Eagle Island Work Days

"Archive Day 2003" was a huge success thanks to a small group of dedicated volunteers who keep coming back year after year and to the leadership of Tom Desjardin, Historic Site Specialist of the BOPL. Phase 1 of the program is now complete. All of the material has been sorted, cataloged, and put in acid free envelopes and boxes. Phase II will be to index the entire collection to facilitate scholarly research in the future. Let's face it, Admiral Peary was a real pack rat who threw nothing away. The task has been challenging, but the end result will be a treasure trove of fascinating documents available to anyone who is interested.

"Trail Work Day" is really a misnomer. Yes we do trail maintenance and repair, and 2003 was no exception. In addition however, there is always plenty of other work identified by Park Manager Jeanie Dorrington. This year Lisa Shepperd (a local Art Teacher) and Mike Rich (A commercial sign painter from Florida) and Donald Piehl (Supervisor) combined their considerable talents and repainted the large compass rose on the North porch deck. Don also applied his skills to the annual touch-up painting of the signs.

For 2004 we are investigating the feasibility of creating our own mulch for the trails by bringing a large"chipper" to the island and cleaning up the dead branches and trees that are abundantly available. We are also looking at the East Bastion, which Admiral Peary used as a workshop and museum; to see what can be done to restore that neglected part of the house.

We will be putting out a call in the Spring for help. We will need not only volunteer workers but people with creative ideas on how to get the work done.

As always, the highlight of all volunteer days was "Ned's gourmet lunch" straight from Subway's. And next year we promise to include the eclairs for desert. Harry is buying.

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Underway

We're under way after more than a year's work on the part of John Davis, our Vice President for Education. He has completed a fantastic revision of his most unusual script for the video about Admiral Robert E. Peary's life and the house that he built on his "Promised Land" Eagle Island. We are now proceeding on our search for a producer and camera wizard.

The video is to be used in conjunction with our educational outreach program at all our schools as well as non-profit organizations. It or a portion of it likely will be used as orientation prior to a visit to Eagle Island.

As always we are counting on the help of all our readers and our past members. We are seeking grants and actually have received one grant to help pay for this production. We ask you all as you renew your membership for the coming year that you add a little bit to help us over the hump. Your past generous support has always been an inspiration to all of us as we work towards our goals of protecting the Island, and of preserving the story of this remarkable man for everyone to know and understand.

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Letter from Capt. Donald Taub, USCG (ret.)

I came to "know" Robert E. Peary through my Polar Eskimo friends initially in 1959-1960 and by being a long time history buff on that part of the Atlantic, including the long era of the explorers and of the Eskimos there. Many people recognize Peary as the discoverer of the North Pole. Some likely have heard of the controversy of the Pole's discovery, and of the derogatory "stuff" that has that has been generated by all sorts of writers whom I generally lump together as "baloney peddlers". To the Eskimos, he was Piulerssuag, the great Peary. He transported them from a marginal perilous Stone Age existence safely into the 20th century.

I spent much of the year 1959-60 among the Polar Eskimo tribe, and found that they still revered Peary very much like a George Washington figure as the result of his seven expeditions there spanning the years from 1891 to 1909. Prior to Peary's time there, this small most northern group of isolated Eskimos had come close to extinction during the last cold period of the mid-1800's, the so-called little ice age. USA's first explorers there in 1853-55, Dr. Isaac Hayes, USN and Dr. Elisha Kane, USN, counted this tribe as numbering 140. He counted them again in 1860-61 as "no more than 100". In the early 1860's, a small group of Eskimos migrated to the Thule district from Canada, and some of them soon returned to Canada. At that time the Polar Eskimos had already lost the use of kayaks, fish spears, and the bow and arrow for lack of materials, principally wood. Narwhal tusks were used for harpoons. Dog sleds were made of whalebone. Knives were of bone, some with fingernail sized chips of meteorite iron inserted.

Materials salvaged from the wreck of USA explorer Charles F. Hall's ship the Polaris before it sank near Etah in 1872, introduced the first infusion of outside materials, as well as the first known Eskimo child of an American father. As with Dr. Kane's earlier disaster there, this was the second US polar expedition that largely owed their survival to the Eskimos. Two more expeditions continued the quest for the pole, and both were major disasters with large losses of life; Lt. George DeLong via Alaska in 1779-82 on the ill-fated ship Jeannette, and U S Army's Lt. Adolphus Greeley again via "the American way" in 1881-84 using Ellesmere Island. This expedition did not seek the help of the Polar Eskimos, and only six survived their ordeal of starvation about 30 miles across Smith Sound from the village of Etah. The ship that was sent to bring them home, the Proteus, also sank in the ice. After this series of five disasters out of six, the US government stopped sponsoring expeditions in the quest for the North Pole. In the meantime the polar Eskimo population rebounded to about 215, but with the demise of their new materials and increased population; they were in trouble again.

