Merrifield, Arthur William, 1855-1929 | - Theodore Roosevelt Center

A study of the authenticity of the Maltese Cross cabin

Historian Ray H. Mattison reports on his study of the authenticity of the Maltese Cross cabin. Mattison concludes that the cabin in question is the one occupied by Roosevelt when he first moved to Medora, North Dakota. Whether or not it was his home beyond 1885, it continued to be the base of Roosevelt’s cattle ranching operation. In addition to a thorough history of Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands Region and the efforts of others to preserve and/or showcase the Maltese Cross cabin, the report includes photos and sworn affidavits from Medora locals.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1950-05-24

More about the Roosevelt ranch

Copy of an article written to argue for the authenticity of the Maltese Cross cabin. The cabin was to be exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and some question had arisen regarding its authenticity. This article includes notarized statements from Sylvane M. Ferris, Howard Eaton, and Joseph A. Ferris.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1904-03-19

Maltese Cross cabin brochure

The brochure for Theodore Roosevelt’s Maltese Cross Cabin at the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park was published by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association in cooperation with the National Park Service sometime after 1959. It features photographs of the cabin and the items that were left in the there that belonged to Roosevelt. William Barnhart describes the history of Roosevelt’s cabin and how it came to part of the of the National Park Service.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

Unknown

Letter from Ray H. Mattison to Hermann Hagedorn

Historian Ray H. Mattison requests information about the location of the Elkhorn Ranch site from Hermann Hagedorn.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1949-11-03

Letter from Ray H. Mattison to Albert T. Volwiler

Historian Ray H. Mattison asks Albert T. Volwiler for further details regarding the Elkhorn Ranch and the Maltese Cross Cabin. He also seeks clarification on certain transfers of property as well as more information concerning Theodore Roosevelt’s ranching activities at these locations.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1949-11-12

An explanation of position

Typed transcript of a letter to the editor of the Bismarck Tribune. A. T. Packard refutes a Tribune article that suggests George W. Myers is a cattle thief. He lays out the facts for Myers’s innocence.

Collection

Dickinson State University

Creation Date

1886-12-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Wingate Sewall

Commissioner Roosevelt briefly describes a trip to his Dakota ranch accompanied by his wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. He has decided that this will be the last year the ranch house will be kept open. In closing, Roosevelt questions if someone could kill a moose by sneaking up on it with snowshoes.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1890-10-20

Letter from Howard Eaton to William Wingate Sewall

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. This is the typed transcript of the original handwritten letter.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1890-03-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Fielding Merrifield

Theodore Roosevelt informs Fielding Merrifield that the “Merrifield” referred to can be addressed at the United States Marshall’s Office in Helena, Montana.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Henry Carter

President Roosevelt read Senator Carter’s letter, and although he does not want to involve himself with managing the campaign, he will send it to Representative J. S. Sherman. Carter’s input could be helpful, and Sherman is sure to give good feedback. Roosevelt asks if he should take action regarding U.S. Marshall for Montana Arthur William Merrifield.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Laura d’Oremieulx Roosevelt

President Roosevelt tells Laura d’Oremieulx Roosevelt, wife of his cousin James West Roosevelt, that he is sorry to hear that her family is sick. He has written to Arthur William Merrifield and is sure that arrangements can be regarding her son. He hopes Laura is all right.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Corinne Roosevelt Robinson

President Roosevelt forwards his sister, Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, a letter from Arthur William Merrifield complimenting her sons, Monroe Douglas Robinson and Stewart Douglas Robinson.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-11-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt thanks his son Kermit Roosevelt for suggesting to write Arthur William Merrifield, who has had a recent accident. Roosevelt asks Kermit about the whereabouts of his guns, and is pleased to have time to walk the White House Gardens with Edith Kermit Carrow Roosevelt, and occasionally ride their horses.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-09

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Horace Lorimer

After talking with George Horace Lorimer, President Roosevelt went back and read The Plum Tree through all the way, after previously having read only half of it. The ending of the book reconciles Roosevelt to many of the problems he had with it throughout, but he still holds many issues with the book which he lays out for Lorimer. The author, David Graham Phillips, falls into the trap of overstating the sort of corruption that is present in politics, and while Roosevelt freely admits that corruption is present–which, he points out, he is working against–there are also many good people working in politics as well. In a postscript of several days later, Roosevelt comments on several of Phillips’s articles on the Senate, in which he acts similarly by taking “certain facts that are true in themselves, and […] ignoring utterly a very much large mass of facts that are just as true and just as important.” Roosevelt criticizes Phillips for working with William Randolph Hearst to achieve notoriety.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Henry Carter

President Roosevelt thanks Senator Carter for his courtesy regarding the marshalship in Montana. Roosevelt would not have spoken on behalf of Arthur William Merrifield if he had not been one of the electors at large, who was sent to Washington to cast the electoral vote on behalf of Montana.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph M. Dixon

President Roosevelt asks Representative Dixon to tell him about the current U.S. Marshal in Montana. Roosevelt would like to give his friend Arthur William Merrifield a good position, and would prefer it to be the marshalship.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-20

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Henry Carter

President Roosevelt asks Senator Carter to tell him about the current U.S. Marshal in Montana. Roosevelt would like to give his friend Arthur William Merrifield a good position, and would prefer it to be a marshalship.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-20

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt updates his son, Kermit Roosevelt, on recent happenings. Surprisingly, the presidential elector from Montana was his friend and former ranch foreman, Arthur William Merrifield. He describes his and Ted Roosevelt”s continued boxing matches with Joseph Grant. Archibald and Quentin are recovering from “grip.” Unfortunately, Edith’s horse Yagenka may no longer be ridable.