By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Many county residents visiting the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, are stepping into the rear platform of a recreated Pullman-style railcar modeled after Roosevelt’s famous train whistle-stops.

The term whistle-stop comes from the railroad practice where a train signaled small town depots with a blast of its steam whistle. If signaled by the station master, the engineer would stop for passengers or freight.

Theodore Roosevelt, during his presidency from 1901 to 1909 and in following years, turned these quick train pauses into energetic public rallies. Teddy Roosevelt went right to his constituents and made brief speeches to everyday crowds from the rear observation platform of the train. One of these was a whistle-stop in Wahpeton, North Dakota, in 1910.

Seeing Theodore Roosevelt at the whistle-stop in Wahpeton was five-year-old Roy Hintgen, the late father of Tom Hintgen, writer of this story. Young Roy was at the train station with his father whose first name also was Theodore.

Roosevelt was vice president and assumed the office of president in 1901 after the assassination of President William McKinley. He won a four-year term in 1904 but chose not to run again for president in 1908.

Roosevelt was a third-party candidate for president in 1912, and although unsuccessful, he had joy in speaking at many whistle-stops in various parts of the country. This established a blueprint for other political candidates.