Washington Township near West Portsmouth in Scioto County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve
Celebrating 100 Years of Conservation
Photographed By Grant & Mary Ann Fish, June 4, 2023
1. Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve Marker
Inscription.
Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve. Celebrating 100 Years of Conservation. In the early 20th century Ohio’s deer, wild turkey, beaver, bobcat, and other wildlife populations were facing extinction due to the widespread loss of forests combined with uncontrolled hunting. Ohio’s first wildlife area, The Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve, was established in 1922 under the leadership of Ohio Governor Harry L. Davis. Its aim was to reestablish wildlife by creating a game and reforestation preserve on 15,000 acres of land, purchased using funds collected from hunting license fees. An additional 5,000 acres were purchased by the state agricultural extension division. Roosevelt Preserve quickly lived up to the dreams of its famous conservationist namesake, President Theodore Roosevelt, with programming that reestablished Ohio’s extirpated wildlife. A century later, the partnership between hunters and wildlife management continues to thrive in Scioto County.
In the early 20th century Ohio’s deer, wild turkey, beaver, bobcat, and other wildlife populations were facing extinction due to the widespread loss of forests combined with uncontrolled hunting. Ohio’s first wildlife area, The Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve, was established in 1922 under the leadership of Ohio Governor Harry L. Davis. Its aim was to reestablish wildlife by creating a game and reforestation preserve on 15,000 acres of land, purchased using funds collected from hunting license fees. An additional 5,000 acres were purchased by the state agricultural extension division. Roosevelt Preserve quickly lived up to the dreams of its famous conservationist namesake, President Theodore Roosevelt, with programming that reestablished Ohio’s extirpated wildlife. A century later, the partnership between hunters and wildlife management continues to thrive in Scioto County.
Erected 2022 by The Governor of Ohio/Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources/The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 11-73.)
38° 43.664′ N, 83° 10.704′ W. Marker is near West Portsmouth, Ohio, in Scioto County. It is in Washington Township. Marker can be reached from Route 125, 0.7 miles north of Mackletree Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is in Shawnee State Park about 250 feet northwest of the Roosevelt Lake swimming beach. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Portsmouth OH 45663, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Grant & Mary Ann Fish, June 4, 2023
2. Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve Marker next to the original Game Preserve marker from 1922
Roosevelt Lake is in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2023, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 11, 2023, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
