Roosevelt in Bismarck
Photograph of Theodore Roosevelt addressing a crowd from the back of a train.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
Unknown
Your TR Source
State Historical Society of North Dakota
“Our route was through about as wild and unsettled a [part] of the country as can be found now so the people here say and the oldest heads seemed to think thare might be some danger but we saw nothing worse than ourselves,” writes William Sewall to his brother in 1885.
The State Historical Society of North Dakota, based in Bismarck, is the official repository of the historic records of state and local governments in North Dakota. Diaries, letters, photos, maps, and other unpublished materials can all be found in the State Archives.
Materials in this collection include letters from William Sewall, who with his nephew Wilmot Dow managed TR’s Elkhorn Ranch from 1884 to 1886; records describing the role of the Daughters of the American Revolution in preserving the Theodore Roosevelt cabin, as well as documents describing Roosevelt’s 1903 visit to Bismarck.
See below to view items from this collection.
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frank Greene
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Frank Greene for the letter.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1918-11-06
Medora once slated to be thriving city
The small town of Medora, North Dakota, once had aspirations of “becoming the metropolis of the western plains.” The first settlement in the area was Little Missouri, a former army cantonment that had been sold to the public. The Marquis de Morès founded Medora and eventually built a packing plant and hotel.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
Unknown
Newspaper article on American bison in the Badlands
Newspaper article recounting the disappearance of the American bison from the North Dakota Badlands.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
Unknown
Letter from Joseph A. Ferris to William Wingate Sewall
Joseph A. Ferris was pleased to hear from William Wingate Sewall. He has a son, Arnold Douglas Ferris, and two daughters, Carrie E. Ferris and Ada Scott Ferris. There are not many old timers left in Medora, North Dakota. Sylvane M. Ferris still lives in town and the Eatons are selling out and moving to Montana. Ferris met President Roosevelt last April and rode to Medora with him. He is still running the store and is working hard to fund the education of his children. Along with Sylvane, he bought 2,880 acres of the Maltese Cross ranch land. Ferris concludes with updates on the “old timers.”
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1903-12-19
Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall
Howard Eaton had to return to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to see his ailing mother. She passed away on February 9. They have had good winters in North Dakota but the range has become hardened. Commissioner Roosevelt has 350 to 400 cattle and sold half his horses. Sylvane M. Ferris and Arthur William Merrifield live at the old camp and intend to sell their stock this year. Joseph A. Ferris is still tending his store but will likely close soon. Eaton hopes to return to Idaho this fall for another hunting trip.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1890-03-10
Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall
Howard Eaton updates William Wingate Sewall on his recent activities. He brought in 500 steers from Texas and spent three weeks on a Killdeer Mountain roundup. Eaton also had a successful hunting trip to Idaho.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1890-01-07
Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall
Howard Eaton broke his leg a month ago and has been in St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City. The cattle business is doing well and Eaton has heard that the hunting has been good. Theodore Roosevelt sold 500 cattle and intends to bring in Texas steers this year. Eaton concludes with updates on many people from the Medora, Dakota Territory, area.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1889-01-09
Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall
The weather has been fair recently but previous “sharp weather” killed many cattle and “everybody is blue as a whetstone.” At least the losses should stop the big herds from Texas. Medora, Dakota Territory, is “very dead.” A. T. Packard lost everything in a fire and moved back east. The saloon also burnt down and Joseph A. Ferris’s store had a close call. Howard Eaton is glad that William Wingate Sewall is well and he wishes he could join Sewall for some “hunting, fishing, eating apples and drinking cider.”
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1887-02-26
Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall
Howard Eaton provides updates on the location and activities of many people that William Wingate Sewall knew from the Medora, Dakota Territory, area.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1888-03-22
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall has 100 cattle to practice on during winter. He does not believe cattle are too hard to care for and the work has not been difficult. The country is “queer” and dirty but the soil looks healthy and the water is good. Sewall guesses there is a chance to make money with cattle and Theodore Roosevelt is optimistic. If he can make a profit, Sewall wants to get back to the “clear water and trees” soon. Overall, he thinks that Dakota Territory should have been left to the animals.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1884-08-17
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
Since he last wrote, William Wingate Sewall has a new son. Mary Alice Sherman Sewall and the boy are doing well. There are 250 cows on the ranch and, even though some of them do not have calves, their herd is doing the best out of any along the Little Missouri River.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-08-07
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall is doing well in Dakota Territory but all they have for fruit is chokecherries and there has not been rain since June. The hot, dry weather has mostly ruined the garden. The cattle are doing well and only a few have been lost. In a postscript, Sewall estimates they have 1,200 cattle and announces that Theodore Roosevelt will be returning to the ranch soon.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-08-01
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall has been “holding the fort” at the ranch while the other ranch hands are on the roundup. The weather has been nice and he has been spending time tending the garden. Sewall does not think Dakota Territory is very good for farming, but the cattle are doing well. He hopes that Theodore Roosevelt will not lose money on the cattle but doubts he can ever make much profit. Sewall accompanied Roosevelt on a recent hunt and Roosevelt killed a large elk. He hopes to go on his own hunt with Wilmot Dow when the weather is cooler. Sewall is now into his last two years in Dakota Territory and it will be a “joyful day” when he returns home to Maine.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-06-27
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall describes the pursuit and capture of three thieves that stole a boat from Theodore Roosevelt. The boat, the best one on the Little Missouri River, had been purchased by Roosevelt in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it was very useful. Sewall and Wilmot Dow built a new boat and they headed after the thieves a few days after the boat went missing. The thieves were captured without violence and Roosevelt accompanied them to Dickinson, Dakota Territory, for trial. Sewall and Dow continued down the river with the boats to Mandan, Dakota Territory, and then took a train back to Medora, Dakota Territory.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-04-21
Letter from William Wingate Sewall
William Wingate Sewell describes a hunting trip for deer and bighorn sheep.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-07-28
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
The weather has been very changeable but there have been some warm days and William Wingate Sewall believes that only a few cows will be lost over the winter. Sewall is unsure if the area is suitable for cattle due to the cold, and with all the cattle being brought in, he fears the grass will run out. He suggests Theodore Roosevelt was misled about the profitability of cattle ranching in Dakota Territory. Sewall has not met anyone that is making a profit. Roosevelt will be visiting the ranch soon and Sewall will be happy to see him.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1886-02-28
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
The weather has been pleasant and William Wingate Sewall has been building a stable and hunting. He killed a buck with the finest set of horns he has ever seen. Sewall describes a great ride on his favorite horse, Sorrel Joe, while trying to corral a group of horses.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1885-12-20
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall participated in a cattle roundup that lasted seventeen days and covered 500 miles. He describes the route they took and the country they traveled through. Sewall had a good time and enjoyed the trip but he would not spend his life in Dakota Territory even if he could own the whole territory. The “poor settlers” in Dakota live very roughly and he thinks that when they can vote they will “cook” the cattle men until the territory is left to the “small fellows.”
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1885-08-16
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
William Wingate Sewall traveled with the rest of Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch hands to Minnesota to brand and transport cattle that had been purchased by Roosevelt. The cattle were then shipped to Medora, Dakota Territory, by rail. Sewall found the work to be “lively and exciting.” From Medora the cattle were driven fifty miles to their destination which took around six days. Roosevelt has been with them and he has been “as good a fellow as ever.”
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1885-05-17