Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin

The cabin is currently located at the visitor center at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, just outside the town of Medora, North Dakota.

Roosevelt did not own any acreage during his time in the territory, and the Maltese Cross (Chimney Butte) Ranch had already been named previously.

Roosevelt thrived on the vigorous outdoor lifestyle, and, at the Maltese Cross, actively participated in the life of a working cowboy.

The Maltese Cross Ranch cabin was originally located about seven miles south of Medora in the wooded bottom-lands of the Little Missouri River.

At Roosevelt's request, ranch managers Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield built a 1+1⁄2-story cabin complete with a shingled roof and root cellar.

The large leather trunk traveled back and forth with him on the train from his home in New York City to the stop in Medora and would have held clothing and personal items.

During Roosevelt's presidency, the Maltese Cross cabin was exhibited at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri and at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon in 1905.

Nothing remains of his subsequent cabin, located in a much more remote area at the Elkhorn Ranch, except some cornerstones, foundation blocks, and a well which is covered for safety.