Theodore Roosevelt Ranches: Maltese Cross Cabin and Elkhorn Ranch Site: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Theodore Roosevelt National Park
National Park Service and Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program. 2012. Theodore Roosevelt Ranches: Maltese Cross Cabin and Elkhorn Ranch Site: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 500762. National Park Service. NPS Midwest Regional Office, Omaha, Nebraska / CRIS-CL Database
Inventory Unit Description: The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the Little Missouri Badlands of western North Dakota. The three park units (North, South, and Elkhorn Ranch Site) were officially dedicated as the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on June 4, 1949. The Maltese Cross Cabin is currently located next to the South Unit Visitor Center. The Elkhorn Ranch site, at 218.18 acres, is the smallest of the three units and is located between the north and south units and is approximately 35 miles north of Medora. Roosevelt initially came to the Badlands on a hunting trip when he purchased the Maltese Cross Ranch, also known as Chimney Butte Ranch. This was Roosevelt’s first ranch for his cattle ventures, purchased in1883. The Maltese Cross Cabin has been shown at various expositions across the U.S. before being on display at the North Dakota State Capitol. Currently the cabin resides next to the South Unit’s Visitor Center. After being moved to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the cabin was restored by the NPS in 1959. After a successful cattle season at the Maltese Cross Ranch, Roosevelt purchased the Elkhorn Ranch in 1884. Currently none of the structures are standing, so the site is a collection of ruins of the former ranch operated by Roosevelt, from 1884 to 1892. After a successful winter with Chimney Butte Ranch, he purchased a second ranch, Elkhorn, and hired William W. Sewall and Will Dow as the foremen. Sewall and Dow first built a small dugout along the river bank to live in during the construction of the ranch house. They then continued to build a barn, blacksmith, utility shed and pen, and cattle corrals. They also fenced a garden on the edge of the surrounding cottonwood forest. As Roosevelt’s political career began to rise, tending the ranches became more difficult. Eventually, through his brother in law Douglas Robinson, the Maltese Cross Ranch and the Elkhorn Ranch were sold. The Elkhorn Ranch was mostly deserted while occasionally housing cowboys and cattle thieves. Eventually, the buildings were torn down by neighboring ranchers salvaging materials.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- National Park Service; Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program
- Date of Issue
- 2012-01-27
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- MWR , THRO
- Keywords
- archeology, barn, blacksmith shop, cabin, cattle ranch, chicken coop, Chimney Butte Ranch, conservation, dugout, exposition, Maltese Cross Ranch, North Dakota, prairie, ranching, Theodore Roosevelt, utility shed, well