Grant Grant's Tomb

[jackt62]

I can't believe I missed that! I was in a bit of a hurry, since we had to go to a Broadway show at 1:00 that day, but still. I guess I'll have to go back the next time I'm in NYC.

They are in the rooms opposite from where the busts of the generals are displayed.

 

[KansasFreestater]

I find it interesting that it is "General Grant National Memorial" instead of "President Grant National Memorial". The contextual reference as "General" (same with Eisenhower, btw) should not be used to describe him in times other than when he was one, while as a memorial, the highest title, "President", should prevail. For example, you just do not see "General Hays" as a description for the 19th President or "General Garfield" for the 20th...

Yeah, I've always been struck by that, too. I think it was because the public loved him first and foremost as their general. For them, he would always be the great general who had saved our beloved country.

 

[KansasFreestater]

From 2009View attachment 89456 View attachment 89457

Oh, my! What a beautiful statue! Where is that?

 

[KansasFreestater]

the NPS adopted an unfortunate plan under which the trophy cases in the two reliquary rooms, designed by the tomb's architect, were destroyed. Other invaluable features of the site's accompanying archival collection inherited by the NPS, including drawings submitted in the competition for Grant's Tomb and information regarding original contributors to the monument, were either disposed of intentionally or otherwise lost.

AAAAUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!

 

[KansasFreestater]

Nice!
Thanks for posting, @StephenColbert27!

NYC is one of the few that I don't think that I will see in my lifetime, haha.

Thanks for the photographic tour!

I can't wait to see the capitol of America one of these days! (Washington may be the political capital, but New York is the capital of everything else!

That's what i hear!

I was told by a couple folks to pick between D.C. or NYC - depending on what your interest was (history vs. art, theatre, etc)

I picked D.C. - seemed to be a no brainer!

De gustabis non disputandum or whatever the Latin is.... For me, picking NYC would be a no-brainer! Washington gives me the creeps. The way the whole city was planned out geometrically and all that... it just has an artificial feel to it. NYC grew organically from the earliest days, and has so many distinctive neighborhoods with their own histories and cultures.... I'll take that over a planned city (full of politicians, no less!) any day!!

 

[KansasFreestater]

I can't believe I missed that! I was in a bit of a hurry, since we had to go to a Broadway show at 1:00 that day, but still. I guess I'll have to go back the next time I'm in NYC.

That's what I try to console myself with every time I get pulled away from some place before I've done much more than scratch the surface of it: "Always leave something for next time!"

 

[StephenColbert27]

That's what I try to console myself with every time I get pulled away from some place before I've done much more than scratch the surface of it: "Always leave something for next time!"

That's certainly one way to look at it. I used to go through or around New York on my way to vacation out East almost every year, so it wouldn't be that hard if we did that. Too bad that now I'm actually of an age that I care about the history in the area, we don't actually go anymore.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

Washington gives me the creeps. The way the whole city was planned out geometrically and all that... it just has an artificial feel to it.

Yea, i think I've heard of this....

(IMAGE SOURCE: http://mediaexposed.tumblr.com/washington)

 

[ole]

According to their website, it was one of several options that Grant gave to his son Fred for him to decide on where to bury him. Here was the list:

• St. Louis, where Grant had lived for several years and where he met his wife, as well as where she was from.
• Galena, Illinois, where, again, Grant and his family had lived for several years, with him getting himself back on his feet after resigning from the Army in disgrace and suffering a number of failures in private life.
• New York City, where he lived the remaining four years of his life.

Grant considered West Point, but discarded the idea because he would not be able to be buried with Julia, which mattered to him more than anything else. The three above places all had that in common. Obviously, Fred chose New York City, where he himself lived, and where he served as Commissioner of Police, along with a certain young man named Theodore Roosevelt.

Essetially correct, but not entirely accurate.

1. Grant wasn't living in St. Louis when he met Julia. He was living in Jefferson Barracks which is still there and perhaps a suburb of St. Louis. When he resigned from the Army, He and Julia lived for a while on a farm they (or he) called "Hard Scrabble." It is still there, but now it's called "Grant's Farm."

2. After failing at farming, he moved his family to Galena where his father and brother(s?) ran a leather goods store. Shortly thereafter, he applied for a commission to the 21st Illinois. (The war had started.) Some people in Galena with influence got him the appointment. There is a house in Galena promoted as Grant's, but it was a gift from the people of Galena after the war. He and Julia and family stayed in it only when visiting friends in Galena.

3. I don't recollect that he had "lived" in NYC. He was in NY, but at Saratoga (?) or Saratoga Springs (?) or something like that.

Looks like Freddie followed his father's wishes. Note: Looks like Grant didn't want his tomb to be in Washington.

 

[KansasFreestater]

Yea, i think I've heard of this....

View attachment 89930
(IMAGE SOURCE: http://mediaexposed.tumblr.com/washington)

Leaving aside all the conspiracy stuff, some of us just don't like overly "planned" cities because we don't like things that are contrived. It's the same reason I'd rather go to Rio de Janeiro than to the built-to-a-plan, sterile capital city, Brasilia. The same reason I'd rather go to Cozumel (which has been settled for centuries) than to Cancine mess this is we are in the mun (which was conceived and built by 20th-century developers for the sole purpose of attracting and hosting tourists). It's the same reason I'd rather go to New Orleans than to some built-in-the-last-20-years gated community of McMansions somewhere. Just my taste; your mileage may vary!

