Theodore Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands in September 1883 to hunt buffalo and grew to love the life of the cowboys, joining in roundups, brandings, and social events and earning the respect of the people he admired. He became deeply attached to the area and invested in two cattle ranches, the Maltese Cross and the Elkhorn, which he maintained until 1898. After leaving North Dakota, he led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill, became vice president in 1901, and within months became president after William McKinley was assassinated. Although he lost a great deal of money in ranching, he later called his North Dakota experience “the romance of my life” and said he would never have been president without his days there. As president, he returned to Medora on April 8, 1903, when a public reception was held in the old Medora Town Hall. Friends he had made in and around Medora during his ranching days came in large numbers to greet the local cowboy who had reached the White House, and his experiences in the badlands later influenced his conservation efforts as president. Theodore Roosevelt National Park was created in 1947 to recognize those contributions.
