125 Years Later: Teddy Roosevelt’s Ride to the Presidency
Joe Wiegand, Theodore Roosevelt reprisor.
For one extraordinary night in September 1901, the center of American political power ran through the dark, rain-soaked roads of the Adirondacks.
Theodore Roosevelt had arrived in the region as vice president, expecting to join his family and climb Mount Marcy.
He left by way of North Creek after learning that President William McKinley had died—and that the presidency had passed to him.
Young Teddy Roosevelt.
One hundred twenty-five years later, Newcomb and neighboring Adirondack communities are preparing to commemorate that journey with a weekend of living history, performances, tours, outdoor experiences, family events, and opportunities to stand where the story unfolded.
In this episode of the ADK Talks podcast, hosts Jane and Steve welcome back Joe Wiegand, founder and president of The Teddy Roosevelt Show and the world’s premier Theodore Roosevelt reprisor.
Joining him is Mary Monaghan, chair of the Newcomb TR Weekend Committee and one of the people leading the 2026 anniversary celebration.
Together, they retrace the essential story, reveal what visitors can expect during the anniversary weekend, and explore why Theodore Roosevelt’s life still speaks to questions of leadership, conservation, citizenship, resilience, and service.
Want more stories proving that American history runs through the Adirondacks? Subscribe to In Good Taste, the free weekly newsletter from ADK Taste, for handpicked events, destinations, food finds, and stories worth knowing.
Listen to the episode.
What you’ll hear.
How Roosevelt went from climbing Mount Marcy to making an urgent overnight journey toward North Creek.
Why Newcomb residents feel a personal sense of connection to Theodore Roosevelt and his ascent to the presidency.
What visitors can expect during the 125th-anniversary TR Weekend—including an inauguration reenactment and a guided recreation of the Night Ride.
How Roosevelt’s Adirondack experiences helped shape the naturalist, conservationist, and energetic public figure he became.
What makes the newly opened Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora unlike any other presidential library in America.
“The Colonel” Theodore Roosevelt
The night the Adirondacks became front-page news.
President William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, while greeting visitors at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. Roosevelt rushed to Buffalo, but doctors soon predicted that McKinley would recover.
Believing his continued presence might create unnecessary public anxiety, Roosevelt joined his family for a previously planned Adirondack vacation. He traveled by train to North Creek and continued north to Tahawus, where his family was staying near the Upper Works.
Roosevelt did not spend the trip quietly.
He set out to climb Mount Marcy, New York’s highest peak. While he descended on September 13, messages traveled through a chain of telegraph offices, telephone lines, guides, lodges, and small communities: McKinley’s condition had deteriorated, and the vice president was urgently needed in Buffalo.
Lake Tear of the Clouds.
Roosevelt returned to MacNaughton Cottage and began his overnight journey through the Adirondacks. A succession of drivers and horse-drawn conveyances carried him from Tahawus toward Aiden Lair and finally North Creek.
The conditions were punishing. Darkness, rain, mud, rough roads, and dangerous speeds made the trip far more arduous than the phrase “midnight ride” might suggest.
At approximately 2:15 a.m., while Roosevelt was still traveling, McKinley died. Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States without yet knowing it.
He learned the news after reaching the North Creek train depot, where a telegram from Secretary of State John Hay awaited him. From there, Roosevelt boarded a train for Buffalo and took the presidential oath of office later that day.
For the full story and a closer look at the route, read Theodore Roosevelt’s Adirondack Ride to the Presidency on ADK Taste.
Why Newcomb still claims Theodore Roosevelt.
Roosevelt’s connection to the Adirondacks extended well beyond one historic night.
As a young man, he explored the region’s lakes and forests with his friend Henry Minot. After paddling around Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, the two produced a pamphlet about the summer birds of Franklin County—Roosevelt’s first published work.
Aiden Lair.
