Ferris, Joseph A. (Joseph Albert), 1857-1937

Magazine article featuring a letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay recounting his trip west in 1903.

Collection

Grand Canyon National Park

Creation Date

1951-12-10

Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt between January 1879 to December 1883. Notable events include Theodore Roosevelt’s engagement and marriage to Alice Hathaway Lee, his appointment to the New York State Legislature, and his first visit and buffalo hunt in North Dakota.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1985

James F. Vivian provides a look at Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the North Dakota Badlands with a collection of newspaper accounts, ranging from 1898 to 1915, drawn from interviews with Roosevelt’s friends, fellow ranchers, cowboys, and acquaintances. Vivian provides an introduction and an afterword to the article, as well as an introduction to each of its twelve sections. The accounts include reminiscences from the likes of William Sewall, Arthur T. Packard, and the brothers Sylvane Ferris and Joseph Ferris. Vivian contends that these interviews “corroborate the content and quality” of the work done by Hermann Hagedorn in his book Roosevelt in the Bad Lands.

Ten photographs appear in the article, including three of Roosevelt’s contemporaries, Frederick Herrig, James W. Foley, and Arthur T. Packard, along with two photographs of the museum dedicated to Roosevelt onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. An illustration by Frederic Remington of Roosevelt’s capture of the boat thieves, and a text box with a listing of the members of the executive committee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

History of Medora, North Dakota, to mark its Centennial celebration in 1983. The article focuses on Theodore Roosevelt’s time as a rancher in the Badlands surrounding Medora, its decline, and its subsequent resurrection as a tourist gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park due to the efforts of Harold and Sheila Schafer and the Gold Seal Company.

The logo of the Medora Centennial and photographs of the Rough Rider Hotel in Medora, the Schafers, and The Medora Musical accompany the article.

A listing of the officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association as well as the members of its executive, finance, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace committees is found on the second page of the article.

Ray H. Mattison gives a historical summary of the construction and use of Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch, and discusses the buildings present there. Mattison draws from a number of sources, including books, letters, photographs, and interviews to try to give a complete picture of the ranch and its activities.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1960-05

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph of Medora, North Dakota, from the 1890s. The town’s building sit in a cluster adjacent to the railroad tracks. The badlands can bee seen in the background. The photograph’s caption notes that Joseph A. Ferris’s general store is marked with an “X.”

Collection

State Historical Society of North Dakota

Creation Date

Unknown

James W. Foley provides updates on several “old timers” from western North Dakota, including Jack Tisdale, Frank Moore, Riley Luffsey, the Ferris family, and the Morès family. Foley’s children are all married and have left the area.

Collection

State Historical Society of North Dakota

Creation Date

1916-01-08

Commissioner Roosevelt was saddened by Patty Selmes’s letter. He wishes he could have seen Selmes and comforted her. Roosevelt describes his recent visit to his ranch and how he wished Selmes could have been there.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1896-10-05

Commissioner Roosevelt requests Robert Harry Munro Ferguson’s opinion on an enclosed letter. The letter should also be shown to Douglas Robinson. Roosevelt will write a letter to Joseph A. and Sylvane M. Ferris in the meantime. Roosevelt recently had a nice luncheon and is indebted to two Italian diplomats who recently helped Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s sister and mother. The elk meat has not arrived.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1891-12-20

Handwritten revisions on two pages from Hunting in Cattle Country. Theodore Roosevelt recounts hunting antelope and arranging a carcass on a pack horse.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1905

Hermann Hagedorn’s 1919 silent film in which he interviews former friends of Theodore Roosevelt’s from his time in the North Dakota Badlands. Included are images of Medora, North Dakota, in 1919 and a cattle roundup. W. W. Reid was the principal photographer and the film was sponsored by the Roosevelt Memorial Association (Theodore Roosevelt Association).

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1919

Writing to his wife Alice from Joseph A. Ferris’s ranch in Dakota Territory, Theodore Roosevelt reports he finally received Alice’s letters and was so happy he could have cried. He shall start home in a few days from “the pleasantest and most successful trip I have ever made.” He is bringing home many trophies and is in great health. He describes a typical day and says after talking with the Ferris brothers and Bill Merrifield, he has decided to go into the cattle business.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1883-09-23

Theodore Roosevelt describes his hunting trip in Dakota Territory to his wife Alice. He describes traveling over the badlands with his guide Joseph A. Ferris, how the water made him sick, chasing a herd of bison, being charged by a wounded bull, and being awakened by wolves. He still has not killed a bison.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1883-09-14