Campobello
Island, although part of Canada, lies off the coast of northern
Maine at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. From the late nineteenth
century through the early twentieth century, the island
was a prominent destination for wealthy families to vacation
during the summer, and in 1883 FDR's
parents brought him there at the age of one. The family
enjoyed their stay so much that James Roosevelt, FDR's father,
purchased a home on the island and his family took up summer
residency there in 1885.
FDR enjoyed his family's retreat on Campobello immensely,
and ER visited for the first time in 1903 at FDR's invitation
while the two were still courting. After their marriage
in 1904, the couple would return to Campobello virtually
every summer, spending weeks sailing, swimming, fishing,
and enjoying the temperate coastal climate. In 1909 FDR's
mother, Sara Delano
Roosevelt, purchased a larger home for Eleanor and Franklin,
retaining the original cottage for her own personal use.
The couple quickly transformed the new house into the summer
destination for their growing family, normally spending
all of July, August, and then the first half of September
on the island.
ER and FDR both adored Campobello and looked forward to
visiting frequently, but in 1921 it was at Campobello that
FDR contracted polio at the age of 39. FDR's illness ushered
in a new era for the Roosevelts, and although FDR would
not return to Campobello until 1933, ER continued to vacation
there frequently. After his 1933 respite in Campobello,
the president would only return twice more before he died,
preferring the healing waters of Warm Springs, Georgia to
the rugged coastal climate of maritime Canada. Nonetheless,
ER continued to visit often, making her last trip to the
island just a few weeks before her death in 1962.
In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson concluded an agreement
with Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson that created
a memorial park to FDR at Campobello. With the house as
its centerpiece, the park serves as a historical monument
to FDR and to the strength of the United States-Canada relationship,
remaining one of the only such sites in the world that is
jointly administered by two governments.
Sources:
Lash, Joseph. Eleanor and Franklin. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 1971, 222-223.
Lash, Joseph. Eleanor: The Years Alone. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1972, 187, 325-326.
For more information on the Roosevelts and
Campobello, visit the following web sites: