The Elkhorn Ranch was established by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

on the banks of the Little Missouri River 35 miles north of

Medora, North Dakota Medora (, ) is a city in Billings County, North Dakota, United States. The only incorporated place in Billings County, it is also the county seat. Much of the surrounding area is part of either Little Missouri National Grassland or Theodore Roo ...

in the summer of 1884. Roosevelt hired Bill SewallEdward Wiggin in his ''History of Aroostook'' (1886) tells that Wm. W. Sewall "has for years been a friend and companion of Theodore Roosevelt of New York, who formerly came to Island Falls every summer for a few weeks' outing. A few years ago Mr. Sewall went with Mr. Roosevelt to Dakota and for two years took charge of a large cattle ranch for that gentleman (p. 211). Bill Sewall was a son of Levi Sewall, one of the two first pioneers who settled Island Falls in the county of Aroostook in 1843. and Wilmot Dow, two

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

woodsmen, to run the ranch. Sewall and Dow built the ranch house, "a long, low house of logs," in the winter of 1884–1885. The Elkhorn Ranch was Theodore Roosevelt's "main ranch", and his preferred ranch house because it was larger and more private than his Maltese Cross Ranch cabin, established in 1883. Roosevelt particularly enjoyed sitting in the veranda in a rocking chair, reading in the shade of the cottonwood trees. His enjoyment is evident in his books, ''Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail'', ''Hunting Trips of a Ranchman'', and ''The Wilderness Hunter''. In the spring of 1886, thieves stole Roosevelt's boat from the Elkhorn Ranch. Sewall and Dow hastily built a raft and all three set off downriver to catch the thieves. When they did, Roosevelt kept watch over the three thieves with a shotgun and marched them overland to Dickinson, North Dakota, where he collected a $50 reward. Roosevelt quit the ranch in 1887 after losing 60% of his stock in the starvation winter of 1886–87, and returned only a handful of times to the badlands after that. He kept a small share of the cattle until 1898 at the outset of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. Theodore Roosevelt's writing desk from the Elkhorn Ranch is on display at

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the badlands of western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. This park pays homage to the time that ...

. The Elkhorn Ranch Site itself is protected as a unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

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* * Ranches on the National Register of Historic Places Theodore Roosevelt National Park Roosevelt family residences National Register of Historic Places in Billings County, North Dakota Presidential homes in the United States National Register of Historic Places in national parks Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota Log buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota 1884 establishments in Dakota Territory Ranches in the United States {{NorthDakota-NRHP-stub

See also

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