The Epic Spring Train Journey Around the West That Changed Public Lands History Forever
123 years ago—in April and May 1903—President Theodore Roosevelt went on a now-unimaginable nine-week 25-state trip to talk about national unity and conservation
“I cannot too often repeat that the essential feature in the present management of the Yellowstone Park, as in all similar places, is its essential democracy—it is the preservation of the scenery, of the forests, of the wilderness life and the wilderness game for the people as a whole, instead of leaving the enjoyment thereof to be confined to the very rich who can control private reserves.” - Theodore Roosevelt (April 24, 1903)
On Sunday, April 26, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt had just finished the first leg of his epic nine-week 25-state tour of the American West.
When he was done, he’d traveled more than 14,000 miles on his train, the Elysian, having given 263 speeches about national unity and conservation to tens of thousands of enthusiastic Americans all across the West along the way.
Early in the morning of that April Sunday, Roosevelt arrived at Grand Island, Nebraska, after which he attended church and went on a leisurely horseback ride to get some fresh air.
But this article is not about that specific day. It’s about Roosevelt’s two prior weeks, which culminated into the historic event of Friday, April 24, 1903. And it’s about what happened after this awesome trip.
From April 8 through 24, President Teddy Roosevelt toured Yellowstone National Park, including a four-day camping trip on the Yellowstone River, as well as visits to iconic places like Tower Falls, the Lower and Upper Geyser Basins, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
The last major thing he did in Yellowstone before departing on the next part of his now-unimaginable presidential journey occurred on that Friday.
On Friday, April 24, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of a new, partially constructed arch at the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Thousands of cheerful spectators attended the dedication ceremony, during which Roosevelt also addressed the crowd in an oft-cited speech. I have included a large part of that impressive speech verbatim below. (It’s rather long, so I’ve taken the liberty to leave some passages out.)
It’s good to remember that the United States was once capable of producing politicians who made protecting public lands, waters, and wildlife conservation an absolute priority—presidents who, without any mumbling or stumbling, were able to eloquently express their passions. No one embodies both of those things more than Teddy Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was a master in expressing the critical importance of keeping lands public, protecting wild animals, and actually going out and enjoying these places. In this one speech, he also showed his respect for park employees, voiced the need for adequate federal funding for the park, and talked about how forest protections are essential for the water supply in the West.
This speech may be 123 years old, but could it possibly be any more relevant to today?
April 24, 1903
Mr. Mayor, Mr. Superintendent, and my fellow citizens:
I wish to thank the people of Montana generally, those of Gardiner and Cinnabar especially, and more especially still all those employed in the Park, whether in civil or military capacity, for my very enjoyable two weeks’ holiday.
It is a pleasure now to say a few words to you at the laying of the cornerstone of the beautiful road which is to mark the entrance to this Park. The Yellowstone Park is something absolutely unique in the world, so far as I know.
Nowhere else in any civilized country is there to be found such a tract of veritable wonderland made accessible to all visitors, where at the same time not only the scenery of the wilderness, but the wild creatures of the Park are scrupulously preserved; the only change being that these same wild creatures have been so carefully protected as to show a literally astounding tameness.
The creation and preservation of such a great natural playground in the interest of our people as a whole is a credit to the nation; but above all a credit to Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. It has been preserved with wise foresight.
The scheme of its preservation is noteworthy in its essential democracy. Private game preserves, though they may be handled in such a way as to be not only good things for themselves, but good things for the surrounding community, can yet never be more than poor substitutes, from the standpoint of the public, for great national playgrounds such as this Yellowstone Park.
This Park was created, and is now administered, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. The government must continue to appropriate for it especially in the direction of completing and perfecting an excellent system of driveways. But already its beauties can be seen with great comfort in a short space of time and at an astoundingly small cost, and with the sense on the part of every visitor that it is in part his property, that it is the property of Uncle Sam and therefore of all of us.
The only way that the people as a whole can secure to themselves and their children the enjoyment in perpetuity of what the Yellowstone Park has to give is by assuming the ownership in the name of the nation and by jealously safeguarding and preserving the scenery, the forests, and the wild creatures.