 

[KansasFreestater]

Essetially correct, but not entirely accurate.

1. Grant wasn't living in St. Louis when he met Julia. He was living in Jefferson Barracks which is still there and perhaps a suburb of St. Louis. When he resigned from the Army, He and Julia lived for a while on a farm they (or he) called "Hard Scrabble." It is still there, but now it's called "Grant's Farm."

2. After failing at farming, he moved his family to Galena where his father and brother(s?) ran a leather goods store. Shortly thereafter, he applied for a commission to the 21st Illinois. (The war had started.) Some people in Galena with influence got him the appointment. There is a house in Galena promoted as Grant's, but it was a gift from the people of Galena after the war. He and Julia and family stayed in it only when visiting friends in Galena.

3. I don't recollect that he had "lived" in NYC. He was in NY, but at Saratoga (?) or Saratoga Springs (?) or something like that.

Looks like Freddie followed his father's wishes. Note: Looks like Grant didn't want his tomb to be in Washington.

After Ulysses and Julia returned from their round-the-world trip, they did live in New York City until the last few weeks before Grant died, when he was taken upstate to make him more comfortable as he was dying.

The whole story of how the site of Grant's tomb was chosen, funded, developed, etc., is told in Joan Waugh's excellent U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth.

 

[ole]

Leaving aside all the conspiracy stuff, some of us just don't like overly "planned" cities because we don't like things that are contrived. It's the same reason I'd rather go to Rio de Janeiro than to the built-to-a-plan, sterile capital city, Brasilia. The same reason I'd rather go to Cozumel than Cancine mess this is we are in the mun. The same reason I'd rather go to New Orleans than to some built-in-the-last-20-years gated community of McMansions somewhere.

The world, it is achanging, and there's nothing we can do to turn back the clock. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

[Brenal]

Oh, my! What a beautiful statue! Where is that?

It is one of the exhibits at the tomb.

As for getting to the Tomb, if I remember right, we took the subway to 110th street and visited the Cathedral of St John the Divine before walking through the campus of Columbia University to the Tomb which is situated at the end of 123rd street

 

[KianGaf]

Yeah, it's a bit far out of the way. It wasn't too bad by taxi, though. It's probably 15-20 minutes from Midtown Manhattan (where we were staying). Of course, we had it pretty good in terms of traffic. It could be a lot more, depending.

Ill be in NYC for a short trip in February and was hoping to visit the site via the subway. I think ill wait until I'm in the city for a longer stay in May. I'm eager to see US Grant & his wife's Julia's final resting place and pay my respects.

 

[StephenColbert27]

Ill be in NYC for a short trip in February and was hoping to visit the site via the subway. I think ill wait until I'm in the city for a longer stay in May. I'm eager to see US Grant & his wife's Julia's final resting place and pay my respects.

If you're interested in Grant or the Civil War I'd say it's well worth the trip. Hope it works out!

 

[KianGaf]

Finally going make it to see Grants Tomb next week. I was wondering what is the best subway stop for the site as two seem to be nearby would anyone recommend 116th street station or 125th street. I'm traveling with seniors and don't want to march them further than necessary.

 

[Biscoitos]

Grant also was too trusting of his friends, who often took advantage of them for their own gain. The problem was that Grant tended to be more loyal than was warranted. At the end of the day, sadly, Grant's administration was not much more corrupt than those that followed. After all, this is the Gilded Age that we're talking about.

Exactly. Well stated.

 

[SJU]

Finally going make it to see Grants Tomb next week. I was wondering what is the best subway stop for the site as two seem to be nearby would anyone recommend 116th street station or 125th street. I'm traveling with seniors and don't want to march them further than necessary.

The 1 train to 125th Street is the closest. Any other Civil War related sites on the agenda?

 

[KianGaf]

The 1 train to 125th Street is the closest. Any other Civil War related sites on the agenda?

Not on this trip unfortunately. It's a big apple sightseeing trip and will do the usual (statue of Liberty, Empire State etc) on other days . I'm happy to get to one acw related site. I didn't think there was many others in that part of the us ? Or is there anything else of note in nyc.

 

[SJU]

Not on this trip unfortunately. It's a big apple sightseeing trip and will do the usual (statue of Liberty, Empire State etc) on other days . I'm happy to get to one acw related site. I didn't think there was many others in that part of the us ? Or is there anything else of note in nyc.

Really not much worth going out of your way for. There aren't many buildings from that era still standing. Federal Hall, City Hall and some historic churches.
You might like a trip to Governor's Island. It's a short inexpensive ferry ride to the island. The National Park Service maintains ACW related sites there like Fort Jay and Castle Williams. You'll be right by the Ferry Terminal when you visit the Statue of Liberty. It's located at 10 South Street next to the Staten Island Ferry and Battery Park.
Have a great trip. Take the Staten Island Ferry for the harbor view. It's free so you can't beat the price.