Teddy Roosevelt on W. 230th Street

[ndembowski]

The Rev. Tieck’s book “School and School Days in Riverdale…” contains an interesting memoir of Ethel Berrian, who lived in Kingsbridge in the 1890s.  One comment stands out:

I can recall but few events of major importance in that period.  But one, especially caused a great excitement.  Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders arrived in town and rode the length of Church Street [today’s Kingsbridge Avenue] en route to Van Cortlandt Park to camp!  Every porch, doorway, and window was crowded with cheering people waving flags and hats.  Teddy waved his hat as he rode along.

Looking into it, the story is mostly true–except for the part about the Rough Riders.

On June 1, 1899 Teddy Roosevelt, who was then governor of New York, led 300 cavalrymen of “Squadron A” from the Madison Armory on the Upper East Side to Van Cortlandt Park, where they camped for the night.  It did cause a great deal of excitement from uptown Manhattan all the way to Van Cortlandt Park.

Squadron A of the NY National Guard

Squadron A “originated with a group of wealthy young gentlemen with great interest in equestrian sport” but were eventually mustered into the New York National Guard.  At various times, some locals, Like Albert Putnam of Spuyten Duyvil were members of the unit.  That day Roosevelt relieved himself of gubernatorial duties to ride with the cavalry over the King’s Bridge to Van Cortlandt–on their way to Peekskill.

All along the route, New Yorkers were jubilant to see Roosevelt.  From the NY Times:

From The Criterion:

When Roosevelt and the cavalry reached the King’s Bridge at today’s W. 230th Street and Broadway, they were greeted by a fascinating NYPD legend, Capt. Maximillian F. Schmittberger, of our local police precinct, who escorted Roosevelt to Van Cortlandt Park.

Captain Schmittberger on parade

Schmittberger was known as a tough cop with a sterling reputation . . .  until he himself was indicted for corruption.  At his hearing he blew the lid off of a thoroughly corrupt police department that was protecting and taking bribes from all sorts of criminal enterprises (houses of ill-repute and gambling, illegal sellers of alcohol, etc.).  That made him persona non grata in the NYPD and he was exiled to the boondocks of The Bronx–then known in the police department as “The Goats.”  Since the city government and the state government had an adversarial relationship (sound familiar?) he was eager to tell the governor how the city was retaliating against him for breaking the blue wall of silence.  Governor Roosevelt listened to Captain Schmittberger with a “grim look.”  But the governor’s mood improved when he caught sight of mounted policeman Brien, also of our local squad, who served in Cuba alongside Roosevelt in the Rough Riders.

Roosevelt, possibly at Van Cortlandt Park

When the Squadron reached Van Cortlandt, they made camp about 200 feet from the Van Cortlandt House Museum.  Reveille sounded at 5:00 the next morning and the cavalry proceeded north on the Old Albany Post Road to Yonkers.  But while in Riverdale, Roosevelt “paid a flying visit to the country home of one of his old friends.”  I wonder whose home that could have been?

 

[Thomas Casey]

Teddy Roosevelt spent 2 summers at Wave Hill in 1870 and 1871.  I am sure this is when he established his friendship with someone in Riverdale.

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