Future President Theodore Roosevelt’s brief time in North Dakota shaped him and our state in numerous ways. The area where he established his ranching operation is now home to the state’s premier tourist destination, Medora, site of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening this summer and the gateway to the national park that bears his name. A research request for his cattle brand registrations helped State Archives staff locate a piece of Roosevelt’s legacy in North Dakota and better understand and navigate a collection that is popular with researchers.

We have two state Department of Agriculture series related to the registration of cattle brands in our collections. The first contains brand designs and indexes (State Series 30005) and the second the brand registration books themselves (State Series 30003). State Series 30005 covers 1890-1935; State Series 30003 spans 1890-1986.

To navigate the brand designs and indexes, it is important to know that the earlier indexes chronologically are not in the first volumes of the series but are found in Volumes 7 and 8. The first two volumes are large ledgers of brand designs, not registration certificates, but do have an index-like quality to them. Roosevelt’s listing appeared in Volume 7. While the listing is a little hard to see in the image below, his registrations were in Book A (now known as Volume 1 in the series) on pages 35, 36, and 40.

Theodore Roosevelt’s index listing in Volume 7, State Series 30005

The first brand, found on page 35 of Volume 1, State Series 30003, is for Roosevelt’s Maltese Cross Ranch. Roosevelt registered the brand in Billings County for horses and cattle in that county as well as in Stark and Morton counties. The cross design was applied to the left hip on horses and the left hip and right sides of cattle. Registration was made Oct. 11, 1890, but was ultimately canceled due to abandonment of the registration Nov. 1, 1913.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Maltese Cross brand registration in Volume 1, State Series 30003

The second brand he registered was for the Elkhorn Ranch. Found on page 36 of Volume 1, State Series 30003, Roosevelt registered this brand the same day (Oct. 11, 1890) as the Maltese Cross brand. The Elkhorn brand mark was for both horses and stock, with the branding location on the left shoulder for horses and either side for cattle. The registration was canceled Nov. 1, 1913, with the stamp marking it “Abandoned.”

Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn brand registration in Volume 1, State Series 30003

His third registered brand is a simple triangle. Registered the same day as his other brands, this brand appears to be affiliated with his Elkhorn Ranch based on information included in a National Park Service Historical Handbook on Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands. It, too, was later canceled Nov. 1, 1913 and considered abandoned based on the stamp.

Theodore Roosevelt’s triangle brand registration in Volume 1, State Series 30003

It is important to note that Roosevelt had been out of the cattle business for several years by 1913 and his large-scale operations had ceased before these brands were registered with the state. He was still engaged in the cattle business in the early 1890s, so registering the marks made sense. At the time, he was attempting to recoup losses from the brutal 1886-87 winter that decimated herds and brought an end to many of the open range cattle operations in the Badlands.

Finding Roosevelt’s brand registrations was exciting as they allow researchers and curious visitors a chance to connect an ordinary series to an American icon, providing a better understanding of how the series is organized and enhancing accessibility for individuals researching ancestors who raised stock in North Dakota.

Whether you are a TR aficionado or someone looking for your family’s brand, come to the State Archives and arrange to view the brand books. Your journey into North Dakota’s past awaits!

What if your next economics lesson didn’t start with a textbook, but with a dice roll? When a local teacher reached out asking if I had any lessons related to economics for a class of high school students, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to make history relevant and engaging for young people. Thus was born a project combining state history, economic theory, and game-based learning into a hands-on classroom experience. The result was a game exploring the agriculture and oil booms and busts of northwestern North Dakota between 1975 and 1985.

Why then? The late 1970s and early 1980s were a time of dramatic economic swings in our region. High oil prices and strong wheat markets brought prosperity to many communities, followed by sharp downturns that left lasting impacts. These cycles of boom and bust offer a powerful lens for teaching key economic concepts like supply and demand, market speculation, and resource dependency.

Career cards describe each community member’s job role and salary. Play money is used for transactions in the game.

In this economics game, students assume jobs in the community such as teacher, rancher, or oil worker. Then they roll the dice to advance the game and determine the fate of that group. Each game square represents an event inspired by real newspaper clippings from McKenzie County. Each round is a year between 1975 and 1985. Players must make decisions about investing in oil rigs, expanding farms, buying insurance, and building infrastructure, while navigating unpredictable market shifts, weather events, and policy changes.

Game squares contain a newspaper clipping and detail the impact the report has on careers in the game.

By the end of the game, students have gained an understanding of how history and economics intersect in their own backyard and grappled with the challenges of economic decision-making under uncertainty.

Through this game, students don’t just learn about economics, they live it. By stepping into the shoes of real community members and navigating the volatility of boom-and-bust economies, they gain a deeper appreciation for how market forces shape lives, towns, and futures. It’s a powerful reminder that history isn’t just something we read about, it’s something we can simulate, question, and learn from. In doing so, we help students connect classroom concepts to real-world stories rooted right here in North Dakota.