BY WALT SCHAEFER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
POINT PLEASANT -- With a purpose, Civil War history buff Ray Apparius drove from his Mount Carmel home to this crossroads where U.S. President and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant was born.
"It's about time they recognized this place for what it is," said Mr. Apparius, 83. "This is the birthplace of the guy that whipped the Confederacy and that about says the whole story, doesn't it?"
On a beautiful autumn Saturday, state and local dignitaries gathered to celebrate the inclusion of the tiny, white frame house where the 18th president was born and the 4.75 acres surrounding it on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local resident Mary Campbell has been trying to acquire the listing from the National Park Service for 31 years. "It's about time," she said.
Mr. Apparius said studying Civil War history is a lifelong hobby. "I've been to all the Civil War battlefields," he said. "It is my favorite subject because it is the most romantic period in our country's history and the man from here is a big part of that."
The Grant homestead and grounds along U.S. 52, just east of Big Indian Creek at Ohio 232 here, was officially listed on the historic register by the National Park Service on Aug. 6.
The birthplace was built in 1822. The bridge was constructed in 1927. In 1890, the homestead was placed on a barge which took it to river towns along the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers for display, said caretaker Loretta Fuhrman. In the late 1920s, it was placed on a rail car and taken to the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus where it was displayed until it was returned to its original foundation in 1936.
Steve Gordon, survey and National Register manager for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office in Columbus, presented curator Louise Fuhrman with a resolution signed by Gov. George Voinovich praising the achievement. State Rep. Rose Vesper, a Republican from New Richmond, presented Diane Zimmerman, president of Historic New Richmond, with a commendation from the state's House of Representatives. About 50 people attended the ceremonies. Mrs. Fuhrman said there was a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.
Richard Crawford, a county historian here for 24 years, said the site "certainly qualifies for this honor. But, it took a long time. Maybe that's because it's in an out-of-the-way place -- although a beautiful location -- and Grant's presidency has not been looked upon as a definitive one. But his military record is incredible." Gen. Grant commanded the Union Army of the Potomac under President Lincoln. "He was only the second man in the history of our country to hold the rank of lieutenant general. The other was, of course, George Washington," Mr. Crawford said.
Grant's boyhood home in Georgetown in Brown County is designated as a National Landmark -- one step up in prestige from the register.
