Herbert Clark Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in this two-room cottage and spent his early boyhood on the edge of the village, surrounded by farmland. His parents, relatives, and many neighbors were Quakers whose daily lives were centered on their faith. His mother, Hulda, cared for Herbert and his siblings, Theodore and Mary, and also served as a recorded minister in the Quaker meeting. His father, Jesse, was a devoted parent who worked hard as a blacksmith and businessman. Together, they played major roles in shaping the character of the boy who later became the 31st President of the United States. Hoover recalled that his grandparents and parents came there in a covered wagon, that the most formative years of his boyhood were spent there, and that his roots were in the soil.