Hyde Park in Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Rough Riders Procure a Coal Train

The Rough Riders Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 10, 2023

1. The Rough Riders Marker

Inscription. On the evening of June 9, 1898, the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, "The Rough Riders," were ordered to leave their encampment (approximately one mile northwest of here) and proceed to Port Tampa (on the eastern shore of Old Tampa Bay) as part of the U.S. invasion force embarking for Cuba during the Spanish American War. Approximately 600 Rough Riders, led by Colonel Leonard P. Wood and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the early evening at a spur line in this vicinity with orders to await a train around midnight. When the train did not arrive, the Rough Riders found what suitable ground there was and slept. On June 8, 1898, at approximately 6:00 A.M. an empty coal train returning from Port Tampa was stopped by the Regiment. After some discussion, Colonels Wood and Roosevelt convinced the engineer to reverse course and transport the Rough Riders to the port. After the men and equipment were loaded into empty coal cars, the train traveled in reverse approximately seven miles, delivering the Regiment to Port Tampa.

Erected 2023 by Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council, The 1st U.S. Volunteer

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Cavalry Regiment (Rough Riders) Inc. of Tampa.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, Spanish-American. A significant historical date for this entry is June 9, 1898.

Location. 27° 56.67′ N, 82° 28.299′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. It is in Hyde Park. It is at the intersection of South Newport Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard (Florida Route 60), on the right when traveling south on South Newport Avenue. Marker is on the grounds of Tampa Fire Station #3. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 103 South Newport Avenue, Tampa FL 33606, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 10, 2023

2. The Rough Riders Marker

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dobyville (approx. 0.2 miles away); Historic Doby House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Plant Field (approx. 0.3 miles away); Babe's Longest Homer (approx. 0.4 miles away); Jessamine Flowers Link (approx. 0.4 miles away); United Spanish War Veterans (approx. 0.4 miles away); Old Schoolhouse (approx. half a mile away); Col. Peter O. Knight (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 281 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 23, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.