Geological Survey (U.S.)

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Ethan Allen Hitchcock

President Roosevelt has not responded to Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock’s letter because he has been too busy and also wanted to consult the men who were present at the conference held by Roosevelt which Hitchcock did not attend. Roosevelt points out that due to Hitchcock’s absence at the meeting, his letter is full of errors which Roosevelt outlines in his letter to Hitchcock. A mistake within the Department of the Interior has resulted in a serious situation and Roosevelt feels Hitchcock’s arguments are inaccurate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert M. La Follette

President Roosevelt has given a letter to Charles D. Walcott and J. A. Holmes, both from the U.S. Geological Survey, to present to Senator La Follette to explain why he has chosen to withdraw coal lands from entry. Roosevelt states that there will be great opposition to La Follette’s bill because it will significantly impact the states that are affected. Roosevelt has given Walcott a draft of a bill to show La Follette which supports the essentials of La Follette’s bill and leasing natural resources in the public lands, but leaves some matters up to the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-23

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles D. Walcott

President Roosevelt updates Director of the U.S. Geological Survey Walcott regarding the efforts to repair the break in the Colorado River at the California-Mexico border. He forwards a telegram from Director of the Union Pacific Railroad Company Edward Henry Harriman regarding his organizations efforts to repair the break, and he says that Secretary of State Elihu Root received permission from Mexico to perform whatever maintenance is needed. Roosevelt asks Walcott to prepare information that he can share with Congress when they reconvene from their winter break.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles D. Walcott

President Roosevelt updates Director of the U.S. Geological Survey Walcott regarding the efforts to repair the break in the Colorado River at the California-Mexico border. Roosevelt writes that Mexico will help however they can within reason with the repairs. He states that the Union Pacific Railroad Company and their director Edward Henry Harriman must conduct the repairs in the immediate, but that the U.S. government should be prepared to conduct all further maintenance. Roosevelt feels the government and California Improvement Company should share future maintenance responsibilities, and asks Walcott to formulate a plan that can be submitted to the State Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt updates Secretary Root regarding the Colorado River break in Southern California and Mexico, writing that Union Pacific Director Edward Henry Harriman had agreed to repair the break. Roosevelt says that he told Harriman that Congress will negotiate with Mexico on the issue as soon as their holiday break is over, and asks Root to tell the Geological Survey to take up the repair work. Roosevelt encloses a recent telegram sent to Harriman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt encloses to Secretary Root two letters he has recently sent to Director of the U.S. Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott regarding the break and repair of the Colorado River in Southern California and Mexico. Roosevelt also includes a message from Union Pacific Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which appears to indicate “a very satisfactory condition of affairs.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Ethan Allen Hitchcock

President Roosevelt tells Secretary Hitchcock that his order was intended to “withdraw the coal lands from coal entry merely,” and had been fashioned after consulting with Forest Service Chief Gifford Pinchot and Geological Survey Director Charles D. Walcott. He notes that the ordered has been misinterpreted at some point I the Department of the Interior’s chain of command to forbid all homestead and other land entries, which was not his intent. Roosevelt asks Hitchcock to correct the order so that it only pertains to coal lands in Alaska and other states and territories, and asks him to issue the order to relevant land offices on Monday morning.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt asks Secretary Root for his opinion regarding a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman regarding a land matter in Southern California. Roosevelt asks Root to consult with Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott regarding the issue. Roosevelt states that he has already consulted with California Senator Frank P. Flint on the matter; Senator Flint recommended purchasing lands from Mexico to solve the problem. Roosevelt desires Root’s opinion on all the aforementioned matters so that they can begin drafting a message to congress on the issue.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George C. Perkins

President Roosevelt asks for Senator Perkins’s opinion on a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which he has enclosed. Roosevelt feels the government “should help in the matter,” and notes that the Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott feels the matter is of great importance for thousands of residents in Southern California.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frank P. Flint

President Roosevelt asks for Senator Flint’s opinion a recent telegram from Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Edward Henry Harriman, which he has enclosed. Roosevelt feels the government “should help in the matter,” and notes that the Director of the Geological Survey Charles D. Walcott feels the matter is of great importance for thousands of residents in Southern California.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Digest of the attached detail

A digest of an attached detail clarifies that Acting Secretary Thomas Ryan’s memorandum was sent in mistake. The memorandum incorrectly reported President Roosevelt’s determination at the conference on October 5 regarding forest reserve lands. If Roosevelt approved the memorandum without noticing the error, Ryan is directly responsible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-19

Creator(s)

Unknown

Memorandum relative to the Secretary of the Interior’s explanatory letter to the President

G. W. Woodruff, Chief Law Officer of the Forest Service, reports on a controversy concerning Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock. President Roosevelt withdrew ten million acres of land from disposal under public laws to protect the coal it contained, but asked that no land be withdrawn until he received Geological Survey field reports. Hitchcock claimed that he did not know which lands were inside the reserves and “materially misquoted the President’s clearly expressed intention.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Creator(s)

Woodruff, G. W. (George Washington), 1864-1934

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Gifford Pinchot

Vice President Roosevelt asks Gifford Pinchot if there is an opportunity for the son of Jacob A. Riis to go on “some government trip” out West as a handyman. The boy does not require “any but the smallest wages,” and would like the chance to go on an outdoor government trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-04-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to W. L. Capps

President Roosevelt is forming an Advisory Board on Fuels and Structural Materials to investigate greater efficiency and safety in fuels, construction materials, and mining. Roosevelt has invited representatives of government offices engaged in construction and engineering, industry experts, and representatives from national engineering and similar organizations to serve as members. Roosevelt has appointed Rear Admiral W. L. Capps to serve as an ex-officio member as Chief of the United States Navy Department Bureau of Construction and Repair.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-03-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Newton E. Mason

President Roosevelt informs Rear Admiral Mason, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, that he is creating an advisory board related to the properties and best uses of structural materials and fuels in the United States. Roosevelt believes that this topic is very important to the Navy, and appoints Mason to serve on the board as representative of the Bureau of Ordnance.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas L. Lewis

President Roosevelt informs Thomas L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America, that he is creating an advisory board related to the properties and best uses of structural materials and fuels in the United States. Roosevelt believes that this topic is very important, and appoints Lewis to serve on the board.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Kendrick Hatt

President Roosevelt informs William Kendrick Hatt that he is creating an advisory board related to the properties and best uses of structural materials and fuels in the United States. Roosevelt believes that this topic is very important, and appoints Hatt to serve on the board.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John K. Barton

President Roosevelt informs Rear Admiral Barton, Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering, that he is creating an advisory board related to the properties and best uses of structural materials and fuels in the United States. Roosevelt believes that this topic is very important to the Navy, and appoints Barton to serve on the board as representative of the Bureau of Steam Engineering.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Marius R. Campbell

President Roosevelt has been informed that Marius R. Campbell of the United States Geological Survey has been designated to prepare material for the National Conservation Commission. Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of this work, and thanks Campbell for his contributions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Otis Smith

President Roosevelt tells George Otis Smith, Director of the Geological Survey, that he is pleased to learn of the proposed cooperation between the Geological Survey and the National Conservation Commission. Roosevelt asks Smith, in recognition of the important work of the Commission, to have the employee delegated to assist with this task relieved of other duties for the duration of the cooperation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919