Dare Greatly - Think Boldly - Live Passionately

 

The headline is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the 26th President of the U.S.A. from 1901-1909, embodied on the left photo by Joe Wiegand. Roosevelt is strongly connected to a little town in North Dakota, north of Dickinson: Medora. The town was founded in 1883 by a French nobleman named Marquis de Mores, and named in honor of his wife,  Medora von Hoffman. The Marquis dreamed big, founded various enterprises and was planning a (never realized) meat processing site in the area instead of shipping cattle on trains to Chicago's slaughterhouses.

At about the same time, for the first time in 1883, young politician from New York, Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in Medora to hunt buffalo. He returned several times, especially after his wife and mother had died on the same day in 1884, and found peace and honest cowboys. He fell in love with the land and the people, invested in the cattle business and purchased two ranches. When Roosevelt became the youngest president in U.S. history in 1901, he called his years in the Badlands “the romance of my life”, enabling him to become president.

Medora is famous for its "Wild West town atmosphere", but also for the famous Medora Musical under the stars and the Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. The town was nice before, but now it's spectacular thanks to the latest addition: the TR Presidential Library, much discussed and a big success now. 2026 was the first year that two Presidential Libraries opened newly: TR's and Obama's in Chicago. We've been told that the TRPL is leading in regard to visitation so far.

The TRPL (above) opened on July 4th of this year and last weekend the first-ever Theodore Roosevelt Convention — #TeddyCon - took place, combining the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s Annual Meeting and the Theodore Roosevelt Center’s Annual Symposium. We were fortunate and got a chance to attend this 3-day conference on the topic “Looking Back, Moving Forward.” 

Over 300 "Teadheads" from all over the U.S. gathered in the TRPL in Medora, many of them historians, educators, public officials, conservationists. Author panels, keynote addresses, information boothes and guided tours filled the weekend. Highly interesting panels (photos below), interesting speeches, receptions and dinners and fantastic evening entertainment - it was really a great opportunity to learn more about Teddy and history! Rarely have met so many highly educated, eloquent historians in one place!

The Presidential Library itself sits on a butte above Medora, about 35 min. from Dickinson and is not your "classic museum". It calls itself an "immersive journey into Roosevelt’s life and legacy". Narrative Galleries (the chapters of Roosevelt’s life and career - right photo) and Adventure Galleries (hands-on, interactive) are well mixed. We spent a couple of hours in the exhibitions!

On the ranch,,, and around the campfire

 

,,, becoming President (left) and "Ask Teddy" (AI operated)

Teddy's adventures in the Amazon jungle (below)

Some fun pics visitors can create (above, right)

Badlands' view (above)

The building itself, designed by Snohetta, is unique, too. It fits well into the Badlands landscape (above). The main building’s sloping roof echoes the landforms of the surroundings. A  nearly mile-long elevated boardwalk with elements as a Sunken Path, a Bridge and a Plaza, circumscribes the grasslands of the bluff, connecting buildings, parking, and gathering areas. Inside the Library, large windows offer great views. A covered porch, where we had lunch during the conference, overlooks the nearby valleys, and from up on the Green Roof views are even more spectacular!

 View from the green roof below:

The Boardwalk:

We stayed for one night at the newly opened Hotel 1883, owned and operated by the TR Foundation. Great views from the windows and lots of TR memorabilia in the hallways and lobby. On this weekend it was packed with conference people and it was easy to get in conversation. We spent a wonderful weekend in Medora and our heads were spinning at the end. So much learned, so many interesting people met, so many books to read!