Once introduced by the Mayor, Roosevelt opened his address  by stating that he was greatly  enjoying passing through Willimantic’s beautiful streets, and he was delighted to be meeting his  fellow citizens. Virtually every  sentence spoken by  Roosevelt was met by resounding cheers. Roosevelt’s speech rings true even today. He said, "This nation has great problems to face—problems in its external policy—problems even more important in the administration of its internal affairs. We can solve them only if, with serious purpose, we set ourselves to the task alike in the national and state governments and in the local municipality and the county organizations. We have great problems ahead of us as a nation. They will task our intelligence but they will task still more what ranks ahead of intelligence—character. It is a good thing for a nation to demand in its representatives’ intellect, but it is a better thing to demand in them that sum of qualities which we talk of character. All of you know that this is true in private life. If you are dealing with a man in a business way, whether as employer or employed, or in commerce, with a storekeeper or with any one, you want him to be a smart man, but it is a mighty bad thing if he is only a smart man. Now, what you want in a private man with whom you deal is what you want in your representatives. If you are going to get good results from your association with a man in the business world, in the working world, it will be because that man has the right stuff in him, because he has common sense, honesty, decency and courage. And the same qualities must be shown in public life if we are to make this country what we will make it—an example to all the nations of mankind." The speech lasted 10 minutes, and at its conclusion the president’s carriage was driven down Railroad Street to Willimantic’s Union Station.  Just before Roosevelt climbed onto the waiting train, he was introduced to Willimantic’s Capt. James Cochrane, who had served under Roosevelt at Tampa, Fla., during the Cuban expedition. Earlier, when Roosevelt’s carriage was passing High Street, he noticed and tipped his hat to Willimantic resident William E. “Billy” Jackson who had been one of his Rough Riders at San Juan. Roosevelt asked Cochrane if he could find  Billy Jackson, but unfortunately Jackson could not be found. When he entered his car, Roosevelt received the Reverend Florimond DeBruycker, the pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church.  The president's train left for Providence at 9:35 am. He stood on the rear platform of the carriage and vigorously waved his hat at the crowds in the railroad yards as the train pulled out of the station. It was estimated that some 10,000 people had packed Willimantic‘s streets to see the  president.  The only alarming incident, according to the Chronicle's coverage of the visit, was that the editor of the Willimantic Journal, James Fiske, shook the president's hand for far too long, and the president would probably wear his arm in a sling when next visiting Willimantic. Roosevelt’s visit attracted national newspapers and they published photographs of the speech and now local men such as Frank Fenton, Mayor Barrows, Chief Richmond, Officer Hastings and carriage driver Merrill Jones  were seen across the nation. In August, 1903 Roosevelt’s train stopped in town for a few minutes to take on water but that didn’t stop several thousand people from waiting at the station for the arrival of the train and the opportunity to see the President. Then in May, 1904, while journeying from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. Roosevelt’s train stopped in Willimantic at 9:15 P.M for about 15 minutes. The President stood on the train’s rear platform and spoke to the approximately 1,000 people there. “It gives me great pleasure to see you again…I was not expecting to see so many people on my return.” After a short speech he returned to his car amidst “hearty cheers” and the train pulled out of the station. Then, in  April, 1912, as a former-President, Roosevelt was entertaining thoughts of running for a third term. Most people by then referred to him as “Colonel Roosevelt”. Around 1,000 people came to see him as the train pulled into the station at 5:56 P.M. Chief of Police Richmond’s squad of patrolmen kept careful watch as people crowded around Roosevelt’s private car. “Mayor Danny Dunn extended his hand to the Colonel saying, ‘Colonel, as Mayor of the City of Willimantic, I welcome you.’ Colonel Roosevelt grasped Mayor Dunn’s hand and said,’Mr. Mayor, I thank you’”. Roosevelt then acknowledged the crowd and gave a very short speech, bowed to the people and returned to his private car amid cheers.