Recovered: Theodore Roosevelt’s Pocket Watch Thirty-six years

Photo Credit (Pixabay)

later, Tweed Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s great-grandson, rejoiced over the return of a priceless silver pocket watch to the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. Roosevelt received the watch as a gift from his sister and brother-in-law in 1898, and it was with him during important events like the Spanish-American War and his travels to Africa and the Amazon.

In 1987, the pocket watch was taken from Buffalo, New York’s Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. Before it reappeared in a Florida auction house last year and was taken into custody by federal agents, it had been lost for 36 years. Tweed Roosevelt was present at a ceremony on Thursday to commemorate the official return of it to Sagamore Hill, which was conducted by the FBI and National Park Service.

Tweed Roosevelt, 82, said, “This feels like a bit of TR’s spirit returning to Sagamore Hill.” Roosevelt discovered the watch’s importance later in life. For Roosevelt, the watch was quite sentimental even if it didn’t look fancy.

While the specifics of the theft remain unclear, the Park Service and FBI have confirmed the legitimacy of the watch. Roosevelt’s name and a note from his sister and brother-in-law are inscribed on the Waltham Watch Co. watch. Edwin Bailey of Blackwell Auctions, who first questioned its validity but eventually verified it via investigation and cooperation with authorities, played a key role in facilitating its retrieval. The watch is currently on display with pride at Sagamore Hill, signifying the restoration of a historical relic to its original location.