Becoming Teddy Roosevelt
Before he came to Maine, Theodore Roosevelt was a dour and sickly youth. Then he met a larger-than-life hunting guide named Bill Sewall. Was their meeting a turning point in American history?
Andrew Vietze
It was January, 1909. Bill Sewall sat waiting at the White House, likely a little uncomfortable. He was, after all, a humble Maine Guide from the outpost of Island Falls come to pay a visit to the President of the United States, and he didn’t much care for white-collar shirts. Sewall and his wife, Mary, had checked into their hotel, and had ventured across the city at the behest of Theodore Roosevelt himself. They waited a while at the home of the first family, then heard a door open followed by the president’s quick footsteps. Suddenly there he was [for the rest of this story, see the February 2008 issue of Down East.]
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