Lt. Robert E. Peary USN followed next starting in 1891. All seven of his expeditions were done while on leave from the Navy, and he had to find his own sources of support. He often used two ships and eventually built his own ship The Roosevelt. First, he set out to find a usable route to the Pole. The northern most land was still unknown. Unlike the explorers before him, he began by employing Eskimo men locally, as well as Eskimo women to make clothing. Later he developed reliable teams of them. Peary's first and second major efforts in 1892 and 1895 crossed the northern part of Greenland without Eskimos, nearly all the way to its other side, where he was blocked by a complex of very large fjords there, calling one a channel. (This NE corner of Greenland was explored years later from the east side). His longest expedition was four years, 1898-1902. Conducted primarily from Ellesmere Island, across Smith Sound from NW Greenland. During this, he made his first trial trip onto the Polar sea ice.

Peary's No. 1 Eskimo Ootah(Otaq) later explained his faith in Peary to Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen. (Rasmussen founded the first trading post there in 1910 to which he gave the name Thule.) After their safe return from crossing the ice cap, Ootah and other Eskimos came to believe that Peary was protected by the spirits, and those who went with him were also protected. There were other incentives. Payment in a range of all sorts of material goods, including modern rifles, was the norm. By 1902, some Eskimos had whaleboats from Peary's ships heading home. Eskimos eagerly sought to go with him each time he returned. He generally took the best men as well as a few old timers, complete with their wives and children, and dogs. For them it was another new adventure and a freedom from the perils of their normal existence. In 1905-06 he took 67 on the Roosevelt. In 1908-09 he took 49.

The first Missionaries arrived at Thule in 1909, and Karl Rasmussen established his trading post the following year. His organization dealt with the needs of the Eskimos into the mid-1930's when the Danish Government took over. World War II in 1940 cut off their source of supply and the Polar Eskimos largely returned to their earlier way of life. The US Coast Guard built the small weather station at Thule in 1943, code named Bluie West Six.

In 1959, I became the commanding officer of the world's most northern Loran (aids-to-navigation) station on Cape Atholl, NW Greenland, located in the approximate middle of the Polar Eskimos coastal turf, and about 30 miles south of Thule Air Force base. Our means of travel for about 7 or 8 months of the year was our own dogsled, generally with Eskimo helpers.

Thule Air Force Base ("at the top of the world") originated in 1951 during the "Cold War". Contact between the 1,000's of US military at Thule Air Force Base and this very small Eskimo tribe, which numbered about 315, was prohibited, to protect the Eskimos and their traditional subsistence hunting culture. The remotely located 19 man USCG station (originated in 1953) was the only exception to this prohibition. In 1953, the Eskimos who lived at Thule were relocated into pre-fab box-like housing of equivalent sizes in 4 locations of their choice, most of them in Kanak (Qaanaaq). Kale Peary (Peary's Eskimo son) chose his on Herbert Island. He also had a second house close to the USCG station. The USCG station had become an informal social center for hunters, trappers and travelers with families between villages with use of our shop, meals, movies, and mid-winter lodging. We wished to be good neighbors.

My own interest in the Arctic had begun with reading Peary's 1910 book, "The North Pole". Thus I went north with an initial collection of that era's books; including 3 by Peary and one by Frederick Cook. The multiple photographs in Peary's books were like honey to bees as the Eskimos identified family members, etc and in a few cases themselves. I began to record their family trees and cross-reference them with the tribe's censuses in Peary's books. A close friendship developed and I traveled with them to their villages in both directions, and in the process learned a lot about dogsled travel. The USCG station unofficially employed two Eskimos for our dogsled. The father of one of them participated with Dr. Cook's crossing over Ellesmere Island in 1908. Using a chart of the polar region, I drew to the best of my knowledge both Peary's and Cook's routes to the North Pole, to a group of older Eskimos whose fathers went with both Americans. Their response to Cook's route was a definite "no" and they placed a mark on the chart off the NW coast of Ellesmere Island, more than 400 miles south of the pole.

At that time I did not know that Inuit speaking Rasmussen had interviewed two young men in 1910, who had accompanied Dr. Cook during the1908-09 expedition and found Dr. Cook's claim to be a fraud. On the occasion of my reunion visit at Qaanaaq in 1994, I brought up this subject again with an English speaking Eskimo. His punch line was, "no one asks us!" We discussed other old stories of the era of the explorers and the oral histories remain remarkably fresh in their memories, even small details.

In one of your earlier Eagle Island Journal was a seemingly complex but simplified explanation of Peary's method of navigation written by LtCol. William E Molett, USAF (ret.) He was the developer of the U S Airforce cold war method of polar navigation and had been the navigator of more than 90 flights over the Polar region. As a navigator on ships in North Atlantic and in charge of the world's most northern electronic navigation station, it seemed quite simple to me. I also did a few hundred miles by dogsled with Eskimos. I believe that Peary did reach the North Pole within the accuracy limits of navigational instruments of his time. But more important to me is his beneficial roll among the Eskimos.

