Your TR Source
On September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as the 26th president of the United States in Buffalo, New York, at the home of Ansley Wilcox. Roosevelt’s predecessor, William McKinley, had been shot by an assassin at the Pan-American Exposition on September 6, dying at 2:15 a.m. on September 14. Wilcox’s home is now the site of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site.
Currently, a collection of Buffalo newspapers regarding the shooting of President McKinley from September 7 to 25, 1901, as well as the scrapbook kept by Ansley Wilcox following the assassination attempt to Roosevelt’s inauguration in his library are available from the Inaugural’s collections.
Items from the Inaugural site’s collections were digitized and cataloged on-site and then transferred to the Theodore Roosevelt Center for inclusion in the digital library. As TR Center staff received materials from the Inaugural, the items were added to the digital library. See below to view items from this collection.
Digitization of items at the National Park sites was possible thanks to National Park Service Centennial Challenge Funding in partnership with Dickinson State University.
Small, round medallion, with small hole at top. The obverse features a relief image of Theodore Roosevelt in Rough Rider uniform. The reverse has the words “President Roosevelt 1903.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1903
Commemorative gold coin with a Theodore Roosevelt silhouette on the obverse and brief statements about Roosevelt’s career on the obverse.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1910-1990
Red, cotton “Progressive Roosevelt Battle Flag” handkerchief. The majority of the handkerchief is decorated with a white geometric design and the center features a white oval with an illustration of Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
Bronze medal with arched top commemorating the departure of the Great White Fleet. Obverse features a relief image of President Roosevelt. Reverse features a relief of Columbia waving to the departing fleet.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1907
Postcard featuring the Ansley Wilcox Room at Kathryn Lawrence’s dining rooms. Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated at the house, then owned by Ansley Wilcox, on September 14, 1901. A handwritten note states that Roselyn’s wedding breakfast was held at Kathryn Lawrence’s dining rooms in 1944.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1944-1959
Color postcard of the Ansley Wilcox house, the location where Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office after William McKinley’s death. Elaborate iron fence in foreground. Domed, leaded glass window visible at front, southwest corner of 2nd floor.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1907-1932
Black and white portrait photograph of Theodore Roosevelt dressed in his Rough Rider uniform and hat.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1900
Bronze commemorative inaugural medal from the United States Mint Presidential Series celebrating President Roosevelt’s second term. In relief on the face is a profile view of Roosevelt looking to the left. The front was designed by Charles E. Barber and reverse by George T. Morgan. This is not the official inaugural medal, which was produced by Tiffany and Company in 1905.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1905
Two, attached three-cent United States postage stamps that celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal. The stamps are purple with an illustration of a steam ship sailing through the canal in the middle. To the sides of the canal scene are illustrations of Theodore Roosevelt and George W. Goethals.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1939
Portrait of Alice Roosevelt that features a decorative design, the image has been adhered to a mat board. The image was clipped from an unknown newspaper.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1902
Leather postcard featuring an oversize rabbit, facing two hunters, one of which is carrying a large rifle. One hunter asks the other to shoot and he responds, “Aw, chase yerself! I ain’t no Teddy Roosevelt!”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1906-08-24
Souvenir glass with fluted top and gold rim. Etched in white on the glass are oval portraits of President McKinley and Vice President Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1901
McClure’s Magazine article “Greatheart,” memorializing Theodore Roosevelt and recounting his commitment to the armed forces. Above the article is a black and white portrait photograph of Theodore Roosevelt done by Underwood and Underwood.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1919-03
Image shows the top half of a single page from the New York Times Picture Section, with a sepia tone photograph of Theodore Roosevelt’s grave at Young’s Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay. On top of the grave is a hill of flowers.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1919-01-19
This article from the New York Times contains recollections of Theodore Roosevelt as he was known in the public sphere. Page 2 features a cartoon titled “As He Will Be Remembered” by Marcus depicting Columbia identifying Roosevelt as a true American. Pages 8-9 is a two-page collage of pictures taken of Roosevelt titled “Roosevelt the Many-Sided – The Late ex-President in Scores of Characteristic Attitudes.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1919-01-12
Hand colored print of a black and white photograph of President Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, and the six Roosevelt children.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1903
Full page, sepia tone portrait photograph of Theodore Roosevelt that appeared in The New York Times the week of Roosevelt’s death.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1919-01-12
Albert A. Hartzell has been appointed “Commissary on the Colonel’s staff of the Rough Riders.” There will be a meeting on Saturday night to prepare for Theodore Roosevelt’s visit.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1898-10-19
Full color political cartoon depicting President Roosevelt and the Republican elephant on the scale of “Public Opinion.” Roosevelt is much larger, in the foreground, and vastly outweighs a tired looking elephant.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1902-05-07
Front cover of sheet music has a photograph of Sagamore Hill at the top center of the cover. Music copyrighted 1902 and “Respectfully Dedicated by Permission to Miss Alice Roosevelt.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1902