He was a hunter, rancher, explorer, soldier, naturalist, author, governor of New York State and President of the United States.  Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to ride in a car, the first president to ride in an airplane and the first to dive in a submarine.

During his presidency – he promoted construction of the Panama Canal and became the first president to travel outside the United States when he took the Battleship USS Louisiana to Panama. He was the first to receive an African-American in the White House – inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner. He was the first to have a telephone in his home. He was the first American to win a Nobel prize.

Roosevelt was a commander of the famous Rough Riders during the Spanish American War and during his inaugural parade in January of 1905, veterans of the Rough Riders charged along the parade route at full charge.

He founded 51 federal bird sanctuaries and the first 18 national natural monuments including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Muir Woods and Devil’s Tower.

He had a photographic memory. Word for word he could recite pages from a newspaper he had just read as if he were reading from it. He was also a speed reader and could read two to three books a day.

He was also inaugurated 32nd President of the United States at the Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue here in Buffalo on the death of William McKinley in 1901.

The Wilcox Mansion is a National Historic Site and open year round.  Tours are offered weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and weekends from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.  Tours are limited to 12 people and last about a half hour.  You can call ahead to make a reservation by calling 716-884-0095.

The site is undergoing renovation including demolition of a nearby building to restore the grounds to the way they were when Roosevelt was inaugurated.

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