Which Presidents Have Visited Southern Minnesota?
It's Presidents day (also known as President George Washington's Birthday). Which got me thinking...which Presidents have come to Rochester? We've had a bunch of 'em, tho most of 'em came to campaign, not just to sit for a spell and have some lefse.
October 4th, 2018 - President Trump hosts a political rally at the Mayo Civic Center. From the day before his visit, Y-105FM's Jessica Williams spotted this Trump Vehicle around town.
Almost A Visit On August 2011 - President Obama was scheduled to come to Rochester and grabbed some pie in Zumbrota (it was dessert after lunch in Cannon Falls, first). He did speak at the Target Center and that's when Rochester's tallest resident made national news!
September and October 2004 - President George W. Bush came to Rochester twice. The same year, Presidential candidate John Kerry came twice, too. And lost the election hard-core.
October 2002 - W was in town the first time rallying support for Norm Coleman (he used to be St Paul's Mayor) against Sen Paul Wellstone. It was a week later the Senator died in a plane crash.
November 1990 - President Bush (W's dad) was in town to help a Republican Senator defend his seat against then just Paul Wellstone. Speaking of President Bush the First, former First Lady Barabara Bush was a frequent Rochester visitor, and often lent her name and voice to local non-profit efforts.
November 1984 - President Reagan was in Rochester Twice...once in 1984 campaigning before the election. Then, he came back after he was in office for medical stuff at Mayo Clinic.
October 1978 - At a political rally at the Rochester airport, President Jimmy Carter brought along his Minnesota born Vice President, Walter Mondale.
October 29, 1970 - President Richard Nixon was in town to for a political rally at the Mayo Civic Auditorium. He was there to help the GOP beat Hubert Humphrey. But Humphrey won.
NIXON VISITS ROCHESTER - Click the image to see the full page.
October 1948 - President Harry Truman was in town as part of his famous "whistle-stop train tour" for reelection.
August 8, 1934 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt came by train to honor the Mayo Brothers (see his itinerary here). He came back in 1938 to check in on his son James who underwent surgery at St Mary's. Hear KROC-AM covering the story at the time.