West Branch

The Gruwell and Crew General Store is one of the oldest buildings in West Branch. Mayor S.C. Gruwell and J.C. Crew built the structure in 1894, it... operated as a music store, harness shop, shoe repair shop, and as a variety store. In 1964 the West Branch Heritage Foundation converted it to a museum. The building has its original false-front facade and wooden ceiling, floor and walls. It is part of the West Branch Commercial Historic District. Preservation Iowa has listed the Gruwell and Crew General Store on its most endangered list, citing it deteriorating condition, and lack of support.
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The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is the Presidential library of Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States. Located in... West Branch, Iowa, next to the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, the library is one of thirteen presidential libraries run by the National Archives and Records Administration. The 32,000-square-foot library was officially opened to the public on August 10, 1962, Hoover's 88th birthday.. Former President Hoover and Former President Harry Truman were present at the dedication where Hoover recited the following: "When the members of the Congress created these presidential libraries they did a great public service. They made available for research the records of vital periods in American history - and they planted these records in the countryside instead of allowing their concentration on the seaboard. Already the three libraries of President Roosevelt, President Truman, and President Eisenhower, by their unique documentation, serve this purpose, and today we dedicate a fourth - my own. Within them are thrilling records of supreme action by the American people, their devotion and sacrifice to their ideals.
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Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United... States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business under the rubric "economic modernization". In the presidential election of 1928, Hoover easily won the Republican nomination, despite having no previous elected office experience. Hoover is the most recent cabinet secretary to be elected President of the United States, as well as one of only two Presidents to have been elected without previous electoral experience or high military rank. America was prosperous and optimistic at the time, leading to a landslide victory for Hoover over Democrat Al Smith. Hoover, a trained engineer, deeply believed in the Efficiency Movement, which held that the government and the economy were riddled with inefficiency and waste, and could be improved by experts who could identify the problems and solve them.
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Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New France. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. Iowa is often... known as the "Food Capital of the World". In the latter half of the 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy transitioned to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services, biotechnology, and green energy production. Iowa is the 26th most extensive and the 30th most populous of the 50 United States. Its capital and largest city is Des Moines. Iowa has been listed as one of the safest states to live in. Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east; the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west; the northern boundary is a line along 43 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude.
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