Feeling he did not belong in a classroom, he spent his 20s working on the family farm. If he ever fell out of the canoe he used for fishing, he would instantly freeze to death in the icy water. July of 1977 would find him back home at Twin Lakes. He also carried a camera and tripod with him, which he used to record some of his daily activities, in case anyone would ever be interested to see how he lived. He did, however, possess one rare gem that seems very difficult to find in our modern worldpure, unadulterated contentment. Add family and friends whose lives he impacted. Dick Proenneke, The Man Who Lived Alone In The Wilderness . He had brought along his cameras in the hopes of filming his adventure and capturing as much of the areas wildlife he could find. Once when we visited, I noticed a fish line in the lake with what appeared to be fish intestines carefully threaded on the hook. Richard L. Proenneke (U.S. National Park Service) Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Cassandra Faye Shaffer (Peoria, Illinois), who passed away on April 21, 2023, at the age of 55, leaving to mourn family and friends. My backyard was a mountain, my front yard was a river and my best friends were the trails. In 1968, Richard Proenneke a 52-year-old Iowan whod fallen in love with the Alaska outback headed to a remote spot in the southwestern part of the state to test himself. One Man's Wilderness - Wikipedia He primarily stored his tools and a huge pile of wood in the shed. Subscribe to National Parks Magazinenow, 2023 National Parks Conservation Association, Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, Yellowstone Bourbon Recognized by National Parks Conservation Association with National Park Defender Award, EPA Proposes Strong Rule to Curb Haze in National Parks, 8 Things to Know Before Your First Solo National Park Trip, Our Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. He donated his cabin to the National Park Service, following which it became a popular tourism attraction as NPS offered trips to the site during summer. This section is to introduce Richard Proenneke with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. Biographies are our place to remember and discover more about the people important to us. Dicks brother Raymond collected both Dick and the Arctic Tern to recuperate at his home in California. The wind was getting stronger, and the noise of Dicks flapping trousers was getting louder. One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey Is Nature Writing At Its Best Proenneke has often been referred to as a hermit, alone and isolated and cut off from any type of contact. Writer Sam Keith, Richard Proenneke's friend at the Kodiak Naval Station, once mentioned that his illness had worked like an eye-opener for him and shifted his focus on building bodily strength. Today she lives at Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula. Rebuilding a simplified Bush existence in 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick He donated his log cabin and most of his possessions to the National Park Service, which had managed the area since 1978, when it became part of Lake Clark National Monument. Without the distractions of modern life, he was able to hone in on the natural world around him. Bob Swerer produced the video "The Frozen North" in 2006. A few feet to the south, he also built a 6-foot by 4-foot raised log cache, supported on four 9-foot-long wooden poles. I felt so good, he continued, I just went ahead and did 100.. He died of a stroke on April 20, 2003, at the age of 86. Journals #3, #4, & #5 are now available in e-book form! Washington DC 20001-3723. He came to outside the crumpled remains of his beloved Arctic Tern. Richard's birthday is in 44 days. Through the 1980s, Dick would spend more and more time with his journals, documenting everything he noticed in his graceful cursive script. About 45 feet east of the cabin, he built a woodshed-cum-outhouse with a slanting shed roof, modeled after Adirondack shelters. Because of the continued success of his book One Man's Wilderness things changed dramatically. As with More Readings From One Man's Wilderness, the volume is edited by John Branson. During the next few years, he earned a reputation as a very skilled mechanic thanks to his adaptability, strong work ethics and intelligence. Welcome to AncientFaces, a com "Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. (His belongings were there but without him there it was an empty shell.) An estimated 850,000 people attended. It also allowed the government to stockpile, in advance, materiel to be used in wartime. By then, he was more frail but still able to make his way up the trail to his favorite rock. The finished home included a chimney, bunk bed, and large window overlooking the water. Riflespeed Gas Control System: Is This the Ultimate Recoil Management? See What AncientFaces Does, He always liked to have people get pictures of themselves looking out through the top of the Dutch door of his cabin. Photos, memories, family stories & discoveries are unique to you, and only you can