90 Years Ago Today

In the summer of 1928, President Calvin Coolidge left Washington, DC. Many presidents left the capital in summer to avoid the heat and humidity. Coolidge sought refuge in Wisconsin, choosing to spend time fishing at Cedar Island Lodge, near the town of Brule, WI.

The town received a make-over leading up to Coolidge’s arrival. Telegraph and telephone lines were run to support the Summer White House and its staff. A detachment of 3d Infantry Regiment soldiers were dispatched from Fort Snelling, MN to serve as the “President’s Guard.” Coolidge arrived in Superior, WI on June 15 and departed on September 10.

Here President Coolidge, center wearing a white hat, posed with the members of the 3d Infantry detachment. The summer of 1928 foreshadowed for the Old Guard what would come twenty years later. When the the 3d Infantry Regiment was reactivated in 1948, one of its duties was to serve as the Escort to the President. This mission is one the Regiment still maintains today.