Roadside Adventures; 304; The Road To Campobello

IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S on this small picture ask island at the mouth of New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy in the Canadian Maritimes since a piece of American Canadian and world history it is known as Camp Abella. And for years after the turn of the 20th century a young aspiring politician and his wife came here every summer from their home in America today. The 36 room cottage is almost exactly as the widow left it during her last visit back in the 1960s. Come with us as we tour

one of the best kept retreats of any president of the United States. For this was the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt and family before and after they became President and First Lady. So join us on the road to camp Abella next roadside adventure production of roadside adventures is made possible in part by VIA Rail Canada via rail operates passenger trains and year round in all regions of Canada spanning the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay

by the Canadian province of New Brunswick. With natural wonders all along the Bay of Fundy and the Acadian Coast New Brunswick pleasure something every day by New York Natural Wonders featuring four of eastern New York state's unique environmental wonders natural stone bridge and caves in Pottersville Howe Caverns and housed High Falls Gorge in Wilmington and the sable Kassam in keys fail and by guide boat realty located in Saranac Lake the heart of the Adirondacks providing services to buyers and sellers of Adirondack properties meeting your needs every step of the way. Realty your guide to Adirondack real estate. What Campo Bello Island guards the mounds of New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy in

maritime Canada. It is a quiet retreat for adventurous vacationers who are looking for peace and quiet in a rugged surrounding. At the start of last century however camp of Belo was a haven for wealthy Americans who summered it one of several island resort hotels. Soon they would start building their own summer homes here and enjoy summer after summer for generations. Surrounded by the natural landscape and the sea through a family inheritance one of the grand cottages fell to a young married couple. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt there in their fast growing family came here to camp about low every summer from 19 0 9 until 1921. Mrs. Roosevelt's last visit to her beloved getaway was just a few weeks before she died in 1962. Today a

unique agreement between Canada and the United States assures the preservation of the cottage and the estate. As the Roosevelt camp of Belo international park is open to the public from the weekend before Memorial Day through Columbus Day the cottage and grounds are on magnet for the curious visitor and historian alike. There is a wonderful visitor's center which is a must before you visit the cottage as it is the perfect primmer on the Roosevelt family. Their summers here on the island as well as the historical significance camp of Bello holds for both Americans and Canadians. Now we were really anxious to meet our guide and start our tour of the cottage so I roust and mark out at the crack of dawn in time to begin our visit during the day. Son harmony at

Camp Abella. Well here we are now. And Newman is going to meet us here give us a tour so I'm really looking for. You've been waiting for us. Welcome to our U.S. Thank you. I'm really excited to take a tour and we hit it perfectly. Oh you've got a beautiful day. Sunrise it was Pabst soleus beloved island. I can't wait Lida I come already and thank you. It's awfully big how do you get away with calling it that cottage. Well it is there are 34 rooms but once you fill it up with children and guests and everyone comes in and has a good time it's just it's no longer that big it just kind of fills up the living room. All this is the living room and a big front window here looking out on the bay Eastport Maine is across the bay the most easterly city of the United States and they would come from New York that way by train be met by a local fisherman. And over here is really you know a cozy spot you know and that's nice. You can

envision the fireplace with the crackling wood. Elena would serve tea with the tea set similar to this. Yeah nice in the summer time and she would have tea in the afternoon and here on the screened in porch and she was ready to read or she would read to people. She would she would read to her family and guests she loved to knit. That's one think you would often see her knitting FDR might work on his stamp collection or read the local news. And now we're going to go into the dining room area. Derek which is beautiful. It's just lovely in here. The wallpaper in here is so beautiful. And all of the wallpaper throughout the cottage are reproductions of the original. Now the megaphone over in this area this was hung on a hook on the screened in porch and it was used to call the children a guest room down by the water or talk to the people on the boat so if it was foggy out Eleanor could really she could certainly you know her voice would really care if you know what I mean. It would be a great place to hobnob with the Roosevelts All right. Yes and you know with the candles

