Courtesy Grant Cottage
The Ulysses S. Grant Cottage state historic site opened for the 2019 season on Saturday, May 25. Guided tours of the cottage are available, new exhibits are on display and an annual program about cottage caretaker, Oliver Clarke, will be presented.
The Visitor Center is displaying an exhibit titled, “Grant Becomes a Cancer Patient, 1884 to 1885,” which explores the general’s final months from a medical perspective.
Using period medical equipment and related artifacts from the Trombley-Prosch collection, the story of Grant’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, and diet in the final weeks of his life on Mount McGregor is interpreted.
A new artifact has been installed in the office room exhibit case at the cottage. It displays a note that was written by Grant to his physician, Dr. John H. Douglas, following a medical assessment. At the time, Grant was engaged in his final battle—a race against terminal throat cancer—to finish his memoirs.
The cottage’s collections hold five other handwritten notes by Grant. None of them reference his thoughts on his illness.
In addition to the new exhibits, a program titled, “Sergeant Clarke, Union Vet and Andersonville Survivor, Welcomes You” will be presented by Grant Cottage tour guide, Steve Trimm. Trimm will portray the original Grant Cottage caretaker, O.P. Clarke, using the sergeant’s 50-page handwritten memoir as a script, to tell Oliver’s story in his own words.
Grant Cottage, located at 1,000 Mt. McGregor Road in Wilton, will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays, through Labor Day. Cottage tours are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $5 for students ages 6-18.
The suggested donation for programs is $5 per person. For more information, visit www.grantcottage.org or call 518-584-4353.