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North Dakota’s Badlands were near and dear to Theodore Roosevelt’s heart—as they are for us at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. And we’re dee-lighted to highlight his time in the Badlands in September specifically, the month he first visited the area in 1883.
Even more exciting is the premiere later this week of the second season of INSP’s Elkhorn, a TV series inspired by TR’s time in the raw beauty of North Dakota’s Badlands. Now’s a great time to refresh your memory on TR and the Badlands and catch up on season 1 of Elkhorn before the first episode of the new season drops this Thursday, October 2! |
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Theodore Roosevelt’s Time in the Badlands
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 Roosevelt first came out to what was then Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt a bison, unaware of how this hunting trip would change his life. He fell in love with frontier life and invested in the Maltese Cross (Chimney Butte) Ranch during this trip.
 Roosevelt returned to the Badlands in June 1884 to heal after the loss of his wife, Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, and his mother, Martha “Mittie” Bulloch Roosevelt, and established Elkhorn Ranch, further away from town.
 For fifteen years, Roosevelt owned cattle in the Badlands, selling his remaining cattle interests to Sylvane M. Ferris in late summer 1898 after returning home from the Spanish-American War.
 Even so, Roosevelt always fondly remembered his time in North Dakota, saying in 1900 to a crowd in Medora, “I may say that here, boys, in this country of hills and plateaus the romance of my life began.”
 Today North Dakota’s Badlands are known as the “cradle of conservation,” thanks to the impact the area had on shaping Roosevelt’s passion for conservation of both animals and habitats.
 At the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, we look to welcoming visitors into our galleries that will highlight experiences from all of Theodore Roosevelt’s life and presidency, but most importantly the Badlands that we hope will inspire you as much as they inspired TR! Come join us in 2026!
 Educators, see below for resources you can use in your classroom related to Theodore Roosevelt and the Badlands from our Teach with TR educational materials. We’re especially excited to highlight our new Elkhorn-themed page on the website that will tell you all you need to know about TR’s time in the Badlands, both as depicted on screen and the real-life events behind the show. |
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 Dive Deep into the History
- Portrait of Joseph A. Ferris, storekeeper in Medora, North Dakota.
- Photograph of Medora, North Dakota, from the 1890s with Joseph A. Ferris’s general store marked with an “X.”
- Theodore Roosevelt makes handwritten revisions on two pages from Hunting in Cattle Country.
- Contract between Theodore Roosevelt, Sylvane M. Ferris, and Bill Merrifield regarding the care of cattle on his ranch.
- Account book for the Maltese Cross Ranch.
- Photograph of men who ranched with Theodore Roosevelt.
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 Construction Updates
We’re dee-lighted to share that Library remains on schedule with major milestones in glazing, interior finishes, and site work advancing as planned. Here are just a few things the Construction team has been up to recently:
- Interior work continues with drywall, MEP systems, and early finishes advancing throughout the buildings.
- Exterior progress includes boardwalk work, stone pathways, and wood cobbles in the ADA parking areas.
- Curtainwall glazing is progressing and on track to finish by the end of September.
- PV canopies are erected, with panel installation now beginning.
- Skylight installation is complete, with finishing work underway.
- Prairie seeding for this year will wrap up in the coming weeks.
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 Virtual Programming Launch with Book Talk featuring David Gessner’s Leave It As It Is
We’re excited to announce that on Monday, September 22, we launched our 2025-2026 virtual programming series with a book talk featuring bestselling author David Gessner’s Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness.
It was a lively conversation where David talked about TR’s conservation legacy and David’s own decision to get more involved in public lands advocacy through the writing of this book. David suggested we needed a new story about wilderness to continue to protect public lands today. Inspired by TR’s own advocacy, we can tell the story today.
 For the full schedule, visit trlibrary.com/virtual
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“One of Theodore Roosevelt’s great legacies, not as great as the land itself but far from insignificant, was giving us a story to tell ourselves about this country and its land.” ~David Gessner, Leave It As It Is
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 Educational Resources at the Library
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 Teach About TR’s Time in the Badlands in Your Classroom
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Upcoming Events
Taste of History: Camping Edition
Join us on Monday, October 6, 2025 at 5:30pm MT as we sample some of the recipes Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed while camping (including in the Badlands!) and learn the stories behind those recipes. |
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