Fred Grant

Recognize this sad face?

This is Ulysses S. Grant's oldest son Fred, who inherited his father's puppy face but none of his talent.

Fred was one of four Police Commissioners in New York City in the 1890s, alongside Theodore Roosevelt, who thought he was boring.

historical bromance #3

Theodore Roosevelt spent a lot of time in North Dakota, where he owned a ranch, Elkhorn, and sometimes a herd of cattle (ask me about the winter of 1867 when half his cows froze). During one of his yearly trips to Elkhorn, in August 1892, he took a trip down to South Dakota, where he met - are you ready for this? - DEADWOOD SHERIFF SETH BULLOCK.

In a bit of historical trivia seemingly tailor-made to my interests, Seth Bullock and Theodore Roosevelt were afterwards lifelong friends.

  

I am just as sad as you are to discover that Seth Bullock did not actually look like this,

but, delight yourself with this drawing.

presidential facts #24 & #25

In 1870, Theodore Roosevelt, 11, met John Hay, 32, a colleague of his father's. Thirty-one years later, the latter would become his Secretary of State.

Theodore Roosevelt started a lifetime practice of weight lifting at the age of 12. A year later he started boxing as well because he was getting bullied.

[Side note: the presidential facts are going to start coming fast and heavy because TR's life is nothing if not a long string of interesting facts.]