Alaska The Harriman Expedition 1899

A note on the sources:p.213-9.

**The National Bestseller** From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu, a fascinating, wild, and wonder-filled journey into Alaska, America's last frontier In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman organized a most unusual summer voyage to the wilds of Alaska: He converted a steamship into a luxury "floating university," populated by some of America's best and brightest scientists and writers, including the anti-capitalist eco-prophet John Muir. Those aboard encountered a land of immeasurable beauty and impending environmental calamity. More than a hundred years later, Alaska is still America's most sublime wilderness, both the lure that draws one million tourists annually on Inside Passage cruises and as a natural resources larder waiting to be raided. As ever, it remains a magnet for weirdos and dreamers. Armed with Dramamine and an industrial-strength mosquito net, Mark Adams sets out to retrace the 1899 expedition. Traveling town to town by water, Adams ventures three thousand miles north through Wrangell, Juneau, and Glacier Bay, then continues west into the colder and stranger regions of the Aleutians and the Arctic Circle. Along the way, he encounters dozens of unusual characters (and a couple of very hungry bears) and investigates how lessons learned in 1899 might relate to Alaska's current struggles in adapting to the pressures of a changing climate and world.

"Following the ship's route, the book addresses wilderness conservation biology and ecology, American history, natural history and anthropology, and travel and exploration."--Jacket.

In 1899, one of America's wealthiest men assembled an interdisciplinary team of experts--many of whom would become legendary in their fields--to join him, entirely at his expense, on a voyage to the largely unknown territory of Alaska. The Harriman Expedition remains unparalleled in its conception and execution. This book follows the team closely: where they went, what they did, and what they learned--including finding early evidence of glacial retreat, assessing the nature and future of Alaska's natural resources, making important scientific discoveries, and collecting an astonishing collection of specimens. A second thread involves the lives and accomplishments of the members of the party, weaving biographical strands into the narrative of the journey and the personal experiences they shared. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly treatment of the Harriman Alaska Expedition since the 1980s. It features the diaries, letters home, and post-Expedition writings, including unpublished autobiographies, generated by the members of the party.

A visually stunning collection of photographs from the Harriman Alaska Expedition, capturing the beauty and awe-inspiring landscapes of the Alaskan wilderness. The book also includes insightful commentary from the team of leading scientists and experts who were part of the expedition, making it both a work of art and an invaluable historical record. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

At the height of the Industrial Revolution American business tycoon Edward H. Harriman organized and financed a scientific expedition to Alaska. In the summer of 1899, twenty-five of the finest scientists in the fields of geology, botany, ornithology, and ethnology were gathered for a two-month steamship cruise along the Alaska coast, for the purpose of investigating and documenting the country's newest frontier. One of those chosen for this prestigious floating university was George Bird Grinnell, selected for his expertise on Native American cultures. He and the other scientists joined artists and photographers on board the George W. Elder to explore Alaska's spectacular glaciers, copper mines, and Eskimo and Indian camps and villages, and to investigate the salmon and fur-trading industries. The data and photographs collected by Expedition members were published in eleven volumes from 1901 to 1905. The two essays prepared by Grinnell for the final Harriman Expedition report are reprinted here, with their original illustrations. "The Natives of the Alaska Coast Region" and "The Salmon Industry" are the work of a keen and careful observer who interpreted his assignment on the trip as that of recording the traditional way of life of native Alaskans, which he believed was rapidly disappearing.