control. The following is excerpted from " The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke ," by Monroe Robinson. Richard Louis Proenneke died on Easter morning, 2003, in Hemet, Calif. Dick Proenneke and His Legacy Self-sufficient as he was, Dick was always dependent on the outside world. He fished, hunted, gathered, and raised his own food, but he would fly in supplies occasionally. The Donnellson Public Library in Donnellson, Iowa, close to his hometown of Primrose, opened a Richard Proenneke museum exhibit in 2012. writes 'I am writing this letter from a deep need to find within myself. They gotta work for a living.. As I leaned back on my elbows, knees bent, he took first one foot, then the other and began to rub off the calluses, gently but persistently. Following his retirement, he decided to live alone in the wilderness of Alaska and on May 21, 1968, he arrived at the spot he had chosen near the Twin Lakes. Richard Louis Proenneke was born on May 4, 1916, in Primrose, Harrison Township, Lee County, Iowa. In 1916, in the year that Richard L Proenneke was born, in June, the U.S. Congress authorized a plan to expand the armed forces over the next five years. Proenneke's father, William Christian Proenneke (18801972), served in World War I, and made his living as a house painter, carpenter and well driller. He followed the practice of waste-not-want-not. Winchester Model 88: Rare, Valuable & Still Used in the Deer Woods. He began keeping his Journal only after everyone had gone from Sept. 16 through Oct. 10th. Photo on book cover courtesy of Richard L. Proenneke, "A boy 17 yrs. He came to know the landscape around him intimately, observing the changing seasons, wildlife patterns, and weather variations from year to year. Those blueberries were the best ever. Copyright 2018 The Richard Proenneke Store - All Rights Reserved. Astonished, Will asked, Well how did you do that?. While at work at Chiniak he sustained an injury that nearly cost him his vision. He willed his cabin to the National Park Service, and it remains a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region of Lake Clark National Park.[8][2]. His cabin was illegal at the time, though of course we gave him five-year leases and ultimately a lifetime lease. Free Shipping on all orders within the United States. In 2003, some of the copyrighted text from the book and some of Proenneke's film were used with permission in the documentary Alone in the Wilderness,[10] which began appearing on U.S. Public Television. Two New Richard Proenneke DVD Documentaries are here! He took some line and threw it in the lake with a hook, and then we headed up behind his cabin. 300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s? Dick Proenneke, who had never caught as much as a cold, contracted rheumatic fever while stationed in San Francisco. You need to do something about that, Pat, Dick told me. His main cabin is roughly a 12-foot by 16-foot structure built from round spruce logs, with the roof being covered by sod, moss and grass that he added over the years. Richard L Proenneke (1916 - 2003) - Hemet, CA - AncientFaces He briefly attended high school but dropped out after just two years. Richard Proenneke would be 106 years old if he was . A master craftsman dedicated to living simply on the land, he used local materials, simple tools, and human ingenuity to craft a home and life in keeping with the wilderness. Proenneke spent the next several years working throughout Alaska as both a salmon fisherman and diesel technician. With the exception of a handful of nails, tar paper and some plastic sheeting, all the materials came from his surroundings. Dick explained that hed gone down to the creeks at the head of Turquoise Lake. the average Proenneke family member Peoria Obituaries - Latest Obituaries in Peoria, IL - Echovita Did Richard finish grade school, get a GED, go to high school, get a college degree or masters? Again he was forced to lay low while he recuperated. Equal parts Henry David Thoreau and trapper Hugh Glass, Dick Proenneke is widely remembered for both his practical survival skills and his written musings about mans relationship with nature. He next went back to school to prepare himself for a career as a diesel mechanic. For the time being, he decided to move north, where the forests were. We hiked and snowshoed miles and miles. Upon his return, he lived in his cabin for over 30 years, except for occasional travel to the contiguous United States. In 1978, he was featured in the PBS documentary Alaska: The Closing Frontier, where he advocated preservation and quoted Thoreau: In wildness is the preservation of the world.. Richard was fourth of his parents' six children. . After years in print it was reissued in a new format in 1999, winning that year's National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA). Although his needs were few, he did receive the occasional supply drop. Then it was a simple matter of threading the needle with the line and getting on with the business of sewing his pants. Tributes - The Richard Proenneke Store I was at Dicks place the day