A State Funeral For A Rabbit?
Today, it’s part 4 in the Presidential Pets series. Following the last story of Andrew Jackson’s swearing parrot and its antics at a funeral, we have a different funeral story. The Roosevelt family once held a state funeral for a rabbit…sort of. Few First Families rival the Roosevelts when it comes to the number of animals and diversity of species they cared for.
With Teddy Roosevelt as a father, there was no way those kids were going to have a pet-free childhood growing up in the White House. The range of species and the memories created are unrivaled. Teddy Roosevelt made the most of the opportunity and helped bring an impressive menagerie to the residence and their second home in Long Island.
One impressive aspect here is that each child had their own pet. These weren’t family dogs or cats owned as a collective. He gifted animals and birds to specific children so they could enjoy that companionship and responsibility firsthand. Of course, he was happy to help out and write to his children about their pet’s days when they were away.
Archie Roosevelt had some of the most interesting and rewarding experiences bonding with and caring for his pets. As a young boy, Archie was given a rabbit named Peter, who lived on the grounds with the other rabbits and guinea pigs with more unusual names. It’s a good job that guinea pigs aren’t the type to come when called because shouting Admiral Dewey, Dr. Johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans, and Father O’Grady across the lawn would have been tiring.
Archie soon learned the inevitable life lesson of loss when Peter died. In tribute to the fallen pet, the Roosevelts indulged him and allowed him to conduct a state funeral on the property. President Roosevelt wrote fondly about the event in a letter to his son Kermit. Letter writing was an important form of communication between the president and his children, and he would often write about the animal he saw on his travels, with some accompanying doodles. When Peter Rabbit died, he wrote,
Yesterday poor Peter Rabbit died and his funeral was held with proper state. Archie, in his overalls, dragged the wagon with the little black coffin in which poor Peter Rabbit lay. Mother walked behind as chief mourner, she and Archie solemnly exchanged tributes to the worth and good qualities of the departed. Then he was buried, with a fuchsia over the little grave.
Another of Archie’s famous pets was his pony, Algonquin. The Roosevelts gifted smaller Shetland ponies to their children. These creatures were easier to house, perfect for small children to ride, and great workhorse. Another, named after General Grant, would pull the children in a small cart. This hands-on experience with these manageable horses allowed for a strong bond. This was evident when Archie fell ill with measles.
As Roosevelt wrote, Archie received a visitor “whose call will do more to restore him to health than all the medicine the doctor can give him.” The family took the pony up to the second floor of the White House residence in the elevator so he could be at Archie’s bedside. Apparently, there was some difficulty getting him out of the elevator because he was so fascinated by his reflection. Archie was thrilled, having been denied a chance to visit Algonquin at his stable.
The strangest and most questionable choice of pet came when Archie was 9. By this point, he had proven himself in taking care of his horse, rabbit, and the other animals the Roosevelts acquired over the years. He was then given a badger. American badgers aren’t exactly known for their docile nature or being well-house-trained. Still, President Roosevelt trusted his son with this new species. Josiah, as he was christened, turned out to be friendly for the most part but could have a short temper. Roosevelt was concerned when Archie began carrying him around by the waist, fearing that might antagonize the badger into biting the child’s face. Archie just dismissed him saying, “He bites legs sometimes, but he never bites faces.”
In some ways, these stories make the incident with Rebecca the Raccoon seem rather tame. That was one questionable animal that spoiled for a short period of its life. Yet, once you learn that the stories of ponies in elevators, state funerals for rabbits, and snakes in the Oval Office came during Teddy Roosevelt’s time at the White House, it doesn’t sound as strange.
The series so far
Part 1: Rebecca The White House Raccoon https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/rebecca-the-white-house-raccoon-7c007075282f
Part 2: George Washington And The American Mule https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/george-washington-and-the-american-mule-9917da1f7fa5
Part 3: Andrew Jackson And The Swearing Parrot https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/andrew-jackson-and-the-swearing-parrot-c25acfdece0a
Part 4: The Roosevelt’s Rabbit https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/a-state-funeral-for-a-rabbit-e57d658e5381
