TRIP: In April of 1924, students from Bradford High School traveled to the nation’s capital on a field trip, sending word to The Era with details of their visit to the nation’s capital. We were pretty amazed at all the activities they packed into a day. The next few days’ columns will feature parts of their stories.
“Sunday morning we were rooted from sweet dreams and embarked on ‘rubber neck wagons’ to view the various points of interest in and around Washington. We started from the hotel at about 8:20 o’clock and viewed the best residential streets. The first part of our trip was in Washington proper and we passed the homes of former senators, secretaries and other noted men. Chief Justice Taft’s home, the late Woodrow Wilson’s home and burial place, Secretary of Commerce Hoover’s home and many other notable residences were seen. Leaving the exclusive district we next viewed the large apartment houses that surround the city.”
The Secretary of Commerce Hoover mentioned above was Herbert Hoover, who of course went on to become the 31st president of the United States.
“The zoo was the next point of interest to the party and we found a varied collection of animals, birds and reptiles. After a short sojourn at the beautiful zoological park grounds, we cross the Potomac for Arlington.
“At Arlington, we visited the renowned burial place of the unknown soldier. This simple yet imposing edifice inspired every member of the party with a sense of true patriotism. The battleship ‘Maine’ memorial was also visited as well as the graves of noted men who died in the service of their country. Robert E. Lee’s mansion offered a great deal of interest in view of its point of vantage in overlooking Washington across the river.”
More to come.
