United States. Department of the Interior

Letter from James Rudolph Garfield to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Garfield informs President Roosevelt that Assistant Secretary of the Interior Thomas Ryan has resigned, and he will be replaced by Frank Pierce, a Williams College man. While Garfield is sad to see Ryan go, he needs a man “who can do hard work this winter.” Garfield also asks Roosevelt about the Friends School in Washington because he is thinking of sending his son James Abram Garfield there.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-12

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of War Taft updates President Roosevelt regarding the management of the National Parks. Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park S. B. M. Young would prefer rangers to the military, and Taft agrees with him, but Congress is putting the responsibility of park management on the War Department rather than the Department of the Interior. Taft warns that he accidentally engaged in cards on a Sunday, in case the press finds out. While traveling, he saw Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus, and they discussed both Japanese naturalization and immigration of Russian Jews. Taft briefly lists his upcoming speeches.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-04

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on matters regarding United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick, the prosecution of the International Harvester Company, and affairs in Oklahoma. He is greatly concerned about reports of Secretary of State Elihu Root’s health. Territorial Governor of New Mexico George Curry intends to appoint David J. Leahy as assistant attorney general of the territory. Bonaparte feels obligated to inform Roosevelt of this appointment as Leahy is possibly “one of the persons about whom there has been complaint by the Interior Department.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-29

Letter from Alford Warriner Cooley to Theodore Roosevelt

Assistant Attorney General Cooley returns Philip Battell Stewart’s letter to President Roosevelt. He also includes a report from Stewart’s attorney wherein he tries to cast doubt on Cooley’s account and the propriety of Roosevelt’s choice to remove Herbert J. Hagerman from the position of territorial governor of New Mexico. Cooley cites multiple cases that give precedent to his claims. He feels that Hagerman was treated leniently.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-23

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock tenders his resignation to President Roosevelt to take effect on March 4, 1907. He thanks Roosevelt for his support and the time in his administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-01

Letter from Frank W. Tucker to Theodore Roosevelt

Frank W. Tucker, Chairman of the Arkansas Republican State Committee, notifies President Roosevelt that he is satisfied with the appointment of W. Scott Smith as Superintendent of the Reservation at Hot Springs.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-12

Letter from Gifford Pinchot to Theodore Roosevelt

Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot provides President Theodore Roosevelt with a report on land office work after claims of possible fraud and of hardship. Pinchot recommends that Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock be given an additional $500,000 to “bring the public land business of the United States up to date.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-11

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock agrees with President Roosevelt that certain affidavits should be handed over to Richard Achilles Ballinger, who is about to begin his tenure as Commissioner of the General Land Office. Hitchcock also thinks it wise to give the affidavits to Commissioner of Corporations James Rudolph Garfield, who will replace Hitchcock as Secretary of the Interior in March. Hitchcock hopes he can meet with Garfield in person soon to explain to him more details that cannot be put in writing.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-24

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock relates to President Roosevelt the circumstances which led to Hitchcock’s order that any land available for purchase must be inspected by a federal agent before the deed is granted. Hitchcock recalls that Roosevelt asked him to modify this order, and provides two options: one order that modifies the previous order, and another – which Hitchcock prefers – that replaces the previous order.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Colored men appointed to or continued in office by President Roosevelt

A list of all men of color appointed to or continued in office by President Roosevelt, complete with the office and date.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01

Department of the Interior memorandum directing no patents for land issues until after examination in the field

The Department of the Interior issues a memorandum containing President Roosevelt’s orders to not issue patents on any land before a special agent can physically examine the land. The memorandum goes on to list the different type of lands applicable and inapplicable under this new memorandum.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12

Report from George F. Pollock to Ethan Allen Hitchcock

George F. Pollock submits a report to Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock following an order from President Roosevelt that no patent be issued to public land until an “examination on the ground” has been made by an agent of the Department of the Interior, in order to hinder “theft of the public lands.” Pollock reports on the current pending cases and requests additional funding to carry out the work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-22

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock writes President Roosevelt with his advice on the complicated matter of withdrawing coal lands. On Roosevelt’s direction, the Department of the Interior and the General Land Office began surveying and drafting a list of townships that contained rich coal lands with the intention of withdrawing them from homestead exemptions, and the Department is working quickly to wire all of Roosevelt’s orders to appropriate land offices around the country. However, it is apparent that oil industry men can use many loopholes to obtain the land.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to William A. Richards

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock updates William A. Richards, Commissioner of the General Land Office, on an order from July 26, 1906, and subsequent related orders. On any lands where substantial coal is found, all orders for “entry, filing, and selection under the coal and other land laws” are to be modified to “provide for the withdrawal of ‘such lands from coal entry merely.'” Richards is to advise all affected land districts, especially those in Juneau, Alaska.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

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

Letter from William H. Moody to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Moody writes to President Roosevelt regarding funding sources for American Indian Day and industrial schools. Members of Congress declared that public money could not be used to fund sectarian schools, but the Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock can use certain money for American Indians held in trust in any way he saw fit, including assistance to sectarian schools.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-02

Letter from James L. Davenport to Benjamin F. Barnes

Deputy Commissioner Davenport asks Benjamin F. Barnes to personally place the enclosed letter into the hands of President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-23

Letter from James L. Davenport to Theodore Roosevelt

Deputy Commissioner of Pensions Davenport states his qualifications to support his desire to be promoted to Commissioner. Davenport also urges that the Pension Department’s record system be changed to a card system in order to preserve the older records and to become more efficient in processing claims.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-22

Letter from Eugene F. Ware to Theodore Roosevelt

Commissioner of Pensions Ware informs President Roosevelt he will be resigning on December 15, but will stop to say goodbye before he leaves Washington, D.C. Ware will also be bringing William A. Henderson with him to introduce him to the President.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-12

Letter from George Robert Carter to Theodore Roosevelt

Governor Carter of Hawaii informs President Roosevelt that due to some information that was unfavorable to the sale of bonds, he has dispatched Alatau L. C. Atkinson to follow up on the matter with the Department of the Interior. Carter mentions Atkinson’s credentials, and says that he possesses Carter’s confidence. He hopes that while Atkinson is in Washington, D.C., he might be able to advocate for several causes relevant to Hawaii.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-08