THE COLORADO MAGAZINE Published Quarterly by The State Historical Society of Colorado Vol. XXXV Denver, Colorado, October, 1958 Number 4 Theodore Roosevelt in Colorado By AGNES WRIGHT SPRING One hundred years ago this month on October 27, 1858, there was born in New York City, a boy named Theodore Roosevelt. By 1910 he was recognized as perhaps "the strongest character upon the world stage." Roosevelt won much attention and acclaim as a ranchman, a Rough Rider in the Spanish-American War, a statesman and a big game hunter, but it was a rare combination of originality, unconven­ tionality, candor, self-confidence, alertness, fearlessness, aggressive­ ness, positiveness and nervous energy which undoubtedly combined to make him the hero that he became.1 In order to stress to the people of the United States the sterling qualities and accomplishments of the 1<1te President Theodore Roose­ velt, Congress, in 1955, created The Theodore Roosevelt Centennial Commission. Later, President Eisenhower issued a proclamation in which he called upon the people of the United States to observe the one-hundredth anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's birth throughout this centennial year. Said the Commission: "To kindle in the American heart today the kind of fire that burned in Theodore Roosevelt's-his passion for his country, his faith in her future, his longing that the quality of Ameri­ can citizenship might become an inspiration and a beacon to man­ kind-that is our purpose in asking you, our fellow-Americans, and, indeed, freemen everywhere, to join in the centennial observance."2 Upon the reo_uest of Mr. Stephen H. Hart, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the State Historical Society, who was appointed by Governor Steve McNichols as Colorado's State Chairman of the Roosevelt Centennial, the following article has been prepared. Unless otherwise stated, photographs were obtained from the Library of the State Historical Society.-Editor. Theodore Roosevelt had many personal contacts with Colo­ rado and her people, including many visits to the state during the early 1900's. Some of these contacts were for personal pleasure and recreation; one was a political tour with some regrettable features; and one was a triumphal tour as Presi­ dent of the United States. Some of the contacts had lasting national significance, such as the preservation of natural re­ sources. One of the President's vetoes prolonged the boundary dispute between Colorado and New Mexico for almost a quar­ ter of a century. 1 '\Yilliam C. Deming. Ruoserclt In The Bunk-House. <Laramie : Laramie Printing Co., 1927), p. 9. ' Theodore Roosevelt Centennial Commission. "A Call to the American People."' Richard i\I. Xixon, Chairman: .Joseph C . O'!liahoney, '\"ice ('hairman, Theodore Hoose \'elt House, t8 East tOth Street, .'\"ew York 3, ~. Y. COLORADO 'fAGAZlKE THF:ODOKI-: ROOSl·:\·1°:LT I:\ COLORAllO 243 Today a tunnel and a national forest in Colorado bear the name of Theodore Roosevelt, and it is said that the name of Gore Canon could well have been changed to that of Roosevelt as the result of his influence in opening the canon to the Moffat railway. In Estes Park some jagged cliffs are known as "Teddy's Teeth." As far back as 1894, Theodore Roosevelt became intensely interested in and greatly admired the animal photography of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Wallihan of Lay, Colorado. He wrote intro­ ductions to two of their books. Said to be not only Colorado's first photographer of wild game, W allihan was declared by Dr. William Hornaday, noted American zoologist, to be the first man in the world to take pictures of wild animals in their native habitat. In his introduction to Hoofs, Claws and Antlers of the Rocky Mountains By The Camera, by Wallihan, published in Denver by Frank S. Thayer in 1894, Theodore Roosevelt said: It has never been my good fortune to see as interesting a collec­ tion of game pictures as those that have been taken by Mr. and Mrs. Wallihan, and I am equally pleased with the sim­ plicity with which they got these photographs. The book, when published, will be absolutely unique and will be of the utmost value .... Knowing as I do by long experience the extreme difficulty of getting so much as a shot with the rifle at either wolf or cougar, I cannot express my astonishment at seeing these remarkable and characteristic photographs of both.... It is a credit to Colorado and a credit to the United States that a book of this kind should be reproduced. Since most of the Wallihan photographs were gathered in the Northwestern section of Colorado, the most central point of rendezvous being Glenwood Springs, it is reasonable to assume that Theodore Roosevelt was largely influenced by the photographs in selecting that area for