Category: Idaho history, Theodore Roosevelt, United States, Idaho

A century ago, for about 16 hours over April 9th and 10th, 1911, former President Theodore Roosevelt visited the University of Idaho. Roosevelt arrived at 6:30 PM on Sunday, April 9, and took a room at the Hotel Moscow. He woke to rain and clouds the next morning, breakfasted at Ridenbaugh Hall from 7:45 - 8:45 AM " with a large and select party ," planted a tree (that still stands today) in front of the Administration Building, and then spoke, just as the rain stopped, to a reported 8000 people from a platform made of sacks of " North Idaho's famous wheat ." In his speech, Roosevelt mentioned his first visit to Idaho came before any of the students in attendance were born.