PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

John Calvin Coolidge was administered the Presidential Oath by his father in his father's kitchen in Plymouth Vermont back in the Roaring Twenties. This was a first for America in presidential politics. Coolidge was a Local Boy" having graduated from Amherst College then moved west to Northampton where he began his climb in public service first, as  Councilman then Mayor onto Beacon Hill, Boston where he won the government position as Governor. He was elected Vice Presideent under Warren G. Harding.

Calvin Coolidge had two sons, John, whom I have interviewed I later years, and the son who died in the White House. Playing tennis, the young man got a blood blister on his heel that got infected. The boy died. "By brother's untimely death devastated my father's spirit."

The Roaring Twenties roared. Coolidge did nice things by having Andrew Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury "pay down the debt incurred by WWI. Here in West Brookfield, Milton C. Richardson of Foster Hill fame stated to me more than once " I knew Calvin Coolidge; we helped put him in the White House." Richardson's father.. C.D. Richardson was president of the Grange Insurance Co.
I think it is incredible Calvin Coolidge visited the Richardsons. The Wines of Wine Village played on George Allen Road observing caged buffalos in the off season..( a note from my dad.)

Coolidge shocked the world when it came to time to be re-elected in 1928. On a tiny slip of paper "Silent Cal" handed a note to his Press  Secretary " I CHOOSE NOT TO RUN in 1928." Kinda like a LBJ thing in 1968.

Coolidge's legacy as president seems golden almost 90 years later. His grave traveled to Plymouth, Vermont to his grave  and to a granite bust of Mr. Coolidge can be seen in a small Park in Northampton. "Silent Cal.'s story lives on: