Photo taken by Theodore Roosevelt himself, of his Elkhorn Ranch veranda.
After his wife and mother died in 1884, only hours apart, Roosevelt became depressed. He moved back to the Dakota territories, where he had built his Maltese Cross Cabin the previous year. Finding the location too busy for his taste, in June 1884 he laid claim to a second ranch, which he called Elkhorn. He left the bulk of the everyday work to his managers and hands, devoting his own time mostly to hunting and writing.