they're leaving and the only thing that breaks the silence is pat nixon saying it's so sad. >> john farrell, the book is "richard nixon an american tragedy." thank you for being here today. >> it was a pleasure. thank you. >> to join the conversation, like us on facebook at c-span history. weekend, we are featuring historic sites and local historians from cities across america. i these are highlights from c-span 2014 cities to or. .atch video from our stops

♪ [choral singing] >> i would like to welcome you to the tabernacle in salt lake city. this is the home of the mormon tabernacle choir -- choir. ♪ the mormon tabernacle choir

was organized in 1847 when the first pioneers came into this valley. it was a small group of people who met in a bowery type building, very rustic, and they asked for a choir to perform, but it was in 1849 that welsh pioneers came to the valley and they saying in four-part harmony. they sang in welsh, and that is one brigham young decided you needed to be the nucleus of the great choir, so it really started in 1847 and 1849. they used to sing in a building over on the square that was is a temporary link, but they called it the tabernacle, and that is how the name came, the mormon tabernacle choir. when that was too small, they started building this particular building, which was in the late 1860's, it was completed at the

end of the civil war, and the choir moved into this building at that time, and the tabernacle here has been the home of the choir ever since. as we have visitors come to temple square, we invite them into the tabernacle, one of the things they first notice is that imposing instrument that is behind me, the organ. built by early pioneer stock, and it becomes the centerpiece for people to begin to look at and think -- wow, this is really an amazing experience. and they see the choir in front of them, and it is a great picture. ♪ >> whenever you see a photograph of the choir, this organ is right there in the center of the foreground and it has been accompanying be choir ever since

the organ was put it in 1867 because the choir has been around that long and even longer. this is the oldest building on temple square. it is even older than the temple itself. and the oldest thing inside of the tabernacle is this organ case, so these gold pipes next to me here have looked down on decades and decades of history and has seen all kinds of things, lots of american presidents have spoken from the pulpit and has seen the choir perform here, so there is a lot of history in this organ case and in the building. the sound of the tabernacle organ is really unique. this instrument -- most of the pipes were built by the olian-skinner organ company in 1948, and it was considered their magnum opus. the president of that company considered this one of their finest if not the finest that they built, and part of that was that the pipes are so beautifully voice for the room,

but part of it is the room itself. it is a domed ceiling that of a remarkable job projecting even the softest sound of the organ with great clarity to the back of the room, so the sound and envelops you. it is like a warm bath when you hear this played. as you can imagine, when you are accompanying a choir this large and this well-trained and is passionate about what they're doing, it is a hair-raising experience every time. whenever i sit said on this bench and i hear those voices, this huge wall of sound going over me and then going out into the room -- ♪ and it is still electrifying. i have been accompanying be choir for i think 23 years now, and i am still thrilled as much as i was the first time i heard them. one great story has to do with

helen keller, who was here back in the early 1900's and spoke at the pulpit just behind where i am seated here, and if you can call it speaking. we know that her situation -- she was deprived of her eyesight and learned to speak in a very guttural voice, but she came here and gave a presentation to a packed house, and when she had finished, they asked if there was anything she would like, and she said i would like to hear your famous organ play, and so the organist came over and he played "come, come, ye saints," and the president of the church walked her up to the organ case and placed her hand on the wood of the case, and a person who was there at the time said that helen keller just wept as she felt the throbbing of the great instrument and the sounds of the pipes playing the song of the pioneers of the came across the

plains. there is something unique about this choir that comes across to audiences, and i think it is a combination of things. it is not just the size of the choir, it is not just how well trained they are, how versed and how professional they are. i think it is their sincerity about their methods, and when they turn to the audience at the end of any performance or broadcast to sing "god be with you till we meet again," i see tears in the eyes of the people out there, and i know the stories of the choir members, i know what they're going through with their families, and i know they are really singing from the heart, and that comes across when the audience hears them sing.

>> find out where c-span local content vehicles are going next at c-span.org/local content. you are watching american history tv all weekend, every weekend. >> reachable is closely by footbridge, theodore roosevelt island on ours are only manhattan born president. . city boy as a result there has always been controversy surrounding roosevelt, which coexists uneasily with the wilderness. wasrepressive old daughter alleged to have called it the ugliest thing she had ever seen.

was the soul of graciousness when dedicating the memorial. of a sculptor known for , it isure of prometheus flanked by a pylons. plaza complete the memorial. the wilderness backdrop does as least as much to invoke the spirit of the great outdoorsman. a group of indians residing on the island named it and it cost acostine.n for the next 30 years the island was left for staying in

recognition of the white house placedationists who environmental's concerns on the white house agenda. theodore roosevelt island boasts 400 varieties of plants and 80 different species of birds. as well as one assertive looking president in bronze. next, an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle of the crater honoring the role of the u.s. colored troops in the fighting. on julyle took first 30, 1864 as part of the siege of petersburg. the ceremony includes the unveiling of a stamp by the u.s. postal service and remarks by historian james blankenship who details the events of the battle. this event is one hour 15 minutes.