Grayson County TXGenWeb

President Theodore Roosevelt
visits Grayson County

Large crowds gathered to greet President Theodore Roosevelt at Denison and Sherman, the first Texas cities visited by President Roosevelt on his tour of Texas. The day was Wednesday, April 5, 1905.

'Teddy' Roosevelt obliged Colonel Lyon by including in his itinerary a speech at the Grayson County Courthouse. His
host, while in Texas, was Cecil A. Lyon of Sherman. The initiation of this visit was due to the fact that Roosevelt was traveling to San Antonio to attend the reunion of his "Rough Riders".

Crowds gathered in the Katy yards and on the depot platform long before he arrived; the colored population congregated along the transfer platform of the freight depot; tops of every surrounding bulding and in every window spectators gathered. His special train entered Texas at the Red River Bridge, making a brief stop in Denison. The afternoon was declared a holiday. The post office closed; clerks from business houses joined the crowd congregated at the depot. The crowd at the railroad yards was estimated at 5,000.
As Freight Agent George Stoner announced at what point along the tracks the Presidential train would stop, there was rush by the crowd at once for that point. The M.K. & T offices as well as private conveyances were dressed with red, white and blue bunting and a large banner hung across the track.
As soon as the train stopped, the President appeared and as the train moved slowly through the M.K. & T. yards, the President waved or made a circle in the air as if throwing a larriat.
Denison school children presented the President with a huge floral wreath in the shape of the Texas flag. Miss Pauline Everett told President Roosevelt that the wreath was a gift from the "school children of the first free public school building ever erected in Texas." The flag was 4'x3'; the blue part was done in a background of lilacs; the star was of carnations in the middle with the points of white begonias, sweet allsyum and white Dutch hyacinths; the white bar was done in sweet allsyum and white carnations. The red bar was of red carnations and roses, while the entire piece rested on a green base of smilax, lace ferns, and asparagus sprengeril. Accompanying Miss Everett and representing the schools were: Annie Mary Eastham, Washington building; Maud Burt, Stevens school; Georgia Lomax, Burleson; Marguerite Munson, Peabody; Bessie Mays, Houston; Robert Mays and Charles Sullivan, High School; chaperones were Miss Jennie Jackson and Professor Hughes. The President accepted proferred gifts with heary thanks. (The Sunday Gazetteer, Sunday, April, 9, 1905, pg.4)
Determined that all spectators should hear him, President Roosevelt moved from one side of the car platform to the other. He spoke to the crowd, "It is seven years since I was in Texas. Then I was recruiting my regiment, and ever since I have desired to pay Texas a visit...Texas is a great state, one of the three or four great states of the Union."

At 4 p.m. the President's train arrived in Sherman to a crowd of Sherman residents as well as citizens of Grayson County, North Texas towns, and southern Indian Territory, a crowd approximating 25,000. Railroads running into Sherman provided low rates and special excusion trains were scheduled in order for as many people to greet the President at Sherman as possible, including many hundreds of school children who might got to Sherman ahd have the opportunity of seeing the President of their country. (The Daily Ardmorite, Friday, March 24, 1905, pg. 1)

His train proceeded then to Sherman, where a record crowd of 35,000 had come by buggy, horse, and special trains from as far as 175 miles to see him. Led by a unit of Rough Riders, Roosevelt and his party rode up the banner-decked streets in nine handsome carriages. Passing between lines of Union and Confederate Civil War veterans, they arrived at the speaker's stand amid loud applause. Here (at this corner) he spoke for 15 minutes. Praising Texas a "one of two or three greatest states in the Union". He emphasized his own heritage from the South and the North and his delight in national reunification.

Sherman Reception Committee for President Theodore Roosevelt's arrival.
Pictured (L-R): Judge F. C. Dillard; R. A. Gibbs; C. B. Dorchester; T. V. Cole;
Dr. H. L. Hall; Hamp P. Abney; H. G. Stinnett; Mayor Fielder, A. C. Beaty

source: Calendar of Grayson County 140th Birthday 1836 - 1986

A speaker's stand had been placed at the southeast corner of the Courthouse from which President Roosevelt delivered a fifteen minute speech. After being introduced by Col. Cecil A. Lyon, he praised the state of Texas as "one of the two or three greatest States in the Union."; paid honor to the Union and Confederate veterans; and tipped his hat in tribute to the Confederate Monument. Before leaving the platform, he shook hands with each of the "Rough Riders" in attendance, as led by U.S. Marshal Ben Colbert; each rode his horse up to the stand.