lit and it would have so wonderful and here in the local news would be the chatter they would catch up on everything that was going on and just some great family time. There's not a lot. Electrification like you know a lot like you'd like to be where they were because they had kerosene lamps and candles that they would use. So these were put in later for the public so that you could see everything all the nice things this is the kitchen area here and you can see the servants are very busy cooking how many in service they would have four to six servants according to how many guests make you know how busy Well this is here this is interesting this is a kerosene stove and they would use it when it was very warm because you can imagine how warm a kitchen would get you know summertime Doherty visioning drilling a window Yeah. Really the natural and here is here nice and this is well known sayings is great and they do the dishes. It's a stone sink. Yes and of course fresh salmon fresh salmon which is very you know

local. Now what would this burn this one burn both coal and wood and they would keep it going because they had seven far places and this was their only other means of heat well. So just the seven fireplaces in the stove. He did it. Because it is his president that it does and that's the name of the brand of stove actually was made in Quebec. So it's a it's not the presidential stove it's just a president still. That's right that's right. Lewis is reading pies are always over early in the day to all this they're busy very early and who have so this would be this little table would be for the service they would have their breakfast or take their meals here. And as you can see here like many places some fly like water is here because they have their windows up and letting the air in. Yes and you know you have a little fly cover here. Absolutely that was necessary. That window into society really excited to see the up stairs.

Oh ok is that open to the public Tavia's great lead on. And we'll take a look at that. The second we'll see we'll see how nice it looks. Now we're going to see the second floor but there's also a third floor. There is there it's closed due to fire regulations. However it had two servants rooms two guest rooms a full size bed. This is an enormous affair. What is this. This is the master bedroom. And let's go inside and see it. Sure it was shared by Franklin and Eleanor. Now that really. Yeah. This looks like a very small bed for two pretty good sized people. It does doesn't it. But it is a full size bed. We've had to measure it because people have questioned it and it's just annoying. Yeah that looks so so small. When did he stop coming up to the cottage in 1921 at the age of 39. Why. Well he fell ill to polio and of course as we know from history after that he started visiting

Springs Georgia because the water in the exercise pools in the salts and everything were good for you. Oh absolutely. She kept coming back here. She did. She went up to the year she died. Yes. So if you really love this guy she did Eleanor had this is a part of her life all her adult life. Yes. And she considered it her own. It was like the first home that she and Frank on hand. And it you can just get a sense of that because it's just it's great. But she never slept in this room in the later years she had her own room and she did and let's go see that we get there. This is the room that I want to chose later when she would come back to camp Avello violets were one of her favorite flower. Look at this I must just to live with it isn't it. Yeah this is beautiful right. This at one time had been a guest room but I want to decided to take it is her room later on and it is such a beautiful spot. I mean it's just a beautiful room all the way around. You don't realize that being here is that you really have a feeling that she's just stepped out

of the room for a moment. I know you've done a wonderful job in keeping it all very much alive. Well thank you it was just spectacular. What is you have a surprise room for something that well we do have a room that's called FDR Jr. and John's room the two youngest boys. And at one time was called the nursery and it's down the hall. But it is such a big open area room that this could take a look just beautiful what's going to be a home for kids. Yeah the big boys that are active. Oh I get a hand wave at me in the hall. Far away from Mom and Dad if you can get. Oh yeah a big room for boys how many kids did they have. They had six children. Their oldest one was and of the daughter of the only girl. Then they had five sons. However one of them did die in infancy the first Franklin Roosevelt Jr. passed away that would have been the third child. And so then they had a child named Elliot and then another Franklin Roosevelt Jr. who was born in this cottage in the master bedroom.

And this was and this was the two youngest boys world. This is FDR Jr. and John's room and of course they were young boys and so this gave them an opportunity to just romp and play and have a good time. Yeah you were at the end of the house here the guy that you write really get it on. And why is it so important to keep the camp of a living museum. Well because I think people think of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as our friend. He was a radio presenter when he would come on. People would go to their radios wherever it was and they would listen to him and he would say we can work together to solve our problems. And that made him so famous that people just loved him. And they come back and they remember that. And they realize what a cozy cottage this is and what a wonderful time he must have had here enjoying himself. It's very livable I mean just in the hour that I've been here it does make you feel at home right away. Well good I'm glad.