[…]
The geysers, the extraordinary hot springs, the lakes, the mountains, the canyons, and cataracts unite to make this region something not wholly to be paralleled elsewhere on the globe. It must be kept for the benefit and enjoyment of all of us; and I hope to see a steadily increasing number of our people take advantage of its attractions.
[…]
The preservation of the forests is of course the matter of prime importance in every public reserve of this character. In this region of the Rocky Mountains and the great plains the problem of the water supply is the most important which the home-maker has to face. Congress has not of recent years done anything wiser than in passing the irrigation bill; and nothing is more essential to the preservation of the water supply than the preservation of the forests.
Montana has in its water power a source of development which has hardly yet been touched. This water power will be seriously impaired if ample protection is not given the forests. Therefore this Park, like the forest reserves generally, is of the utmost advantage to the country around from the merely utilitarian side. But of course this Park, also because of its peculiar features, is to be preserved as a beautiful natural playground.
Here all the wild creatures of the old days are being preserved, and their overflow into the surrounding country means that the people of the surrounding country, so long as they see that the laws are observed by all, will be able to insure to themselves and to their children and to their children’s children much of the old-time pleasure of the hardy life of the wilderness and of the hunter in the wilderness. This pleasure, moreover, can under such conditions be kept for all who have the love of adventure and the hardihood to take advantage of it, with small regard for what their fortune may be.
I cannot too often repeat that the essential feature in the present management of the Yellowstone Park, as in all similar places, is its essential democracy—it is the preservation of the scenery, of the forests, of the wilderness life and the wilderness game for the people as a whole, instead of leaving the enjoyment thereof to be confined to the very rich who can control private reserves.
[…]
In conclusion, let me thank you again for your greeting. It has been to me the most genuine pleasure again to see this great western country. I like the country, but above all I like the men and women.
You can read President Theodore Roosevelt’s full written speech on the website of the Theodore Roosevelt Center.
Words from his speech that day—“For the benefit and enjoyment of the people”—are now inscribed at the top of the arch itself.
After his memorable time in Yellowstone National Park, President Roosevelt continued his extraordinary train journey via Des Moines, St. Louis, Denver, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Barstow, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Reno, Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Helena, Boise, Salt Lake City, and literally countless towns and cities in between and later on.
In addition to his Yellowstone north entrance arch dedication speech, his journey also included several other remarkable speeches and events.
At the Grand Canyon, on May 6, 1903, he spoke the now-legendary words “Leave it as it is. Man cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.”
Just over a week later, Roosevelt was in Yosemite, where, from May 15 to 18, he went on that famous camping trip with John Muir.
Three years after his return to Washington, D.C., having seen all the West has to offer—and, above all, what it had to lose—President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law on June 8, 1906.
Just a few days later, on June 11, Roosevelt signed the Yosemite Recession Bill, which, at the urging of John Muir, added the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to Yosemite National Park.
In 1908, he did what he had told other people to do at the Grand Canyon—“leave it as it is”—and used his own Antiquities Act to permanently protect the landscape as Grand Canyon National Monument.
The iconic fifty-foot-high basalt arch he dedicated that Friday, April 24, 1903—the first landmark event of Roosevelt’s nine-week train journey around the West—is now known as the “Roosevelt Arch” and is one of the world’s greatest monuments to the national park idea.
At the end of his seven-and-a-half-year presidency, Theodore Roosevelt had designated 150 national forests, 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, 51 federal bird reserves, and 4 national game reserves.
When he was done, he’d protected about 230 million acres of our public lands—that’s 36% of all public lands we have today.
If we’re going to keep protecting our wildlife, parks, forests, rivers, grasslands, oceans, and deserts, we’ll need to start electing this kind of politician again.
More than anything else, we need to vote according to our own personal interests, regardless of how mediagenic some people may be. We need to be proactive in properly vetting politicians before casting a ballot—this year and forever in the future.
Thanks for reading!
See you on our public lands and waters,
Bram