ATHOL — With a presidential election year upon us, we often see national political figures campaigning across the country in support of state candidates from their own parties. This is nothing new. In fact, in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt took part in a tour of New England for much the same purpose.
At the time of his New England Tour, Roosevelt had only been president for a little under a year. In 1900, Roosevelt was elected at the Republican convention to serve as McKinley’s vice president. He ascended to the presidency after the assassination of McKinley on Sept. 6, 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y.
The New England tour began Aug. 22 in Rhode Island and ended in Pittsfield on Sept. 3.
As part of this tour, the presidential train made a stop in Athol on Sept. 2. Several articles documenting the event can be found in the archives at the Wheeler Memorial Library in Orange.
According to the Millers Falls News of Aug. 22, 1902, the stop in Athol was at the invitation of the Worcester Northwest Mechanical and Agricultural Society, a local farming organization. The president spoke from a platform erected near the depot for the day facing a square where 8,000-10,000 people easily could gather.
The reception committee who also had charge of all the arrangements included Dr. James Oliver, Thomas H, Goodspeed, Eli G. Greene, Festus G. Amaden of Athol, and B.J. Bennett of Petersham. Congressman Gillett of Springfield introduced the president, according to the article.
The topic of Roosevelt’s speech included references to the Spanish-American War and mentions of the future of Cuba. Roosevelt himself had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish American War, having led the renowned Rough Riders during the battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.
The military escorts for the day included members of Co. E of Orange, which included those who had served in Cuba. Starrett’s Band provided the music for the day.
During the event, Roosevelt was presented with a bound copy of poems by Andrew J. Hamilton, “a local townsman,” according to “History of Athol, Massachusetts” by William G. Lord. The poems, Lord continued, had recently appeared in local and Springfield papers.
This was not the last history heard of Hamilton’s book of poems, according to Lord.
The day after Roosevelt left Athol, he was involved in an accident with a trolley car after giving his speech in Pittsfield. Roosevelt’s secret service agent William Craig was killed in the accident. He was the first secret serviceman to die in the line of duty. Roosevelt was injured as well.
Lord’s history states “When Leander B. Morse heard of the accident, he promptly stated as Mr. Roosevelt arose from the dust of the road he exclaimed, ‘My God, save my Athol poems!’”
Roosevelt also visited Millers Falls and Northfield during his New England tour.