He visited Great Camp Santanoni, spent time at Tahawus, studied birds, hunted, climbed, and brought his family into the Adirondack landscape. The region fed his intellectual curiosity and his belief in what he called the strenuous life.
For Newcomb residents, that history feels personal.
Mary Monaghan describes a community that feels a genuine sense of stewardship over Roosevelt’s story. The places are not abstractions on a historical map. They are roads residents drive, mountains they see, trails they walk, and buildings local organizations continue to preserve.
That relationship gives the anniversary celebration unusual authenticity. Newcomb is not borrowing history for a festival. It is opening the doors to a story the community has carried for generations.
Inside the 125th-anniversary celebration.
TR Weekend takes place September 11–13, 2026, throughout Newcomb.
The centerpiece comes Saturday evening, when Joe Wiegand will help recreate Roosevelt’s inauguration. Performers in period clothing will bring the moment to life, culminating in a reenactment of the oath that transformed Roosevelt from vice president into the nation’s youngest president.
On Sunday, visitors can follow the story geographically during a guided bus recreation of the Night Ride. The route includes MacNaughton Cottage, Tahawus, the roadside memorial marking the approximate place Roosevelt became president, Aiden Lair, Minerva, and the North Creek Depot.
The weekend also includes wagon rides into Great Camp Santanoni, conservation programming, historic walks, family activities, timber sports, crafts, music, meals, and the return of “Friendly Feud,” with Wiegand portraying Roosevelt as the decidedly energetic host.
Several experiences require advance reservations because capacity is limited. These include the Santanoni wagon rides, the Sunday Night Ride bus tour, and a guided walk from the Santanoni Gate Lodge to the farm.
For the schedule, reservation information, and updates, see ADK Taste’s complete TR Weekend in Newcomb event guide.
Theodore Roosevelt on Mt. Rushmore.
More than a history lesson.
The commemoration arrives during America’s 250th birthday year, giving the episode relevance beyond Roosevelt enthusiasts.
Wiegand frames Roosevelt’s ascent as a story about constitutional continuity. When McKinley died, the presidency passed peacefully according to the system established by the Constitution. There was no struggle for power or uncertainty about succession.
The change unfolded not among political elites in Washington, but among guides, drivers, railroad workers, lodgekeepers, families, and residents of small Adirondack communities.
That setting fits the president Roosevelt would become. His Square Deal sought fairness not only for powerful business interests but also for working people and ordinary citizens.
During the conversation, Wiegand describes the Declaration of Independence as America’s birth certificate and the Constitution as its owner’s manual. For him, the anniversary offers a chance not merely to celebrate one president but to revive an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship.
His message is characteristically memorable: America does not simply need more cowbell. It needs more Theodore Roosevelt.
Watch Joe Wiegand bring Theodore Roosevelt to life.
Filmed in Medora, North Dakota, this performance shows Joe Wiegand portraying Theodore Roosevelt with the humor, vigor, storytelling skill, and larger-than-life presence he brings to audiences across the United States.
Joe Wiegand performs as Theodore Roosevelt in Medora, North Dakota, home of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and the landscape that helped transform Roosevelt after profound personal loss. Wiegand presents his nationally recognized living-history program at museums, schools, historic sites, civic events, and communities across America—including Newcomb during TR Weekend.
Although this video was filmed in Medora, it captures the immersive style Wiegand uses nationwide to connect audiences with Roosevelt’s life, leadership, conservation ethic, and Adirondack history.
Two wild landscapes, one remarkable life.
The conversation moves west to Medora, where the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opened during America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The location reflects another turning point in Roosevelt’s life.
TR on Mount Rushmore.
After losing his mother and his young wife on the same day in 1884, Roosevelt returned to the North Dakota Badlands. He ranched, hunted, worked alongside cowboys, and began rebuilding a life shattered by grief.
The Badlands helped restore him. The Adirondacks later delivered him to the presidency.
