The Carl Sandburg Home

 

As a poet and biographer, Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) won three Pulitzer prizes. He won two for poetry, and one for history (Abraham Lincoln: The War Years.)

He and his wife Paula chose to escape the Chicago climate by moving to Hendersonville, North Carolina. In 1945, they bought the home they would remain in for the rest of his life. Here, Mr. Sandburg could devote himself to his writing, and Paula could pursue her many interests, especially raising goats on the farm.

There was nothing pretentious about their home. It housed 12,000 books and current issues of numerous issues of newspapers and publications.

Paula kept meticulous files profiling the pedigree of her hundreds of goats. It was a working home, designed around each of their pursuits.

Carl Sandburg died on July 22, 1967 in the company of his wife in her bedroom. His last word was reported to be "Paula." The next year, Paula sold the home as a National Historic site under the condition that the furnishings would remain exactly as they were. Even a cigar butt remains in the ashtray. The United States Department of the Interior has designated roughly 15 goats as a historic herd, descendants of Paula's goats.

Day 2 continued, to Hendersonville, North Carolina

 With the Pink Cadillac in the rearview mirror, we continue our trek south toward Hendersonville, NC to visit our friends, Meg and Irwin. We were close friends in Cleveland. Then they moved to Hendersonville about five years ago. We arrived in time for dinner, and what a spread they had prepared, much of it grown in their garden.

Fresh veggies and BBQ chicken and swordfish shish kabob

Day 2, to Lexington, Virginia

 Why Lexington, Virginia? Eric's first friend in the sixth grade now lives in Lexington. So, we headed east into the rising sun toward Lexington.

We met him for breakfast at the Pink Cadillac Diner, an institution just south of Lexington. It was great getting together with an old friend and talk about times gone by.

We are in front of the Pink Cadillac Diner

Today is the day we embark on our civil rights tour of the southern United States. We will be visiting friends along the way.  Our car is loaded with everything we need for our three week journey. Today, we head due south through Akron and Canton, southeast Ohio, and into West Virginia where we will spend the night in Lewisburg, just west of the Virginia border. If you should find yourself in Lewisburg for some reason, we highly recommend the Stardust Cafe. Make a point of trying the Forever Curry Chicken.