“He was a man of sixty and could neither read nor write, but he had all the dignity of an African Chief, and for half a century he had been a bear hunter, having killed or assisted in killing over three thousand bears. He had been born a slave on Hinds Plantation, his father, an old man when he was born, having been the body servant and cook of ‘old General Hinds,’ as he called him, when the latter fought under Jackson at New Orleans. When 10 years old Holt had been taken on the horse behind his young master, the Hinds of that day, on a bear hunt, when he killed his first bear.” President Theodore Roosevelt

It was the early 1900s. Governor Andrew Longino, the sitting Governor of Mississippi, was running against James K. Vardaman, who was known for his racial views. Also at this time, Longino invited President Roosevelt to go on a black bear hunt in Mississippi. The hunt was proposed to be a large one and Roosevelt refused it because he wanted to go on a smaller, more serious hunt.

The size of the hunting party was reduced, although it still consisted of many distinguished people. It was organized by Stuyvesant Fish, president of the Illinois Central Railroad. John M. Parker, a native Mississippian, president of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange and the New Orleans Board of Trade, and later Governor of Louisiana, attended. The hunting party also included: George Helm, Chief Engineer of the Delta Levee Project; Huger Lee Foote, who was considered to be the finest shot in the state, a state senator, Levee Board member and owned Mount Holly and Egremont plantations; LeRoy Percy, son of William A. Percy and later a United States Senator; Jacob Dickenson, a former assistant U.S. Attorney General and later U.S. Secretary of War; John McIlhenny, a member of the United States Civil Service Commission and whose family still produces and markets Tabasco sauce; George B. Cortelyou, who would later serve as Secretary of Commerce and Labor, chairman of the Republican National Committee, Postmaster General and Secretary of Treasury; and President Roosevelt's staff physician, Lieutenant George Augustus Lung, United States Navy Medical Corps.

After much preparation for the hunt, Holt Collier, an expert marksman and a freed slave from Greenville Mississippi, met President Roosevelt at Smedes Station (near Onward, Mississippi) on November 13, 1902. Several hundred African Americans greeted him, all children and grandchildren of slaves.

Holt Collier guided President Theodore Roosevelt through the Mississippi Delta on his now famous bear hunt. President Roosevelt was still concerned about the size of the hunting party and was anxious to get a bear on the first day of the hunt. Earlier, he wrote, “Every additional man on a hunt tends to hurt it. Of course I am only going because I want to hunt - and do see that I get the first bear without fail.”

Knowing the President's determination, Collier promised the President would see a bear if he had to “lasso one with his ‘Texas’ rope.” Collier knew the bear trails and put the Colonel (as President Roosevelt had asked Collier to refer to him) in a stand near a watering hole that Collier knew bears used. Collier and his hunting dogs had pushed a bear to the spot where Collier had left Roosevelt, but the Colonel had already left the stand. The bear was cornered and Collier’s hunting dogs were threatened.

Trying to defend one of his dogs from the bear, Collier hit the bear at the base of the skull with his gun. The bear let go of the dog but it was too late. As the bear went into the watering hole, Collier got his lariat off his saddle. Collier positioned the lariat so that when the bear rose his head up from drinking, Collier could drop the lariat around his neck. Collier then tied the bear to a tree. Roosevelt, a skilled sportsman in his own right, refused to shoot the bear because it was restrained. The President was in awe of the feat performed by Collier. At the camp that night, Roosevelt told Collier that he “was the best guide and hunter he’d ever seen.”

The incident drew lots of publicity, including two editorial cartoons on the front page of The Washington Post. Morris Michtom saw those cartoons and designed the Teddy Bear.

Collier could not have envisioned that both he and Roosevelt would leave such conservation legacies.

Wildlife Mississippi, the Museum, the Theodore Roosevelt Society and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored the event. A refuge sign, honoring Collier, was unveiled.

The refuge is located near Hollandale, Mississippi and will encompass 18,000 acres when completed.

Situated on Holt Collier's historic hunting grounds, the Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge currently allows rabbit hunting and archery hunting for deer. More recreational activities are planned including wildlife observation facilities, fishing, expanded hunting opportunities, photography and environmental education.

The concept for the Holt Collier was developed by Wildlife Mississippi.

At the ceremony, Clarke Reed, Chairman of Wildlife Mississippi, said, “This is truly historical. This is a great way to celebrate the last full week of Black History Month. President Theodore Roosevelt would be very proud of this new refuge as he had great respect for Holt Collier and maintained a long friendship with him. This is also a tribute to him and his conservation legacy.” During his presidency, Roosevelt established 52 National Wildlife Refuges. The Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is the first ever to be named for an African American.

Ann Marie Parker, the great-niece of Collier, her son, John Parker and his young son, Brandon, attended the ceremony. First Lady Marsha Barbour presented a declaration to them from Governor Barbour declaring the day “Holt Collier Day.”

According to Congressman Thompson, “Thanks to the cooperation and support of county supervisors and elected officials, Mississippi got it before another state could.”

According to Senator Thad Cochran, the Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent example of balance. Referring to the Mississippi initiative of Balancing Agriculture With Industry, he stated that the new refuge will demonstrate how we can balance agriculture with the environment by keeping the best lands in agricultural production and restoring lands that are not well-suited for agriculture back to wildlife habitat.