Richard Proenneke
Encyclopedia
Richard Louis "Dick" Proenneke (May 4, 1916–April 20, 2003) was a naturalist
who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska
at a place called Twin Lakes
. Living in a log cabin
he constructed by hand, Proenneke made valuable recordings of both meteorological
and natural data.
and later made his living as a well driller. His mother, Laura (née
Bonn) worked as a homemaker
. His parents married in late 1909, or early 1910, and had three daughters and three sons: Robert, Helen, Lorene, Richard, Florence, and Raymond. The year of Richard's birth is often given as 1917, but social security and census records prove him to have been born in Primrose, Harrison Township, Lee County
, Iowa
, on May 4, 1916.
Proenneke served in the United States Navy
as a carpenter
during World War II
. It was during this service that he contracted rheumatic fever
and was bedridden for nearly six months. According to Sam Keith
, a life-long friend from Duxbury, Massachusetts
, this illness was very revealing for Proenneke, who decided to devote the rest of his life to the strength and health of his body.
Following his discharge from the Navy, Proenneke went to school to become a diesel
mechanic. The combination of his high intelligence, adaptability, and strong work ethic
turned him into a very skilled mechanic. Though quite adept at his trade, Proenneke succumbed to his love of nature and moved to Oregon
to work at a sheep ranch. He moved to Shuyak Island
, Alaska, in 1950.
For several years, he worked as a heavy equipment operator and repairman on the naval base at Kodiak
. Proenneke spent the next several years working throughout the state of Alaska as both a salmon fisherman and diesel mechanic. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service at King Salmon
on the Alaska Peninsula
. His skills as a mechanic were well-known and extremely sought after, and he was able to put away a modest nest egg for retirement. Proenneke retired to Twin Lakes
.
on the upper lake of Twin Lakes owned by a retired Navy captain, Spike Carrithers, and his wife Hope from Kodiak
, (in whose care he had left his camper). This cabin was well situated on the lake and close to the site which Proenneke chose for the construction of his own cabin. Proenneke's bush pilot friend, Babe Alsworth, returned occasionally to bring food and orders that Proenneke placed through him to Sears
.
Proenneke remained at Twin Lakes for the next 16 months, when he left to go home for a time to visit relatives and secure more supplies. He returned to the lakes in the following spring and remained there for most of the next 30 years, going to the lower 48 only occasionally to be with his family. He made a film record of his solitary life, which was later recut and made into a documentary.
of a stroke
April 20, 2003 at the age of 86. He left his cabin to the National Park Service, and it remains a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region.
In 1973, Sam Keith
edited the book One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
, from Proenneke's journals and photography. After years in print it was re-issued in a new format in 1999, and won the 1999 National Outdoor Book Award
(NOBA). In 2003, some of the copyrighted text from the book used with permission and some of Proenneke's film was used in Alone in the Wildernesshttp://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/later_years.html, which began appearing on U.S. Public Television
. The film centers around Proenneke building a cabin from the surrounding natural resources and includes his film footage and narration of wildlife, weather, and the natural scenery while he goes about his daily routine over the course of the winter months.
In 2005, the National Park Service and the Alaska Natural History Association published More Readings From One Man's Wilderness, another volume of Proenneke's journal entries. The book, edited by John Branson, a longtime Lake Clark National Park employee and friend of Proenneke, covers the years when the park was established. Dick had a very close relationship with the Park Service, assisting them in videotaping sensitive areas and notifying them if poachers were in the area.
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
at a place called Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes (Alaska)
Twin Lakes is a complex of two large lakes in Lake Clark National Park in the U.S. state of Alaska near the northeast corner of Lake and Peninsula Borough. It contains a 9.7-km-long upper lake and a smaller 6.5-km-long lower lake, joined by a short connecting stream...
. Living in a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
he constructed by hand, Proenneke made valuable recordings of both meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
and natural data.
Life
Proenneke's father, William Christian Proenneke, served in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and later made his living as a well driller. His mother, Laura (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Bonn) worked as a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
. His parents married in late 1909, or early 1910, and had three daughters and three sons: Robert, Helen, Lorene, Richard, Florence, and Raymond. The year of Richard's birth is often given as 1917, but social security and census records prove him to have been born in Primrose, Harrison Township, Lee County
Lee County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 35,862 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,205 housing units, of which 14,610 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, on May 4, 1916.
Proenneke served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was during this service that he contracted rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
and was bedridden for nearly six months. According to Sam Keith
Sam Keith
Sam Keith edited the 1973 best seller One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey in which he edited the journals and photographs of Richard Proenneke's solo experiences in Alaska....
, a life-long friend from Duxbury, Massachusetts
Duxbury (town), Massachusetts
Duxbury is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Duxbury is a suburb of Boston, located approximately to the south of the city on the South Shore...
, this illness was very revealing for Proenneke, who decided to devote the rest of his life to the strength and health of his body.
Following his discharge from the Navy, Proenneke went to school to become a diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
mechanic. The combination of his high intelligence, adaptability, and strong work ethic
Work ethic
Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An example would be the Protestant work ethic...
turned him into a very skilled mechanic. Though quite adept at his trade, Proenneke succumbed to his love of nature and moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to work at a sheep ranch. He moved to Shuyak Island
Shuyak Island
Shuyak Island is an island in the northern part of the Kodiak Archipelago in the state of Alaska, USA. It is located just north of Afognak Island, separated from it by the narrow Shuyak Strait. The Stevenson Entrance to Cook Inlet separates it from the Barren Islands further north in the archipelago...