WIthin an hour, Roosevelt left for Dallas, having provided for the people of this area one of the most memorable occasions in their lives.He and his party were escorted in handsome carriages up Mulberry Street to Travis and then down to the Courthouse as immense crowds lined the entire path. At the Courthouse, he passed through a line of Union Veterans headed by Dr. C. C. Haskell and a line of Confederate Veterans headed by Capt. John H. LeTellier. Buildings were decorated with colorful bunting and large photographs of the President. An immense bouquet of lillies, roses and maiden hair ferns was presented to the President as he passed from his carriage to the speaker's stand.

It was estimated that the crowd was 35,000 strong. Before leaving for Dallas, President Roosevelt shook hands with old Captain Lyon, the father of his host as well as others.

President Roosevelt greeting Capt. O.T. Lyon
Sherman, Texas
April 5, 1905
Hendricks Photo
Property of SMU University

By 5 p.m. President Roosevelt was headed toward Dallas and passed waving crowds in Howe and Van Alstyne. WIthin an hour, Roosevelt left for Dallas, having provided for the people of this area one of the most memorable occasions in their lives.
by Dr. Ed Phillips

Denison greets President Roosevelt.

Enthusiastic welcome to the Nation's Chief - all of Denison, Texas, greets President Roosevelt.
c1905 by Underwood & Underwood

Splendid greeting to President Roosevelty by the great crowds at Denison, Texas
c1905 by Underwood & Underwood

Historical Marker - President Roosevelt's Visit to Grayson County

After President Roosevelt finalized his tour of Texas, preparations were made for him to participate in a "rousing, stupendous wolf drive" in a 480,000 acre pasture near Lawton, on his visit to Oklahoma, as well as the release of a captive bear "...to afford an opportunity for Mr. Roosevelt to enjoy the exhilerating pastime of a bear hunt in the wild west...." Wednesdy, April 5 was Roosevelt Day in Indian Territory as the President's train traveled was greeted by throngs and the theme of his speeches at each stop was a promise of statehood as early as possible. (The Chickasha Daily Express, Friday, April 7, 1905, pg.1) After his speech, the President was driven to the prepared hunting camp and escorted to the pasture gate by the mounted police.
On April 14th the Durant Weekly News reported that indeed President Roosevelt was hunting wolves on April 10 at the above mentioned place on the bank of Deep Red Creek, 18 miles southeast of Frederick. Among the pack of 40 dogs at the camp, called "Camp Roosevelt" were a pack of hounds belonging to Capt. Lyon, 13 hounds from Amarillo and a large pack belonging to Jack Abernathy.
The hunt which took place on a cool and drizzly Tuesday, April 11th, resulted in the bagging of three wolves prior to the mid-day meal; invariably the President, dressed in his corduroy trousers, old hunting coat, and campaign hat, was at the head of the riders. At one point while in a hot chase the Presiden'ts horse stumbled and fell, but the President was able to extricate his feet from the stirrups and land on the ground without injury. The largest of the wolves had resulted in a 9-mile run before bringing the wolf to bay. (The Daily Ardmoreite, Thursday, April 13, 1905, pg. 1)
After a one hour repast, a smaller group the hunters, numbering about ten, were once again in the saddle since the larger number of riders in the morning had lessened the amount of sport. In the afternoon Jack Abernathy, famous wolf catcher of Frederick, demonstrated his ability to catch a wolf alive with his own hands. As the day waned, the camp the big reservation contained considerably fewer coyotes than it did when the chase began. Jackrabbits were hunted on the Deep Red as well. (The Guthrie Daily Leader, Tuesday, April 11, 1905, pg. 1)
Among the hunting party, besides the President, were General Young, Col. Cecil A. Lyon of Sherman, Capt. Burk Burnett, Sloan Simpson, Lieut. G.R. Fortescue, Dr. Alexander Lambert of New York, J.R. Abernathy of Frederick, and two Ranger Captains, U.S. Marshal Bill Fossett of Guthrie and L.D. Miller, part owner of the 101 Ranch. (Durant Weekly News, Friday, April 14, 1905, pg. 1)
Governor T.B. Ferguson of Oklahoma, who joined President Roosevelt on the hunt, said that the President was having the "time of his life." (The Guthrie Daily Leader, Friday, April 14, 1905, pg.5)

"About a stone's throw" from Camp Roosevelt was Camp Quanah Parker, where the Commanche Chief, three of his squaws and other Indians were also camped. Chief Parker and his entourage had traveled over 40 miles to see President Roosevelt. When the presidential train arrived in Frederick on Saturday, April 8, the Chief sat on his horse a short distance from the platform that had been erected some two blocks from the railroad track, gazing intently at the President. When Roosevelt's attention was called to him, he and he invited Quanah Parker to join him on the platform, the old chief dismounted with dignity and calmness characteristic of his race, mounted the steps of the platform and shook hands with the President, who greeted him cordially and praised him for doing well on his farm. (The Daily Ardmoreite, Tuesday, April 11, 1905, pg.1)

The President left Thursday, April 13 for Colorado.