the Budweiser beer family. The land was once plowed and planted by President Ulysses S. Grant. Today Grant's farm is home to more than 1000 beautiful animals including the Budweiser beer Clydesdale horses.(pictures) They have a tram that takes you through the park. The home that Grant built for his family in 1855 is a small log cabin divided into 4 rooms, with 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs, with a hallway running between them on both floors. Grant's wife"Julia" was not happy with the home and no matter what she did to make it pretty it didn't seem to change it any. (picture) The little house looked so unattractive that they called it "Hard Scrabble" Even though Hard Scrabble was the first home the Grant's owned. They lived there for only about 3 months before moving back to Julia's (Dent) family home, "White Haven" which now is painted green (picture) after the death of her mother. The Grant's and the Dent's were divided in their views of slavery. Grant born and raised in the free state of Ohio and Julia Dent was born and raised in the slave state of Missouri. The Grant family never visited their son at "White Haven". The same arguments that divided the Dent's and Grant's were repeated in homes throughout the country and would lead to the secession and civil war. Due to its association with the famous General and President, "Hard Scrabble" was dismantled and moved 3 times, until it was finally purchased by August Busch in 1907 and was rebuilt on its final resting place on 280 acres of land once owned by Grant where it was first built.