the associate directors visited. Before long, tales of his skills as a handyman that could fix anything spread across the state. He was 86 years old. That summer Proenneke harvested spruce trees and in 1968 he began construction on what would become his cabin and wilderness home during the next thirty years. Peoria Obituaries | Obits for the Peoria, IL Area - Legacy.com Proenneke bequeathed his cabin to the National Park Service upon his death and it was included in the National Register of Historic Places four years later. High-level park administrators, although well intentioned, can sometimes seem a bit arrogant. You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our, (Photo by Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, H-2190, catalog number LACL 3512, photo by Richard Proenneke), (Photo by Lake Clark National Park Service), (Photo by Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, catalog number LACL 2166, photo by Richard Proenneke), (Photo by Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, H-2167, catalog number LACL 3512, photo by Richard Proenneke), (Photo by Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, H-2342, catalog number LACL 3512, photo by Richard Proenneke), ENTER TO WIN: Free Gun Friday > Springfield Armory Hellion 5.56 Rifle * Trijicon RMR Red Dot * Black Hills Ammo *. On the suggestion of comic artist Sam Keith, Richard Proenneke's journal and photographic records were published in the form of a book, 'One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey', in 1973. In addition, Dick sought to improve his mental state as well. On one such occasion he tracked down a large caribou that had been shot through a front and hind leg and salvaged the meat for himself, finishing the job the lazy hunter refused to do. Photo Gallery (U.S. National Park Service) Competition 101: Preparing for Your First 3-Gun Competition, TESTED: Shooting the New Hornady 7mm PRC Rifle Cartridge. Richard Proenneke's birthday is on May 4, 1916. See our updated resources on what to know before you go. Keith Glen Proenneke (1941-2011) - Find a Grave Memorial Share highlights of Richard's life. Finally, in 1999, at age 82, he moved permanently to California to live with his brother, Raymond. "I have found that some of the simplest things have given me the most pleasure. Dick had scores of fans from all over the U.S. and beyond. We share yesterday, to build meaningful connections today, and preserve for tomorrow. View images of Proenneke's cabin and of the beautiful Twin Lakes area where he built his wilderness home. One fall, I came to visit Dick over my birthday. Learn More About Dick Proenneke's Life at Upper Twin Lake. From hunter to conservationist - explore the evolution of Richard L. Proenneke's wilderness ethos. Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service We are pleased to announce that we're working on a new book about Dick Proenneke who lived alone in the wild Alaskan wilderness for 31 years. Proenneke's cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. On my last visit to see Dick, in the late 1990s, he wanted to show some visitors the Teetering Rock above Hope Creek. Invite family and friends to share what they know about Richard L Proenneke. He set up camp on the shores of Twin Lakes. He spent almost two years at Pearl Harbor and was later stationed in San Francisco waiting for a new ship assignment. Dick certainly possessed the skillset to survive, but more importantly he had the mindset that allowed him to thrive. They just worked on my senses. PO Box 227 He accessed the cache with a ladder that he had built himself. Richard Louis Proenneke was an American self-educated naturalist who lived alone for nearly thirty years in the mountains of Alaska in a log cabin that he constructed by hand near the shore of Twin Lakes. When they came in, he would pass out crackers and tell visitors, Now hold the cracker tight. Proenneke had a very close relationship with the Park Service, assisting them in filming sensitive areas and notifying them if poachers were in the area. During his convalescence the war ended and he was given a medical discharge from the Navy in 1945. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Richard's lifetime. Editor: John B. Branson, historian for Lake Clark National Park & Preserve The Early Years: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1967-1973, More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980. When old man winter forced him indoors, he enjoyed reading Thoreau and Leopold, both of which he was fond of quoting in his journals. Finally, he used his knife to drill a hole in the wider end of the needle. (2005), Author: Richard L. Proenneke, Branson, John B., ed. In 1941, by the time he was 25 years old, in his State of the Union address on January 6th, President Roosevelt detailed the "four freedoms" that everyone in the world should have: Freedom of speech, Freedom of worship, Freedom from want, and Freedom from fear. Dick would stay on at Twin Lakes into the late 1990s, spending a little more time down south every year. Tom Betts is currently superintendent of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. His skills as a technician were well-known and sought after, and he was able to save for retirement. Wikimedia CommonsThe cabin Richard Proenneke would build on Twin Lakes in his 50s included a stone fireplace. