OMAHA- A March 1971 fire damaged an apartment house to the point of needing to be demolished, just across the street from Hanscom Park in Omaha. Just three years later, it would be known to be the birthplace of a president of the United States, Gerald Ford.

Ford's political career began in 1948 in a run to represent Michigan in the House of Representatives. He won and served in the House for 25 years. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Ford to be the House Minority Leader in 1973. Less than a year later, Ford became the 38th president of the United States. In his bid for reelection he was defeated by Jimmy Carter.

Today, thanks to the late James Paxson of Omaha, the public can visit the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens, which opened in 1976. There, you can see displays of Ford biographical notes and memorabilia, as well as the Betty Ford Rose Garden, which was dedicated when the Fords visited Omaha on July 12, 1980.

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