Theodore Roosevelt Elkhorn Ranch Cabin

Medora, North Dakota

In 1884, a 26 year old Theodore Roosevelt came to North Dakota to find solace and restoration after the deaths of his mother and wife on the same day. He, along with several Maine loggers, built his second cabin – the Elkhorn Ranch Cabin – on the Little Missouri River as it coursed through the heart of the Badlands 35 miles north of Medora, ND. Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Library Foundation is in the process of constructing a re-creation of Roosevelt’s cattle ranch headquarters.

The Foundation’s goal is to build as authentically as possible, utilizing 1884 cabin construction materials and built-by-hand techniques. Concessions to contemporary materials and building systems will be kept to a minimum, but will be necessary to create a 100-year building and Presidential Library & Museum exhibit piece.

JLG has scoured the historical archives, Roosevelt’s photography and archeological reports to develop plans aiding the Foundation in reaching their stringent goals. Ultimately, the Elkhorn Ranch and his time in North Dakota transformed the young Theodore from grieving East Coast dude into the populist President he became.