And tell me about his presidency that's that's a real story too isn't it that this is a legacy. Right. I mean he was elected to four terms of office. He is the only president our person that has served in the Times. And unless this new legislation that will never happen again and the things that he implemented during his presidency was just marvelous and people are still realizing that today it's living history. So even though they stopped coming here as a family in 1921 because of his illness this carnage went on to become a real legacy for Eleanor didn't it. It did. She loved it here. Your interpreters are a lot of questions from the public more about the president. Actually we interpret to 921 when they were here as a family. But the interpreters are well-informed and know the information about Eleanor and the presidency. But Eleanor was our great humanitarian. And these are questions that are being

asked us now because she is so popular. She did so much. She was such a great partner to the president with all the things that she did as she has such close contact with him for starting up things that were women's movements and she would talk to the president privately. She became part of the United Nations a great humanitarian to the entire world. She was very loved. And we do get many questions about her now. So she had a lot of power. And yet she kept back to here. But I think the memories and the quietness the opportunity just to get away because the island is small. And of course there are the people around that would come by or stop by. She was a special person and very much loved here but this is a small community and she could get away from it all. You're with

us. You're good. Good. Imagine being a well-known member of a famous family hovering on the verge of historic greatness. Yet still clinging to that which would soon become harder and harder to achieve one's own peace and quiet in a very special place. That is what camp of Bell Island and the cottage must have been to the young Franklin and Eleanor on this remote spot far from the crowded streets of America and the demands of affluence and power they

raise their young family had picnics in the virgin forests explored the beaches and all their rugged secrets and listened still snug in their beds. During the early mornings as the pine trees whispered while their branches combed the morning fog from the skies. Eat them you are. Before Franklin's onset of polio before his governorship of New York state even before the presidency of the United States with all its demands a deepening depression a war in Europe and then the Pacific. Both of which would soon involve every waking moment of the president and his first lady. Those innocent ideal long ago

summers spent in the salt air and sunshine at camp a bellow must surely have seemed like a far off dream. Now listen when when people come they can go on a formal tour. Correct. But can you just wander around on your own. Oh sure you can take as long as you like. There are guides at different stations so you can enjoy yourself if there are special things you want to say you can take your time. They want you to enjoy it. That's great. And these guys have the answers you're looking for if they do great. Well I think I think I'll just wander around for a while. OK I think that's a great idea thanks for the tour. Hey boy you have a good time. Boy oh what's that. That's an expression we use when you're extra special on Capitol Hill. One of the family. Thanks. OK. Just try poking around

any other president's summer cottage especially these days. OK so Franklin Delano Roosevelt wasn't president when he frequented camp Abella not in the earliest years anyway. Hadn't even crossed his mind perhaps but still the feeling he had walking room to room from the children small but well-supplied summer school to one of the elaborate bathrooms for the times at least. You get a funny feeling way down deep in your bones that those long ago inhabitants who went on to become major players on the world stage are still here in spirit at the place they frequented before the dark times before the illness before the war and before their deaths. Here at Camp of Belo it is endless summer with all the trappings that guarantee having a good time. The

president and the first lady now lay at rest side by side in the Rose Garden at Hyde Park which was their lifelong residence in New York State's Hudson Valley Hyde Park is also the home of the Franklin Roosevelt National site and a presidential library. Yet as I wandered the house and grounds of their New Brunswick summer home I could not escape the odd feeling that some of the couple's happiest years still resonate here at their beloved camp Abella and credits certainly must be given to everyone at the Roosevelt camp a Ballo International Park for keeping such a treasured part of world history so carefully restored and accessible to both the fading generations who remember as well as the many younger generations who come here and are eager not only to learn

history but to learn by experiencing it firsthand. Production of roadside adventures is made possible in part by VIA Rail Canada operates passenger trains year round in all regions of Canada spanning the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Great Lakes to the

Canadian province of New Brunswick with natural wonders. All along the Bay of Fundy and the New Brunswick are something by New York Natural Wonders while enjoying a walk under the natural stone bridge rock and by people I don't. It's providing services to buyers and sellers of Adirondack property. Meeting your needs every step of the way real to your guy matter run back you know. Well that's it. That's all the time we have for this edition

of roadside adventures. I hope you enjoyed the program as much as we did in bringing it to you. Couple of interesting facts before we go. Camp of Belo the cottage the grounds the marvelous gardens and the visitor center open on Memorial Day and remain open for the next 20 weeks. And there is no admission charge. So come on down or come on up and learn about some fascinating American history. Nestled in the southwest corner of New Brunswick for videographer marks a caucus I'm very clear in saying Thanks for watching and we'll see you again next time when we jump in the oil production van and head on down the road in search of another roadside adventure. For

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