hunting expeditions later. In his introduction to Camera Shots at Big Game by Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Wallihan (Doubleday, Page & Company, 1906), Roosevelt, writing from Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, N. Y., said in part: ... his photographs of wild game possess such peculiar value that all lovers, whether of hunting or of natural history, should be glad to see them preserved in permanent form . even under favorable conditions, very few men have the skill, the patience, the woodcraft and plainscraft which enabled Mr. Wallihan to accomplish so much. In September 1900, Roosevelt, then Governor of New York, came to Colorado while campaigning for the Vice Presidency of the United States. He was a running mate of William McKinley. William Jennings Bryan, an advocate of free silver, was opposing McKinley in the election. THEODORE ROOSE\"ELT IN COLORADO 24 5 COLOHADO l\IAGAZfNE come here to help carry on the campaign. It is a great pleasure In his letter accepting the nomination for Vice President, to the American people to look in the face of this representative Roosevelt had declared himself for the gold standard and had American, the type of the better American manhood-Governor warned that the policy of 16 to 1 might bring dest:uction to of New York." every home in the land. (Sixteen to ?ne was a :allymg cry of There were cheers as Governor Roosevelt stepped forward. He the Democratic party in 1896, alluding to their advocacy of lifted his time-worn campaign hat, and the teeth gleamed while the free and unlimited coinage of silver at a legalized value he bowed. A gray cloth topcoat was buttoned to the chin. He was a symphony in gray, only the teeth and the governor's ratio to gold of 16 to 1.) collar were white. As he spoke his voice broke, intentionally, of For a decade Colorado had been torn by the demonetization course, and when he madi! a point the emphasis lay in the sudden lifting of his bristling moustache and those irrepressible of silver due largely to world over-pr_oduc~ion of silver .. Non­ gleaming teeth. His voice, while not as loud and resonant as partisan silver clubs had been orgarnzed m eve~'/. sect10n o~ that of Senator Wolcott, has a peculiar and piercing quality. His the state, with members pledged to support only silver men style of delivery is forcible, accompanied by gestures and many for office. intonations of the voice.-' Now although the development of some of Colorado's gold At Fort Collins an artillery battalion of cadets gave a gov­ mines was easing the mining situation to some extent, the ernor's salute with a cannon. At Boulder members of the State generally was still for free silver coinage. In many quar­ crowd took Roosevelt on their shoulders to his car. ters the campaign visit of Theodore Roosevelt to Colorado was Said the News reporter: "Those teeth! They changed the considered an "invasion." golden words of the Colonel into gleaming pearls. They were On September 24, 1900, the Rocky Mountain News called fascinating; they made his women hearers stare and the babies attention to Roosevelt's stand and carried on its front page a to cry. 'Hush!' said a mother at Boulder. ''Tis not the bogy large cartoon of "Teddy" on horseback, carryi~g a banner_ on man.' Teddy, the Terror's terrible teeth have given him his which was printed: "Danger Beware of Free Silver Question; reputation."6 The Main Issue Beware'" At Denver a large reception awaited the campaigning After winding up an enthusiastic campaign in Cheyenne, Easterner. A headline in the News, September 26, 1900, read: Wyoming, Roosevelt entered Colorado in a special train of "First Clouds of the Unflecked Skies of Colorado Conjured nine private cars, with twenty-seven colored porters? enough By The Mountebank Antics and Fervid Oratory of the Man cold bottles and cigars, it was said, to stock a go~d-sized bar­ Who Single-Handed Whipped the Spanish Nations." room-none of which he touched'-and an entire Pullman In reporting the Roosevelt meeting the News reporter said given over to press representatives and telegraph operators.' in part, that Governor Theodore Roosevelt fairly ground out Short stops were made at various stations. At Greeley, the following words between his teeth: Jared L. Brush, former lieutenant governor of Colorado, was I will not discuss the question of the News about silver. I am waiting at the band stand to greet the visitors. Seats had be_en for the Gold Standard. I stand straight as I have always stood erected around the stand, which was gaily decorated with on the !1>latform of my party. I am for a Protective Tariff for bunting. Approximately 3,000 perso!1s cheered as the proces­ the gold standard, expansion and the honor of the flag. ' sion which had formed at the tram, approached the stand.