Posted on 02/22/2005 8:13:35 PM PST by WKB
The first National Wildlife Refuge in this country named for an African American, is now in the Mississippi Delta, near Hollandale. It is the Holt Collier Wildlife Refuge.
Collier was a freed slave, who had served in the Confederate Army, and led President Theodore Roosevelt on a legendary bear hunt, near Onward, Mississippi in 1902.
When Roosevelt didn't get a bear, Collier caught one and tied it to a tree. Roosevelt would not shoot it and the press corps traveling with him named it his Teddy Bear. The name stuck.
The Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is now 1,438 acres, but will eventually be 18,000 acres.
Mississippi Republican Senator Thad Cochran and Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, jointly sponsored the legislation to create the refuge.
Mississippi ping
Totally interesting history.
Fabulous post!
Teddy Bear.
Pretty cool.
Gosh! Bennie finally did something vaguely ...uh, what's the word I want?....nah....nevermind. There's gotta be a catch somewhere.
"Collier was a freed slave, who had served in the Confederate Army, and led President Theodore Roosevelt on a legendary bear hunt, near Onward, Mississippi in 1902.
When Roosevelt didn't get a bear, Collier caught one and tied it to a tree. Roosevelt would not shoot it and the press corps traveling with him named it his Teddy Bear. The name stuck."
Now, THAT I didn't know.
I knew the Teddy Bear was named after TR,
but didn't know why.
Good for the MS congressional delegation for
honoring Holt Collier in such great fashion.
It is well deserved.
"When Roosevelt didn't get a bear, Collier caught one and tied it to a tree...."
Someone alert PeTA...
I'm wasn't gonna mention Bennie,
but he did a good thing for a
change. ;o)
Maybe Bennie is coming around
Teddy Bear
and you thought it was only an Elvis song.
It was a fluke. ;o)
Wonder what he did in the confederate army.
Shot Yankees?
you are one busy PINGer today, WKB.
I wonder! LOL
Wonder what he did in the confederate army.
Now THAT was a good one
Have a look see at this.
http://www2.netdoor.com/~jtm/
Whoa! Confederate calvary scout... that's definately not the pot scrubber or shoeshiner that some people say black people were in the confederate army. That had big time responsibilities.
He followed his master off to war when he was in his early teens. He participated in some small irregular skirmishes.
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