Chester County’s Arctic Explorers

Arctic Adventures

A Trunk Full of Stories

Steamer trunk from the CCHS museum filled with objects and relics.

“This trunk has been to Greenland twice - 1892 & 1893-94.  S. J. Entrikin”  Thus reads a note inside the lid of this trunk.  A photograph of men in the Arctic, an envelope postmarked in Norway, an animal skull, a leather pouch, and relics from the failed Franklin Expedition are just some of the interesting contents in the many layers.  This trunk was unopened at CCHS for many years, a most unusual occurrence for a museum collection that is well inventoried.  It immediately sparked our curiosity.  What can all of these things tell us about Chester Countian Samuel Entrikin and his Arctic exploration?   Why did he go there?      

Ellen Endslow, Director of Collections

Submitted by beth on September 16th, 2010 — 02:07pm

Simply said - I love this trunk and its story. It is a real treasure chest. I had the chance to see it in storage with winter, and it gave me the chills.

Among its many treasures are things like – pelts, stuffed birds, pouches, clothing, tools, dog harnesses, knives, projectile points, etc. Many of these Inuit-made. HOW DID ENTRIKIN GET ALL OF THESE THINGS?

Entrikin, like explorers before and after him, loved to trade and collect stuff. His diaries tell us of his constant quest for new things:
 July 28, 1893 - traded his watch for a watch chain (must have been a good watch chain, I would have kept the watch)
 November 14th, 1893 - Traded knives with Inuk Koolotingen
 February 24, 1894 – the long Arctic night must have gotten to him, because he went on a trading spree, trading cackers for having his dogs fed, getting a musket, a gun, knives.
 February 25, 1894 – Trades a butcher’s knife he just got to “Koko” for his best dog.

And so on and so forth…

Come see some of these cool things at CCHS at “Chilling Reality,” some of these items will be displayed FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER - opening Friday night Oct. 8th and open through June 2011.
-Rob Lukens, guest curator

Explorer Sat, 2010-10-02 07:16

In 1899 Samuel J. Entrike was with the Jenny M. Party prospecting for gold in the East Fork of the Chena River at Blackshell creek , Alaska . I have received photocopies from the Chester county Historical Society to prove this
It is Photo Album #34a from The Samuel Entriken Collection
Entriken is also mentioned frequently as a gold prospector in
author: Joyce’s Alig’s book
titled: Old Gold Rush to Alaska Diaries 1898-1900
ICCN:2001 135483
ISBN: 1-891095-13-7
Printed by : The Messnger Press, Carthagena, Mercer County, Ohio 45822
copy right :2001
Many of the Entriken Photos are in this 320 page book
The reason why is that copies were made from the glass negatives and given to the party members
The glass negatives for all of the pictures are stored in the Alaska Historical Society at the University of alaska Fairbanks
contact the Alaska Historical Society Photograph collection
ca 1898, PCA 9. They were donated to UAF in 1975

Explorer Mon, 2010-10-11 13:16

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On the Map

  1. Elisha Kent Kane’s furthest north, June 26, 1854
  2. Isaac Israel Hayes’s claim to furthest north on land, May 15, 1861
  3. August 17, 1869, Isaac Israel Hayes reached 75th latitude with William Bradford on board the Panther
  4. Robert Peary Relief Expedition, Summer 1892.
  5. Approximate location of Samuel Entrikin’s northern point with Peary, spring 1893
  6. Anoritok, Greenland, where Harry Whitney stashed the records and instruments of Frederick Cook in September 1909
  7. Mt. Saint Elias, Alaska, Samuel Entrikin attempts to reach in 1897

See the Exhibit

October 8, 2010 — October 15, 2011

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