Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Teddy Roosevelt Bear Hunt
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 27, 2017
1. Teddy Roosevelt Bear Hunt Marker
Inscription.
Teddy Roosevelt Bear Hunt. . On November 12, 1902, the Washington Post reported that President Theodore Roosevelt was headed to Smedes, Mississippi, 25 miles north of Vicksburg, for a 4-day bear hunt. The article said the president "did not anticipate the pleasure of killing a bear so much as the pleasure of a few days complete recreation in the woods." The guide for the hunt was Holt Collier, a scout during the Civil War and later a guide for Gen. Wade Hampton. Collier had helped kill 1000 bears, nearly 150 in a single season. On November 14, the hounds cornered a 235-pound bear. Collier tied it to a tree and called for the president. When Roosevelt arrived, he would not shoot the bear. Political cartoonist Clifford Berryman drew Roosevelt with a little bear tied to a tree with the caption, "Drawing the Line in Mississippi." Soon toy manufacturers were producing "Teddy's Bears," later called Teddy Bears. , Sponsored by International Paper
On November 12, 1902, the Washington Post reported that President Theodore Roosevelt was headed to Smedes, Mississippi, 25 miles north of Vicksburg, for a 4-day bear hunt. The article said the president "did not anticipate the pleasure of killing a bear so much as the pleasure of a few days complete recreation in the woods." The guide for the hunt was Holt Collier, a scout during the Civil War and later a guide for Gen. Wade Hampton. Collier had helped kill 1000 bears, nearly 150 in a single season. On November 14, the hounds cornered a 235-pound bear. Collier tied it to a tree and called for the president. When Roosevelt arrived, he would not shoot the bear. Political cartoonist Clifford Berryman drew Roosevelt with a little bear tied to a tree with the caption, "Drawing the Line in Mississippi." Soon toy manufacturers were producing "Teddy's Bears," later called Teddy Bears.
Sponsored by International Paper
Erected 2003 by the City of Vicksburg Riverfront Mural Committee.
N, 90° 53.029′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in Warren County. Marker is on Levee Street north of Clay Street, on the right when traveling south. The Vicksburg Riverfront Murals are located on the Yazoo Diversion Canal levee wall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Levee Street, Vicksburg MS 39183, United States of America. Touch for directions.
4. Clifford Berryman's 1902 political cartoon in the Washington Post spawned the Teddy bear.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 482 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 13, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
