On September 14, 2026, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo reenacted the historic swearing-in of Theodore Roosevelt as president on September 14, 1901. This event marked the 125th anniversary and featured performer Joe Wiegand portraying Roosevelt taking the oath of office in the Ansley Wilcox House library where it originally occurred. The reenactment included a detailed recreation of Roosevelt's journey to Buffalo by train and his subsequent inauguration at around 4:30 pm, following historical accounts closely.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
On September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Buffalo after President William McKinley died from injuries suffered in an assassination attempt.
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McKinley → arrive → attempt
Roosevelt reached the city at 1.30pm and was taken to the home of Ansley Wilcox, a friend who would soon provide the setting for an unexpected presidential inauguration.
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who → reach → inauguration
According to Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, Roosevelt first went to the home of John Milburn, where McKinley had been staying, to pay his respects to Mrs McKinley.
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McKinley → accord → McKinley
He then returned to the Wilcox home.
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He → return → home
There, the library was chosen as the place for him to take the oath of office as the 26th president of the United States.
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him → choose → States
The ceremony took place at about 3.30pm, only hours after McKinley's death.
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ceremony → take → death
A small group was present, including a few newspaper reporters who were allowed to take notes.
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who → include → notes
Photographers were kept out of the room until after the ceremony.
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Photographers → keep → ceremony
Roosevelt also wore formal clothes borrowed from some of the guests who were there.
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who → wear → guests
Federal District Judge John R. Hazel administered the oath.
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Hazel → administer → oath
Immediately after becoming president, Roosevelt held a short Cabinet meeting in the same library.
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Roosevelt → become → library
He then went to the morning room to issue his first presidential proclamation.
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He → go → proclamation
The room where that ceremony took place is now part of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo.
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ceremony → take → Buffalo
On the 125th anniversary of Roosevelt's unexpected inauguration, the site is brought the event back to the same library with a live reenactment.
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site → bring → reenactment
Reenactment on September 14
The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site hosted the reenactment on September 14, 2026.
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Site → host → September
The event featured Joe Wiegand, a performer known for portraying Roosevelt.
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event → feature → Roosevelt
The organisers say the reenactment took place in the very room where Roosevelt took the presidential oath in 1901.
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Roosevelt → say → 1901
Wiegand followed part of the same journey that Roosevelt made more than a century ago.
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Roosevelt → follow → century
He arrived in Buffalo by train on the afternoon of September 14.
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He → arrive → September
According to the event organisers, “TR” was expected to arrive downtown at about 3:45pm, depending on the arrival time of the Amtrak train.
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TR → accord → train
He then traveled to the historic Ansley Wilcox House and prepared to take the oath.
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He → travel → oath
The reenactment began at 4:30pm.
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reenactment → begin → 4:30pm
It recreated the moment when Roosevelt formally became president after McKinley's death.
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Roosevelt → recreate → death
The event was presented as an opportunity for visitors to experience the historic ceremony in the place where it happened.
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it → present → place
The organisers described it as a chance to imagine being “IN the room where it happened”.
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it → describe → room
The 35-word oath repeated
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oath → repeat → ?
During the reenactment, Wiegand delivered the 35-word presidential oath that Roosevelt spoke in 1901.
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Roosevelt → deliver → 1901
He raised his hand and take the oath in the same library.
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He → raise → library
The National Park Service records that Roosevelt had selected the Wilcox library as the most appropriate location for the ceremony.
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Roosevelt → record → ceremony
After the oath, he stayed there for a Cabinet meeting before moving to another room to issue his first presidential proclamation.
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he → stay → proclamation
Event livestreamed
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Event → livestreame → ?
The September 14 reenactment was livestreamed through the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site's social media platforms.
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reenactment → livestreame → platforms
However, only a limited number of people were able to watch the event from inside the library.
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number → watch → library
VIP tickets were sold for those who want exclusive access to the live reenactment.
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who → sell → reenactment
The organisers said proceeds will benefit the site's civic education programming.
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proceeds → say → programming
The VIP ticket costed $500 per person or $850 per couple.
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ticket → cost → couple
The ticket also includes access to the site's Exemplary Citizenship Reception scheduled for 6pm on September 15, the following evening.
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ticket → include → September
Tickets for the Double-Decker Bus Tour are not included and have to be purchased separately.
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Tickets → include → Tour
The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site is located at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York.
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Site → locate → Buffalo
The site is operated by the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.
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site → operate → Service
The Aporia
