I picked up this book at a little local bookstore in the eastern Adirondacks last autumn and wrapped it up for my husband for Christmas because he loves Teddy Roosevelt and when Teddy first found out he was president of the United States, he was in the area where we often hike! I just read this book while waiting for laundry to finish this week and I loved it.
SUMMARY
This is an account by several people who were with Vice President Roosevelt the night President McKinley (the 25th president of the USA) died of his gunshot wound an assassin afflicted him with the week before.
The book is written by the daughter of the man who actually drove a buckboard with Roosevelt on it from Aidan Lair to North Creek (central/southern high peaks regions of the Adirondacks). Eloise's father was Mike Cronin and he didn't tell Teddy that he was now president of the United States when he arrived from Mt Marcy trail to Aidan Lair (where the Roosevelt's were staying on vacation). Mike's wife Lilian (Eloise's mother) had letters chronicling the events and Eloise draws upon these for the book's contents. She also uses letters from other eye-witnesses to that fateful night, September 11, 1901, when Teddy Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States at 2:15 a.m. upon the death of McKinley who was in the hospital in Buffalo, NY (a good 5 hours away today!).
In fact, we learn WHY Mike Cronin didn't tell Roosevelt he was now President until after the 45 minute buckboard ride to the train station in North Creek.
This book contains old photos of the actual events as well as the map of the route Roosevelt took from Lake Tear of the Clouds on the Mt Marcy trail in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks, to North Creek in the central region. He passes through Tahawus (now a real ghost town) and stopped at Aidan Lair. Those of us growing up in the Adirondacks are very familiar with these landmarks. In fact, it's because of Teddy Roosevelt and his famous ride that the North Creek train station is on the National Register of Historic Places in the USA. (I've been there often to park my car and meet people for hikes in that region). If you visit the Tahawus area (really just a cluster of old buildings) you will see a large sign explaining most of the story to the tourists we get in the Adirondacks each summer. It is right near the old iron works.
MY THOUGHTS
This book was very intriguing to me, mainly because I've known bits and pieces of the history behind Tahawus and the Night Ride. This firmed up pieces I'd heard over the years or have read about in the Adiondack Museum. In fact, the very buckboard that Roosevelt sat on is on display in the museum in Blue Mountain Lake (central Adirondacks).
The book is very short but very full of good facts and photos. I enjoyed reading about Roosevelt's many children and how they played at Aidan Lair. It's neat to know that the Roosevelt family loved my beloved mountains.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 12 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
2 comments:
Wow, that would be a very interesting book. I like to read about history and Teddy Roosevelt was such a good president. Thanks for sharing!
Interesting. I wouldn't mind reading that one.
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