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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.
Pin featuring a “Rough Rider-esque” hat with the letters “T.R.” on it, surrounded by an open, red circle. Gilt brass shell. Manufactured by The Greenduck Co. (Chicago). Recalls Theodore Roosevelt’s statement regarding the 1912 election: “My hat is in the ring!”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
Brass lapel stud that would have been worn by a founding member of the Progressive Party. Features raised moose head and “FOUNDER / 1912.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
Paper handbill advertisement seeking agents to sell “Roosevelt Hats in The Ring” campaign badges; from the Wheeler Specialty Company, Foxboro, Massachusetts. Suggests that agents “can make a week’s wages in a day … with very little work.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
Articles include the latest bulletins on the health of William McKinley, updates on Theodore Roosevelt’s journey to Buffalo, and many articles on Leon Czolgosz.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1901-09-07
The newspaper includes extensive details of William McKinley’s funeral, an account of Theodore Roosevelt’s movements, and reactions from different countries and people to McKinley’s death.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1901-09-16
Color cartoon depicts two cats, dressed as a man and woman, with “We want Four more Years for ‘Teddy'” at the right. Postmark on reverse appears to be from May 22, 1908. The message on the postcard, addressed to M. S. Simpson at Vacuum Oil Company in Dzieditz, Austria, to come soon, because Grandpa is not feeling well. Simpson should not wait until they strike another oil well.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1903
This photographic portrait of Theodore Roosevelt contains the handwritten inscription, “Inscribed for J. Gallishaw Esq with the best wishes of Theodore Roosevelt.” Alonzo John Gallishaw worked for Roosevelt’s 1912 presidential campaign as an aide, accompanying Roosevelt on the campaign trail.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Unknown
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 right corner. R. H. J. arrived home safe and everyone is well.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912-08-28
Color postcard of the Ansley Wilcox residence, the location where President Roosevelt took the oath of office after William McKinley’s death.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1908
Postcard with sepia tone photographs of the Wilcox and Milburn residences. William McKinley passed away while at the Milburn residence and President Roosevelt took the presidential oath of office at the Wilcox residence. The postcard also features a calendar for November 1918.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1908
B. W. Rhamy receives his charter membership and founder’s certificate for the Progressive Party in Allen County, Indiana.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912-10-28
The National Progressive Committee refutes Harvey Washington Wiley’s inference that President Roosevelt was against the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Wiley was nicknamed the “Father of the Pure Food and Drug Act” and oversaw its enforcement from 1906 until 1912 when he resigned due to the constraints placed on the enforcement of the law.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912
The artist depicts portraits of the principal and secondary leaders involved in the Treaty of Portsmouth and includes a quote by President Roosevelt at the bottom of the postcard.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1905
The round celluloid campaign pin depicts Theodore Roosevelt on the left and Robert M. La Follette on the right. The pin contains colorized scrolled decoration and the American shield around the images. The reverse side has a paper label from The Whitehead & Hoag Co.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1904
Theodore Roosevelt’s speech to the graduating class of Peirce School in Philadelphia in 1897. The cover bears a small black and white oval portrait of Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1897
This supplement to the Panama Canal Review details various phases of canal construction, describes “hero” Roosevelt’s time there in 1906, and provides a chart/timeline titled “The Roosevelt Years.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1958
This booklet includes Theodore Roosevelt’s speech before the National Convention of the Progressive Party in Chicago, as well as “Thirty-three notable achievements of the Roosevelt Administration” and eight policies “recommended by Mr. Roosevelt.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1912-08-06
A humorous postcard with a cartoon titled “A Teddy Bare,” showing Theodore Roosevelt bathing in a claw foot bathtub. The reverse side is unused other than some illegible handwriting. No date is listed on the postcard.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Unknown
Charles S. Hileman is doing well but has lost track of his sister. Washington, D.C., is preparing for President Roosevelt’s inauguration and the expected influx of 200,000 visitors.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1905-02-27
Color postcard with cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt dressed in his Rough Rider uniform and the phrase “Delighted.” The handwritten note underneath reads: “I’ll be to get a line from you. E.J.P., Rio, Wis. April 12, 1906.”
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1906-04-12