Merrifield, Arthur William, 1855-1929

Chronology of the daily life of Theodore Roosevelt from January 1884 to December 1891. Notable events include the deaths of Alice Lee Roosevelt and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, Roosevelt’s time on his ranch, the completion of Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt’s engagement and marriage to Edith Kermit Carow, Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt’s birth, the “Great-Dieup” of cattle in North Dakota, and the founding of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association

Creation Date

1985

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

Duane G. Jundt finds flaws and strengths in two books that chronicle Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the Dakota Badlands. Jundt notes that Michael F. Blake’s The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt lacks historical objectivity and contains numerous factual errors while Christopher Knowlton’s Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West places Roosevelt and his ranching experience in the wider context of the American West. Jundt highlights both books’ treatment of Owen Wister’s 1902 novel The Virginian. Jundt also examines certain aspects of these books against works by other Roosevelt biographers, and he asserts that both books emphasize the importance of Roosevelt’s time in Dakota to developing his conservation conscience.

The front cover illustrations for both works under review and a postcard of a cattle branding scene accompany the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In six letters to his sister Anna Roosevelt Cowles, dating from April to September of 1885, Theodore Roosevelt describes various aspects of his life as a rancher in the Dakota Badlands, touching on subjects such as the weather, working on cattle roundups, and hunting. Roosevelt notes the long hours spent in the saddle tending to cattle herds, inquires about Cowles’s health, and always asks after his infant daughter, though never by her given name of Alice. Roosevelt mentions his ranch hands Wilmot S. Dow and William Wingate Sewall in some of the letters and even highlights his favorite horse Manitou.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1885

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

In this edition of the “Book Reviews” section, Paul Russell Cutright and Philip J. Roosevelt provide separate but equally laudatory reviews of American Bears, a collection of writings about bears and bear hunting by Theodore Roosevelt edited by Paul Schullery. Kenneth D. Crews finds that Roosevelt plays a minor, but important, role in Carlton Jackson’s The Dreadful Month about the awful death toll in American coal mines in December 1907. John A. Gable examines Paul D. Casdorph’s Republicans, Negroes, and Progressives in the South, 1912-1916 and compares some its findings to his own work on the Progressive Party.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1983

Article about the donation of two of Theodore Roosevelt’s Winchester hunting rifles to Theodore Roosevelt National Park by Stanford P. Stevens. The article relays Roosevelt’s purchase and use of the rifles as well as his giving one of them to his friend and hunting guide Arthur William Merrifield. The article concludes with a brief biography of Merrifield.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1983

Ray H. Mattison describes the methodology used to try to discover the exact location of Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch. Mattison includes a historical background of the ranch, from its original construction and occupation by Roosevelt, William Wingate Sewall and Wilmot S. Dow, through its later abandonment and deconstruction. The primary method used by Mattison to determine the site of the Elkhorn was through a comparative study of photographs between those taken by Roosevelt in 1886 and contemporary photographs Mattison took in 1949. Additionally, Mattison interviewed a number of “Old Timers,” who were familiar with the Elkhorn Ranch, and who were able to corroborate the conclusions he came to based on the photographs.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1950-01

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

A form nominating the Elkhorn Ranch Site and Maltese Cross Cabin in Theodore Roosevelt National Park for entry onto the National Register of Historic Places. The form includes basic information about these sites, including name, location, and managing agency, as well as descriptions of the physical appearance of the sites and statements describing their historical significance.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1976-12-22

This draft environmental statement describes the area proposed to be designated as wilderness in Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. It evaluates the positive and negative impacts of such a designation and records the comments that have been collected from various sources.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1972-09-18

This draft of the Environmental Statement for the proposed Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park includes four parts: a summary and description of the proposal for Congress to designate 28,335 acres as wilderness, a description of the environment including geology and plant and animal life, an outline of environmental impact, and an outline of mitigating measures.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1972-09-10

Joseph A. Ferris was pleased to hear from William Wingate Sewall. He has a son, Arnold Douglas Ferris, and two daughters, Carrie E. Ferris and Ada Scott Ferris. There are not many old timers left in Medora, North Dakota. Sylvane M. Ferris still lives in town and the Eatons are selling out and moving to Montana. Ferris met President Roosevelt last April and rode to Medora with him. He is still running the store and is working hard to fund the education of his children. Along with Sylvane, he bought 2,880 acres of the Maltese Cross ranch land. Ferris concludes with updates on the “old timers.”

Collection

State Historical Society of North Dakota

Creation Date

1903-12-19

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 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

Diary of Theodore Roosevelt with entries from January 1883 and August-September 1884. Roosevelt notes his legislative activities during January 1883 and records an 1884 hunting trip to the Bighorn Mountains. The diary concludes with notes on Roosevelt’s personal finances.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1883-1884