, Alaska, in 1950.
For several years, he worked as a heavy equipment operator and repairman on the naval base at Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
. Proenneke spent the next several years working throughout the state of Alaska as both a salmon fisherman and diesel mechanic. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service at King Salmon
King Salmon, Alaska
King Salmon is a census-designated place in Bristol Bay Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census the population was 442...
on the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
. His skills as a mechanic were well-known and extremely sought after, and he was able to put away a modest nest egg for retirement. Proenneke retired to Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes (Alaska)
Twin Lakes is a complex of two large lakes in Lake Clark National Park in the U.S. state of Alaska near the northeast corner of Lake and Peninsula Borough. It contains a 9.7-km-long upper lake and a smaller 6.5-km-long lower lake, joined by a short connecting stream...
.
Retirement
On May 21, 1968, Proenneke arrived at his new place of retirement at Twin Lakes. Before arriving at the lakes, he made arrangements to use a cabinLog cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
on the upper lake of Twin Lakes owned by a retired Navy captain, Spike Carrithers, and his wife Hope from Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, (in whose care he had left his camper). This cabin was well situated on the lake and close to the site which Proenneke chose for the construction of his own cabin. Proenneke's bush pilot friend, Babe Alsworth, returned occasionally to bring food and orders that Proenneke placed through him to Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
.
Proenneke remained at Twin Lakes for the next 16 months, when he left to go home for a time to visit relatives and secure more supplies. He returned to the lakes in the following spring and remained there for most of the next 30 years, going to the lower 48 only occasionally to be with his family. He made a film record of his solitary life, which was later recut and made into a documentary.
Death and legacy
In 1999, at age 82, Proenneke returned to civilization and lived the remainder of his life with his brother in California. He diedDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
April 20, 2003 at the age of 86. He left his cabin to the National Park Service, and it remains a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region.
In 1973, Sam Keith
Sam Keith
Sam Keith edited the 1973 best seller One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey in which he edited the journals and photographs of Richard Proenneke's solo experiences in Alaska....
edited the book One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey is a book, first published in 1973, by Sam Keith, based on the journals and photography of Richard Proenneke who, in 1968, retreated to the wilderness of Twin Lakes in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska to build a home for himself and live alone in the...
, from Proenneke's journals and photography. After years in print it was re-issued in a new format in 1999, and won the 1999 National Outdoor Book Award
Outdoor literature
Outdoor literature is a literature genre about or involving the outdoors. Outdoor literature encompasses several different sub-genres variously called Exploration literature, Adventure literature and Nature literature. These genres can include activities such as exploration, survival, sailing,...
(NOBA). In 2003, some of the copyrighted text from the book used with permission and some of Proenneke's film was used in Alone in the Wildernesshttp://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/later_years.html, which began appearing on U.S. Public Television
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. The film centers around Proenneke building a cabin from the surrounding natural resources and includes his film footage and narration of wildlife, weather, and the natural scenery while he goes about his daily routine over the course of the winter months.
In 2005, the National Park Service and the Alaska Natural History Association published More Readings From One Man's Wilderness, another volume of Proenneke's journal entries. The book, edited by John Branson, a longtime Lake Clark National Park employee and friend of Proenneke, covers the years when the park was established. Dick had a very close relationship with the Park Service, assisting them in videotaping sensitive areas and notifying them if poachers were in the area.
See also
- Dan O'Neill (writer)Dan O'Neill (writer)Dan O'Neill is an Alaskan journalist and writer.-Bibliography:* A Land Gone Lonesome: An Inland Voyage Along the Yukon River.* The Last Giant of Beringia: The Mystery of the Bering Land Bridge....
- Velma WallisVelma WallisVelma Wallis is an Athabascan Indian and bestselling U.S. novelist. Her work has been translated into 17 languages.-Life and work:...
- Carl McCunnCarl McCunnCarl McCunn was an American wildlife photographer who became stranded in the Alaskan wilderness and eventually committed suicide when he ran out of supplies.-Early life:...
- Coming into the CountryComing into the CountryComing into the Country is a 1976 book by John McPhee about Alaska and McPhee's travels through much of the state with bush pilots, prospectors, and settlers, as well as politicians and businesspeople who each interpret the state in different ways....
- Nanook of the NorthNanook of the NorthNanook of the North is a 1922 silent documentary film by Robert J. Flaherty. In the tradition of what would later be called salvage ethnography, Flaherty captured the struggles of the Inuk Nanook and his family in the Canadian arctic...
- Ed WardleEd WardleEd Wardle is a Scottish television producer, director, camera operator and adventurer.Wardle reached the summit of Mount Everest in 2007 while filming Everest: Beyond the Limit for the Discovery Channel. He reached the summit of the mountain again in 2009...
- Christopher McCandlessChristopher McCandlessChristopher Johnson McCandless was an American hitchhiker who adopted the name Alexander Supertramp and hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992 with little food and equipment, hoping to live for a time in solitude...
External links
- Bio
- More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke From the National Park Service. 500 pg, illustrated, 50 MB
- NPS page about Richard Proenneke
- Alone in the Wilderness at IMDB
- Photos of the landscape in Lake Clark National Park
- Map showing the location of Proenneke's cabin
- NPS Video No Place Like Twin Lakes, Talking Circle TV