Mark Twain Boyhood Home remembers President Carter’s stop in Hannibal

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is saddened by the passing of President Jimmy Carter.

President Carter is being remembered as a true public servant and ardent patriot. He visited Hannibal and the Boyhood Home on Monday, Aug. 23, 1979. He came to town aboard the Delta Queen on the Mississippi River.

Hannibal City Police estimated the crowd to be between 5,000 and 10,000 people in Downtown Hannibal to see the President. His visit was part of a week-long cruise down the Mississippi on the passenger riverboat.

The country was dealing with inflation, economic burdens, and a gasoline shortage, negatively impacting Hannibal’s tourism economy. President Carter would be facing re-election in 1980 and received a warm welcome. Henry Sweets lead President Carter on a tour of the home and properties before the President gave an upbeat speech focusing on America’s ability to solve any problems. He left the banks of Hannibal around 2 p.m. with a crowd feeling a little more optimistic then when he arrived.

President Carter was the fourth President of the United States to visit Hannibal during his time in office (Rutherford B. Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt). Ten men who served as President during their lives have visited Hannibal in total.

Here is an account of the day as presented in “Hannibal, Too”: 

Although Hannibal has enjoyed several visits from United States Presidents, only one, Jimmy Carter, arrived and departed by boat.

Carter made the river cruise in the Delta Queen, stopping in many of the river towns from Minneapolis to St. Louis. He and his wife, Rosalyn, and daughter Amy, spent the greater part of a day in Hannibal, on 23 August 1979. The people of the city turned out to welcome him. He was escorted on a walking tour from the pier, past the Tom and Huck Statue, and to the Mark Twain Home and Museum, by the Museum Curator, Henry Sweets. He and his family enjoyed a hour in the Home and Museum viewing the Mark Twain artifacts. The president of the Mark Twain Home Board, William Garnett, presented Amy a copy of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Robert Hogg, who was an employee of the Museum, was at the desk, and the President visited with him. Hurley and Roberta Hagood presented a copy of their book, Story of Hannibal, to President and Mrs. Carter.

They toured the other buildings in the Mark Twain area, and were entertained by the cast of “The Reflections of Mark Twain” from the Mark Twain Outdoor Theatre. From an improvised platform, they were welcomed by Mayor Lillian Herman, and suitable gifts were giver to Amy by Mrs. Herman. A motorcade formed, and they drove to the Mark Twain Cave, and there they were given a tour through the cave by Robert Bogart, manager of the Cave.

They departed in the afternoon on the Delta Queen, stopping at the locks at Saverton to greet people who were gathered there. Mary Lou Montgomery, of the Hannibal Courier-Post made the trip to Saverton aboard the Delta Queen with them to cover the story.

Hagoods: Hannibal, Too, pages 141-142