Your TR Source
Bat Masterson sends Theodore Roosevelt a copy of a letter from a Kansas judge, Mike Sutton. Masterson praises Sutton for his politics and sends Roosevelt warm regards for the holidays.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-21
Magazine article featuring a letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay recounting his trip west in 1903.
1951-12-10
An account of the work of Uncle Jimmy Owens, a game warden who lived and worked in the Grand Canyon and often led hunting trips in the region, including a trip for Theodore Roosevelt, Archibald B. “Archie” Roosevelt, Quentin Roosevelt, and Nicholas Roosevelt. William M. Mace describes Owens’ efforts to control the mountain lion and cougar populations with his hunting dogs, and praises his success in protecting the area from an overabundance of these predators.
Unknown
An article in the Denver Post writes that the American West loves and misses Theodore Roosevelt, who is away hunting big game in Africa.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1910-01
Samuel G. Blythe reports on Western attitudes towards President William H. Taft following his recent nationwide speaker tour. People generally like Taft as a person, but do not feel that they have seen enough of his governing ability or policies to support him as their president. Taft is also contending with the ongoing popularity of Theodore Roosevelt, which may surge again when he returns from Africa.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-11-27
Two documents relating to Samuel L. Woodward’s request to be appointed and retired at the rank of Brigadier General. The first document notes that Woodward is a victim of an “unjust and unlawful” promotion system for lieutenants that was in effect from 1878 to 1890, and has been denied promotions at the appropriate time for thirty years. In the second document, Woodward outlines his experience in battles and engagements, as well as his role and actions in various regiments during his military career.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-22
President Roosevelt carries a tray that is barely balanced and includes a teapot of “Jap. Treaty Rights,” “T. R.’s Western popularity,” and his big stick. Meanwhile, a dog–“Western legislature”–is tangled in his feet. “Japan” says, “My tea, please.”
With less than a month remaining in his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt continued to prioritize the troubled relations between the United States and Japan. Specifically, the largely local San Francisco-area friction related to Japanese immigrants and residents was a matter that he refused to ignore, instead recognizing its malignant prejudice and injustice, its immediate effect on diplomatic and trade relations between the two nations, and the dangers of provoking long-range strategic and even military responses in the future.
William H. Taft rides a Republican elephant toward “the West” and fires a revolver labeled “my policies” that shoots “10,000 words.” A flying bird labeled “Bryan” says, “Never touched me.” Attached to the elephant’s tail is a big stick with President Roosevelt’s face on it and “Standard Oil exposure.”
In his relatively brief career on the St. Louis Republic, cartoonist Edward McBride packed more partisanship in his drawings than most political cartoonists could manage, or think practical and effective. His newspaper, of course, approved of their cartoonist’s excesses. The Republic at this time was under management of rabid Democrats, one of whom was a virtually unreconstructed Southerner from Georgia; his successor a radical who leaned toward Socialist Eugene Debs as much as conventional Democrats. Oddly, as a Democrat organ, the paper was founded as the Missouri Republican.
This poem details the events of President Roosevelt’s life and presidency, calling him “buster in war and buster in peace.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-26
President Roosevelt stands in line with several other people at a railroad station “ticket office.” A sign reads, “next train leaves 10.13 for the West.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-18
President Roosevelt wears clothing with a number of states on it as well as “Alaska” and the “Philippines.” He holds “the big stick” and stands on a “Constitution of United States” door mat with a tag that reads, “my private door mat. T. R.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-19
This newspaper article lists the states in which President Roosevelt had a plurality of at least two to one votes to Alton B. Parker. In Vermont, the votes for Roosevelt were four times greater than the votes for Parker. The writer observes the majority of the two to one states were in the West.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-12
Newspapers in New York are publishing information about President Roosevelt that was not fit to print, which irks the writer of this article because the people of the West love Roosevelt. Although Roosevelt did the best he could to deal with the financial crisis, the writer does acknowledge that it has negatively impacted New York City in ways that the people of Kansas City could not fathom.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-06
Harold Irwin Cleveland congratulates President Roosevelt on his time in office. He thinks the West is still shocked about the appointment of Postmaster Henry C. Payne, but trusts that Roosevelt’s choice is right. He shares that Paul Morton is pleased with Roosevelt’s take on irrigation, and George Ogden is also regularly saying good things. Jack Raftery, now at the St. Louis Exposition, is still loyal. Cleveland hears that Roosevelt is “shaking the dry bones up in fine style”, but also hears that Secretary Lyman J. Gage and Secretary Wilson behave quite anxiously. He feels that Roosevelt will go forth in courage and honesty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-12-20
Theodore Roosevelt thanks George von Lengerke Meyer for the salmon and for what he said regarding the libel suit. Roosevelt would like to arrange a visit with Meyer and Frank B. Kellogg, but does not see what can be done about “getting the Republicans and Progressives together.” Roosevelt feels that the Progressives are “sundered” from the Republican Party by two causes. The first is the “utter dishonesty” of men such as Boies Penrose, William Barnes, Winthrop Murray Crane, Elihu Root, and their associates who “stole the convention” last summer. The second cause is that the Progressive Party, unlike the Republican Party, have in their platform “applied the principles of Abraham Lincoln to the present day.” Roosevelt will never again work with a party controlled by the men guilty of the theft last June or with any party that “does not take in their entirety the principles of Abraham Lincoln applied to the needs of the present day.”
Massachusetts Historical Society
1913-06-09
William Loeb acknowledges the receipt of letters from General Hale. On the direction of President Roosevelt, he reports that Franklin K. Lane has been appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and that Roosevelt does not think he can appoint another person from western states. If Roosevelt were going to remodel the commission it might be possible, but he does not think he can, as there are many members he wishes to reappoint.
Denver Public Library
1906-07-16
Sheet music for “Voice of the West,” which celebrates President Roosevelt sending the Great White Fleet on its circumnavigation of the globe. The cover features an illustration of a battleship and the likeliness of President Roosevelt and Secretary of War William H. Taft.
Dr. Danny O. Crew Theodore Roosevelt Sheet Music Collection
1908
Edward Bruce has changed his mind and is now in favor of completing Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Bruce’s project to decorate federal buildings was approved and he suspects Representative Greenway played a role in its approval. He would also like to decorate the offices of members of Congress should they desire it, including Greenway’s office. Bruce suggests Greenway’s office could be decorated with pictures or paintings of Greenway’s favorite places in the West.
1935-08-27
Quentin Roosevelt thanks Robert Harry Munro Ferguson for the book. He has failed to write to Isabella Ferguson with his impressions of the West but he would like to return next year. Roosevelt might work for John Greenway next summer and has plans for another trip to the Southwest.
Arizona Historical Society
Unknown
President Roosevelt has used Frederick Morgan Davenport’s articles in his recent speech. Roosevelt is not sure if it would be good for him to make speeches in the West at the times that Davenport suggested, because if he makes too many speeches they will lose their effectiveness.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1916-05-03