Wiegand describes a presidential library designed to engage visitors not simply with Roosevelt’s possessions, but with his ideas and example. The campus uses geothermal energy, solar installations, drought-resistant native plantings, and a living roof. Visitors can explore the landscape on foot, by mountain bike, or even on horseback.
Its central question is not merely, “Who was Theodore Roosevelt?” It is, “What will his life inspire you to do?”
That same question runs through the Adirondack anniversary.
Make history part of the trip.
Visitors can spend TR Weekend learning the story in the exact region where it happened—and still experience the things that make a Central Adirondack trip memorable.
Mary recommends Goodnow Mountain, where a fire tower rewards hikers with expansive views of the High Peaks. Joe chooses the Adirondack Interpretive Center, a welcoming place for exhibits, trails, wildlife interpretation, and an accessible introduction to the surrounding landscape.
Visitors can also explore Great Camp Santanoni, the historic Upper Works at Tahawus, Overlook Park, the North Creek Depot Museum, and the local craft fair that Joe recommends as an excellent place to begin Christmas shopping.
This is not history sealed behind glass.
It is history embedded in the roads, forests, buildings, communities, and landscapes of the Adirondacks.
Leave the camp cleaner than you found it.
Near the end of the conversation, Wiegand reflects on what he hopes people will remember 125 years from now.
Roosevelt’s enduring story, he suggests, is not simply that he held power. It is that he repeatedly returned to the arena. He overcame childhood illness, devastating loss, political defeat, and personal hardship. He chose participation over withdrawal and service over comfort.
If the American republic endures, Wiegand argues, it will be because each generation accepts its share of responsibility.
Or, as someone in the Adirondacks might put it: leave the camp cleaner than you found it.
For more Adirondack stories that go beyond the obvious, subscribe to In Good Taste. Each week, ADK Taste curates the events, destinations, restaurants, history, and experiences genuinely worth your time—so you can spend less time searching and more time discovering.
Listen to ADK Talks at ADKTaste.com or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. Follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone who loves Theodore Roosevelt, American history, or the Adirondacks.
Places to stay, shop, eat, and things to do near Newcomb, NY.
Ultimate Guide to the Adirondacks
Your insider’s guide to exploring the Adirondacks—where to go, what to eat, and the experiences that make this place unforgettable.
Shop for unique Adirondack apparel, gifts and merchandise.
ADK Talks Podcast
Love the Adirondacks? You’ll love our podcast. We take listeners beyond the guidebooks and into the heart of the Adirondacks. We share stories from the people behind the best places to eat, shop, stay and explore in the ADK. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Bring a bold splash of the Adirondack spirit wherever you roam with this vibrant, adventure-ready tote bag. Featuring a chic golden hue and a retro-style design, this tote is more than just an accessory—it’s a statement of your love for the mountains, forests, and lakes that make the Adirondacks legendary.
Crafted from durable, easy-care polyester and finished with reinforced stitching, this bag is made to go the distance—from farmers’ markets to campsites, library runs to beach days. The roomy boxed corners make packing snacks, sweaters, books, or souvenirs a breeze, while the sturdy navy or black straps sit comfortably on your shoulder no matter how full the day (or the bag).
And with the playful “Find the Good Stuff Here” message on the reverse, this tote is a nod to curiosity, good vibes, and great finds.
Perfect for:
Day trips to your favorite lake or historic site
Grocery hauls and artisan market strolls
Picnic gear, beach towels, or a cozy flannel
Commuters who love to keep it wild
Gift-givers looking for something both beautiful and useful
Product Features:
100% polyester for strength and durability
Reinforced handle stitching for everyday carry confidence
Spacious 16" x 16" design with boxed corners for easy packing
Soft yet sturdy medium-weight fabric
Stylish navy handles to complement any outfit
Go ahead—Find the Good Stuff. Carry it in style.
A perfect gift for Adirondack lovers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone who believes “Forever Wild” is more than a motto—it’s a way of life.