“If you go into battle…its going to be mighty important to hit the other fellow”- Teddy Roosevelt at Sea Girt 1902

The Air conditioner was invented by Willis Carrier. Enrico Caruso, a tenor made the first million-selling recording. Goodfellow Dry Goods (Target) and The Golden Rule Store (J.C. Penny’s) are incorporated. The Teddy Bear became a hot toy, when President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot one. Roosevelt had encountered and killed a number of grizzly’s when ranching in the West in the 1880s.

At only 42 when he took office, TR was the youngest US President.

Invited on a bear hunt with the Mississippi Governor, his men cornered a black bear and tied it to a tree so that the President could bag a prize. Roosevelt, disgusted by the display of poor sportsmanship asked that the bear be set free. His popularity soared, and the bear became his mascot.

In the midst of this President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Guard Camp at Sea Girt, on July 25, 1902, creating a sensation.

The Bear and Teddy both got famous for this incident

Another sensation was the portable box camera. “Kodak fiends” were described by the Atlanta Journal:

“One of the nuisances of our time is the man or woman who goes about armed with a kodak and snapping at everybody who passes or who can be espied. There seems to be something in the kodak which destroys all sense of propriety in its average possessor. As soon as he owns or hires one of these instruments, the ordinary individual becomes oblivious to canons of decency, sticks his nose into matters with which he has no business and tries the patience of polite persona almost beyond endurance.”

“More Summer Girls and Kodak Fiends at Encampment Than Soldiers--Today Real Work Begins. White yesterday wax a comparatively quiet day for the soldiers of the Third regiment, N. G. N. J., now encamped at Camp Murphy, Sea Girt, it proved a great day for thousands of visitors who invaded the camp grounds.

Frances Benjamin Johnston with children fascinated with her camera.

They came from every direction in every conceivable sort of conveyance from Seabright to Bay Head and from far back in the interior district, all bent on getting a look at the governor and his staff and the blue-coated, brass-buttoned militia. The summer girls from the nearby count resorts and the kodak fiends from every old place were as thick as mosquitos on the Atlantic City meadow.”

The box cameras replaced the old professional glass plate negative cameras that were fragile and a single fingerprint could ruin. Kodak had made shooting and developing cheap and easy.

The President left Sagamore, his Oyster Bay mansion with his wife, secretary, sister, and daughter and sailed on the Mayflower, his yacht. They anchored off of Sandy Hook and boarded a train with four private cars. Governor Murphy, and a corp of press and Secret Service rode with him. He stood on the platform and waved to the people lining the tracks down the coast.

20,000 spectators were waiting at the camp for the train to arrive at little Sea Girt Station. Roosevelt mounted a horse and rode with the governor to the camp. After reviewing the troops he gave a short speech that emphasized the importance of the National Guard and the need for good shooters.

“I earnestly hope and believe you never will get into battle, but if you do, it is going to be mighty important to hit the other fellow; and you are going to be able to do it largely in consequence of the way you have put in your time, knowing your rifle until it is just part of yourself, until you can handle it, take care of it, and use it as it has been the pride of the American Army in the past, that our troops always have used their rifles—efficiently.

We have prided ourselves upon having an army of marksmen. Our army has given us a just pride in it, because its constant and zealous effort has been to take care of itself in the field and in all that pertains to the duties of a soldier. I think, gentlemen, that much help can be given to the National Guard of the States by the action of the United States Government. I want to see the National Guard with the best and most modern weapons.”

After a short rest, the Presidential party left as they arrived. The visit resulted in: more emphasis on marksmanship in the service, a shot in the arm to the National Rifle Association, and the political impact of making a speech at Sea Girt surrounded by troops, the Governor and spectators.