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Oliver Brown retires as President

Above Oliver Brown is enjoying his gift presented to him at the annual meeting in the library on Eagle Island.

At the Friends Annual Meeting held August 13, 2003, on Eagle Island, Oliver Brown retired as President of the Friends after 5 vigorous years. Oliver's steady and inspirational leadership has guided this organization through many, many projects to successful completion. Major projects include the difficult tasks in which the Bureau of Parks and lands needed help. Such as developing and completing the Composting Toilet, and the Fire Suppression / Intrusion Alarm System. He also oversaw the beginning of Volunteer Days on the Island that means a great deal to Island preservation. He organized our annual Bird and Marine studies that will help guide us in the future. Other projects include:

• The Ed Stafford Tours of Eagle Island-a great success.
• The publication of Barbara Kings book "Dream of the Far North", a cornerstone of our Educational Program.
• The publication of "Peary and his Promised Land", The Eagle Island Trail Guide, and the Postcards.
• The acquisition of a partner's desk and the Admiral's chair for the library.
• The ceiling replacement of the east and west porches.
• The establishment of the Friends web site.
• The establishment of an exceptional working relationship with the Bureau of Parks and Lands.

At the meeting he was presented with a full size copy of the Roosevelt painting that is hanging in the living room at the Island. Thank you Oliver, for your strong leadership. We look forward to your continued help and inspiration as a member in the years to come.

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A BIG thank you to Peary Stafford

Last June Peary Stafford, Great Grandson of Admiral Peary, made a special trip to Eagle Island. The west porch ceiling had deteriorated to a point where it had to be torn down and destroyed. Peary brought his finest tools and using pre-varnished yellow pine identical to what had been used; he skillfully put the ceiling back up. It really looks like the original and is absolutely beautiful. For such a big job in such a remote place, we were able to secure four Naval Airmen from the Brunswick Naval Air Station to assist Peary. What a crew they were. They made the sawdust fly. The job was finished in jig time with no casualties. The Bureau of Parks and Lands and the Friends are eternally grateful to Peary and the Airmen for such a fine job.

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President's Message

Futures Past

I came to the realization a short while ago that we almost never speak of Eagle Island in the present. Our conversations, our writings, and more often our thoughts about the Island exist in the past and the future.

This thought came to me this past summer when I finally had the opportunity to attend one of Ed Stafford's guided tours of the Island. Ed tells the story like no one else can; from the perspective of one who lived much of the history he talks about. When he speaks about the Admiral, he does so with a fondness and familiarity that makes it seem as though you might actually see the man round the corner of the house, or see him sitting at his desk in the study. Of course, these wonderful tours are very much about the past. During the same morning, I had occasion to speak with some other guests who asked me if I could tell them what was in store for the future. I told them that we were in the process of cataloging pictures for the purpose of having them digitized.

I'm quite sure that I also mentioned working on a pictorial history of the house, chronicling the different stages of completion for the main house.

This past September 21st, the Friends of Peary's Eagle Island reached its tenth year in existence. You'll notice that I didn't say, "celebrated" because we really didn't celebrate. (At least I wasn't part of the celebration if there was one. Was there?) Looking back, it seems as if we accomplished a lot: the Fire Protection system, the Composting Toilet: a satisfying relationship with Steve Curtis and his staff at the State Department of Conservation to name but a few. Truly, I think we're only just getting started.

Looking ahead, we're committed to our next ten years. What's in store? Well, the pictorial history that I mentioned for one. We'd be grateful for anyone who might have information about the house and its construction to come forward and talk to us about it. We want to learn more about the phase of the Island's evolution and there is no better way than living history. Another is the video of Admiral Peary's life, for which John Davis has just completed a fantastic script. We're in the process of looking for someone to produce the film and hope to have it completed by the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005. You will notice that at no time have I mentioned Eagle Island in the present tense; that's fitting I guess. Still, Eagle Island is the same magnificent site it's always been and, we hope will always be a place where the past and future are very much alive. Then again, in the present, the here and now, Eagle Island is indeed a wonderful gift, one that we should all treasure. I know that I do.

Thanks to everyone for all your support and hard work.

Bob

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Published by the Friends of Peary's Eagle Island, P O Box 70, Bailey Island, ME. 04003

President: Bob York, Treasurer: David Stuntz, Secretary: Connie Henry, V. P Projects: Harry Rich, V.P Education: John Davis, V.P Fund Raising; Ned Dewey, Journal Editor: Jim Davis, Tour Director: Barbara Tucker, Bird Study: Chuck Huntington, Marine Study: John Davis, Bowdoin College Coordinator: John Cross, President Emeritus: Oliver Brown