Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin facts for kids
The Maltese Cross Cabin was a special home used by Theodore Roosevelt before he became the President. Today, you can find this historic cabin at the visitor center of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, right outside the town of Medora, North Dakota. It's a great place to learn about Roosevelt's time in the American West.
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History of the Cabin
This cabin was Theodore Roosevelt's very first home in the Dakota Territory. He lived here from 1883 to 1884. After a very sad time in 1884, Roosevelt decided to move further north along the Little Missouri River. There, he built a new home called the Elkhorn Ranch cabin, where he spent most of his time.
In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States. He also became known as one of the greatest people to work on protecting nature. He once said that his time in North Dakota helped him become president.
Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands in 1883 to hunt buffalo. Before he left, he became very interested in the Maltese Cross Ranch, also known as the Chimney Butte Ranch. Roosevelt loved the active outdoor life. At the Maltese Cross, he lived like a real cowboy.
The Maltese Cross Ranch cabin was first built about seven miles south of Medora. It was in the wooded areas near the Little Missouri River. Roosevelt asked his ranch managers, Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield, to build it. It was a one-and-a-half-story cabin with a shingled roof and a root cellar. Built from strong ponderosa pine logs, it was quite fancy for its time. It had wooden floors and three separate rooms: a kitchen, a living room, and Roosevelt's bedroom. The steep roof was unusual for the area. It created an upstairs sleeping area for the ranch workers.
Inside the Cabin Today
Some items you see in the cabin today actually belonged to Theodore Roosevelt. Most of the other furniture is from that time period. They show what a typical cabin looked like back then. The white hutch in the main room is original to the cabin. It was used as a bookcase and a writing desk. The classic-looking desk came from the Elkhorn Ranch cabin. Roosevelt spent many hours at his desk. He wrote about his adventures and memories of life in the badlands.
People believe the rocking chair might have been Roosevelt's. Or it could have come from an upstairs room in the Ferris Store, where Roosevelt sometimes stayed. Rocking chairs were his favorite kind of furniture. All his homes had them. Roosevelt once wrote, "What true American does not enjoy a rocking-chair?"
Roosevelt's traveling trunk is in the bedroom. It has his initials on it. This large leather trunk traveled with him on the train. He took it from his home in New York City to Medora. It would have held his clothes and personal items.
Roosevelt actively ranched in the badlands until early 1887. But he kept his ranching interests in the area until 1898. Later, as president, he created a plan to protect nature. This plan was based on his many experiences in the West. His time there made him realize how important it was to save and protect natural resources.
The Cabin's Travels
During Roosevelt's time as president, the Maltese Cross cabin was shown at big events. It was at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. It was also at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon in 1905. In 1910, it moved again. This time, it went to the state fairgrounds in West Fargo, North Dakota. Then it moved to the state capitol grounds in Bismarck. It stayed there until 1959. After that, the cabin was moved to its current spot and fixed up. The most recent work to preserve it happened in 2000.
Roosevelt's second ranch, the Elkhorn, was built in 1884. It was about 35 miles north of Medora, also on the Little Missouri River. After building it, Roosevelt thought of Elkhorn as his "home ranch." He spent most of his time there when he was in the Dakotas.
Visiting the Cabin Today
The Maltese Cross Cabin was left empty for a while. But now, the National Park Service takes good care of it. Today, it is inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is known as a historic landmark. Some of Theodore Roosevelt's personal belongings are still on display inside. You can take tours of the cabin from mid-June until Labor Day. For the rest of the year, you can explore the cabin on your own.
The cabin's first location was several miles away. Because it was smaller, the cabin could be moved around the state for people to see. It was moved to its current location after being restored. Nothing remains of his second cabin at the Elkhorn Ranch. That area is much more remote. Only some cornerstones, foundation blocks, and a covered well are left. Roosevelt once said, "I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision...I enjoyed the life to the full."
See also
- List of residences of presidents of the United States
- Presidential memorials in the United States
- Elkhorn, 2024 television series
