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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.
Sepia tone photograph of Theodore Roosevelt dressed in a suit, vest, and riding boots seated in a chair outside on the lawn with Sagamore Hill in the background.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1910-1919
Round, cream colored celluloid campaign button with black and white portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in Rough Rider hat. The button was used as part of Roosevelt’s campaign for governor of New York. The reverse side is covered with paper and has printed “You Can’t/Stop Teddy’s Luck/The Rabbit’s Foot Charm.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1898
Round, gold-colored celluloid button from the 1900 Republican presidential campaign with black and white portraits of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt with a red, white, and blue ribbon
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1900
Color postcard of the Ansley Wilcox house, the location where Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office after William McKinley’s death, with oval portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in the top left corner.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1907-1914
Cancelled bank check no. 467 for $100 made payable to Theodore Roosevelt, signed and endorsed by Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1917-01-31
Unknown newspaper clipping from the 1904 presidential campaign of President Roosevelt and Senator Fairbanks sitting in rocking chairs outside on the grass with a backdrop of bushes.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1904
Pair of cast bronze bookends in the shape of a bust of Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Unknown
Round, gold colored metal “Service” pin with Theodore Roosevelt’s profile from the Women’s Roosevelt Memorial Association. Given in commemoration for a fund drive.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1919-1953
Souvenir print with oval portrait of President Roosevelt from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1904
Black and white stereoview of President Roosevelt with arm outstretched, pointing.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1902
Panoramic photograph of the members of the Republican National Committee gathered at the home of President Roosevelt to officially notify him that he would be the 1904 Republican presidential candidate. Speaker Cannon, with cigar and hat in hand, is to the left of Roosevelt. Governor O’Dell of New York stands to his right.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1904-07-27
Two-page manuscript by Vice President Roosevelt about Oliver Cromwell on White House stationery. Text is comparing Cromwell to George Washington.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1901
President Roosevelt stands in a carriage with a top hat in his hand.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1903
Theodore Roosevelt sits on a bench with his four sons at the White House.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1904
Award give to E. N. Purvis for two years of continuous service on the Panama Canal. The award consists of a hinged pin with a medallion hanging from a bar. The obverse of the medallion bears the likeness of President Roosevelt and on the reverse is a canal scene with ships traveling through the canal.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1906
Engraving of a cartoon labeled “Roosevelt’s Favorite Cartoon.” The cartoon shows Uncle Sam, sitting in a rocking chair with his feet up in front of a fire. He is reading a newspaper labeled “President’s Message.” Hanging on the wall beside him is a portrait of President Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1905
Red cotton bandanna with the initials “T. R.” in white around a red cavalry hat in the center. The border has a white background with red dots and a repetitive image of Theodore Roosevelt in a Rough Rider hat and bandana.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
White cotton ribbon celebrating the Progressive Party Founders’ Day. The ribbon features a moose and a quote originally by Edward Everett Hale, “Look up, not down-, Look out, not in -, Look forward, not backward-, And lend a hand.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912-10-27
Theodore Roosevelt and Leonard Wood stand at Plattsburg, New York.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1914
Theodore Roosevelt stands on a bunting-draped platform speaking to a crowd that can be seen in the foreground.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Unknown