Theodore Roosevelt first came to the badlands in September 1883 to hunt buffalo. "Old Four Eyes" loved the life of the badlands' cowboys and participated in roundups, brandings and social events, earning the respect of those he so admired. He became enamored with the area. He invested in two cattle ranches, the Maltese Cross and the Elkhorn, which he maintained until 1898.After he left North Dakota, Roosevelt led the legendary Rough Riders up San Juan Hill, and became vice president in 1901. Within months he became president when William McKinley was assassinated.Although he had lost a great deal of money in his ranching enterprise, he later described the North Dakota experience as "the romance of my life," and often said "I would never have been President had it not been for my days in North Dakota."As president, Theodore Roosevelt returned to Medora once on April 8, 1903. A public reception was held in the old Medora Town Hall, and a photograph taken (below).Friends Roosevelt made in and around Medora during his ranching days turned out in large numbers to greet the local cowboy who made it to the White House. Roosevelt was one of them, and they never forgot the encounters shared in the North Dakota Badlands. Roosevelt's experiences in the badlands influenced his conservation efforts as president. Theodore Roosevelt National Park was created in 1947 to recognize those contributions. (Marker Number 29.)
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