Driving through Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England, I happened upon a blue plaque. You may recall that blue plaques were my featured content in July.

Of course, I had to pull over so I could take a snap. 

The plaque states ‘Herbert Hoover President of the USA (1929-1933) Lived here in 1902’.

Herbert Hoover was the thirty-first President of the United States. What was he doing in Walton-on-Thames?

He explained in his memoirs, written in 1952, that his ‘wife had searched out a small country house.’ Built in 1768, the house was known as ‘The White House’ and is situated on West Grove. Hoover only lived there for a short time during 1902. His wife remained a little longer but eventually headed into central London.

Hoover was born 10 August 1874 and died 20 October 1964. He was an engineer, businessman and politician and worked for a mining company from 1897 and was based in Europe, China and Australia. He was President of the United States during the Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover signed a law on 3 March 1931 that made The Star Spangled Banner the U.S. national anthem.

Source:

https://people.elmbridgehundred.org.uk/biographies/herbert-hoover/

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/herbert-hoover