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Cassandra Faye Shaffer to show support. Dick Proenneke's Cabin On Twin Lakes Alaska - YouTube Hardly a sedentary retirement, he was up before dawn each and every morning. His father William Christian Proenneke was a well driller who had served in World War I and his mother Laura was a homemaker. Pekin Obituaries | Local Obits for Pekin, IL - Legacy.com Lemme see, Dick replied. Although he would make a full recovery, he would never forget how weak and helpless his illness left him. Winners Announced: Ballistics Best Readers Choice 2022, New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show, First Contact: The Laugo Alien Pistol Has Landed, and Its out of This World. Proenneke says he . The Dow Jones fell 508 points to 1,738.74 (22.61%). He knew that sport fishermen used that area during the summer and invariably somebody got a snag in their line, so they would just cut the line off and throw it on the beach or in the bushes. about Richard Proenneke When is his birthday? Stu Coleman recently retired from a job working among the bison and bears at Yellowstone National Park. He said, Oh, the fish knew that we were having a party today.. Beforehand, he made arrangements to use a cabin on Upper Twin Lake owned by retired Navy Captain Spike Carrithers and his wife Hope of Kodiak (in whose care he had left his camper). Its always a beautiful time of year there, and he made my birthday a very special day. As I nosed the floats onto his beach, Dick came down, and I asked if he had any plans for his birthday. Who were the people in Richard's life? Richard Proenneke - Celebrity biography, zodiac sign and famous quotes The rumor has become fact: Hornady has expanded its Precision Rifle Cartridge family to 7mm. Then, learn about Chris McCandless, who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992, never to be seen alive again. How old was Richard when he died? Richard Proenneke passed away at age 86 years old on April 20, 2003. Alone in the Wilderness: Part 2 premiered on December 2, 2011. In 1929, by the time he was just 13 years old, on October 29th (Black Tuesday), the stock market crashed in the United States. The cabin is a popular attraction of Lake Clark National Park. Sadly, I missed his birthday, but I did get up to see him a week later. Alan and Laurel Bennett knew Proenneke from their time working at Lake Clark, and after they retired, they served as volunteer guides at his cabin for six years. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data. That need has surfaced itself in my life as my ultimate goal. The Richard Proenneke Store Apart from a replica of his cabin, the exhibit also features some of his writings and other artifacts. Cassandra Faye Shaffer Obituary. How I wish I could tell him about it in a letter and seek his thoughts. I grew up here in Alaska. In 2016 and 2018, respectively, A life in Full Stride: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 1981-1985 and Your Life here is an Inspiration: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 19861991 were published. (2011), Author: Richard L. Proenneke, Branson, John B., ed. Filmed in 1977, this 27 minute long documentary can be viewed online for free at the National Archives website. Hemet, Riverside County, California 92544. He had suffered severe damage to his lower spine and numerous lacerations to his face. Dick captured much of his famous cabin build on film. I am so grateful that I had a chance to meet and get to know Dick. Sam Keith, who came to know Proenneke at the Kodiak Naval Station and went on numerous hunting and fishing trips with him, suggested that Proenneke's journals might be the basis for a good book. But what about the winter? The Alaskan wilderness is as beautiful as it is dangerous, especially if youre traversing it or inhabiting it alone. Though hes long dead, his cabin has since become a monument for survivalists and conservationists alike to this day. He said, Ive been practicing chin-ups so that on my birthday, I can do 80., He was up to 60 when I landed, and he said he was adding two to four a day. Learn how and when to remove this template message, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, "Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proenneke, Building the Cabin", "Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proenneke, Living in Alaska", "Friends of Donnellson Library - Raymond aka "Jake", "Winners of the 1999 National Outdoor Book Awards", "Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proenneke, Later Years", "Friends of Donnellson Library - Richard Proenneke Museum - Home", More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980, The Early Years: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1967-1973, A Life in Full Stride: the Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1981-1985, Your Life Here Is An Inspiration: the Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1986-1991, Reaching the End of the Trail: the Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1992-2000, National Park Service: page about Richard Proenneke, National Park Service: information about visiting Proenneke's cabin, Bob Swerer Productions' Dick Proenneke Bio, National Park Service: Lake Clark web site, Lake Clark National Park landscape photos by Mark Meyer (12 Photos), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Proenneke&oldid=1148292296, Heavy equipment operator, carpenter, mechanic. Though adept at his trade, Proenneke eventually yielded to his love of nature and moved to Oregon to work at a sheep ranch. Physically, his lifestyle and attitudes about work kept him fit as a fiddle well intohis 70s. Finally, Will asked, What are you going to do?, Dick replied, Oh, Im going to go visit a seamstress. He handed his clipboard to Will, turned toward the lake and took off. Sturdy and modest, it measures 11 by 14 feet and wouldbe his home for the next 30 years. Proenneke often credited his Iowa farm upbringing with giving him the skills needed to hunt, fish, and fend for himself. [9] A hardcover "commemorative edition", celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of One Man's Wilderness, was published by Alaska Northwest Books in 2013. The world is full of such things., Proenneke left Twin Lakes in 1998, when he was 82, to move in with his brother in California. He inherited his craftiness from his father William, a carpenter and well driller. Since reading my book he wonders if I would take him on as an apprentice. His observations have inspired several books and videos. and you'll be alerted when others do the same. When 2 or more people share their unique perspectives, He encouraged Proenneke to use the site instead. Richard Louis Proenneke 1916 - 2003 . In October, the couple published Dick Proenneke: Reflections on a Man in His Wilderness, a compilation of essays written by (or drawn from interviews with) his friends and admirers. Help paint a picture of Richard so that he is always remembered. National Parks, our award-winning quarterly magazine, is an exclusive benefit of membership in the National Parks Conservation Association. While waiting for redeployment, he was stricken with rheumatic fever in San Francisco. Proenneke chose to live in this isolated wilderness without electricity, running water, telephone, or other modern 'necessities.'. Today its overshadowed by his other accomplishments, but he was truly one of the premier wildlife photographers of his time. Dick explained that he scooped up the gravel from the floor one bucket at a time, took the bucket to the lake shore, washed the gravel, then spread it back on the floor of the cabin. For Dick, nothing could be better than free film and a paycheck for doing what he loved. What is Richard's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? At the upper end of the valley, Dick said, See that glacier over there? Dick Proenneke lived a life many of us dream about but only a few hardy souls could actually pull off. 1st edition: 2016, Read More Books or Watch More Films About Dick Proenneke. Free Shipping on all orders within the United States. Being together was always very comfortable, whether conversation came or not. in the family tree section to add relatives, or press the "X" A hunter himself, he had quickly become disenchanted with the streams of trophy hunters that flew in each fall. He and Will Troyer, a park wildlife biologist, were in the middle of a caribou calf count at Turquoise Lake. He assisted the Park Service in finding lost hikers, counting wildlife and acting as an impromptu interpretive guide to the Twin Lakes area. We continued to exchange letters for a few more years, even as Dicks health failed more and more. Richard shot film throughout the entire stay at Twin Lakes which began on Aug. 8th, capturing on film the people we have come to know through reading Richards writings. AK Select the pencil to add details. In 1973, Keith published the book One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, based on Proenneke's journals and photography. Dick Proennekes built meat storage on stilts to keep off wild animals. Was I equal to everything this wild land could throw at me? he wrote in his diary. The day after my birthday, we went to the other side of the lake and picked blueberries. Come in out of the subzero and shiver yourself warm in front of a wood fire? (2) Filming the 1977 production One Mans Alaska at Emerson Falls. No, oh no, Dick would quickly command. Having visited the area before, he set up camp on the southern shores of the lake. Suite 700 We got ready to go on a long hike, but before we left, we did my favorite kind of fishing. View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA Iowa Lee County Richard Proenneke Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life Actors : Dick Proenneke Producers : Bob Swerer Studio : Bob Swerer Productions ASIN : B0009PUAFG Number of discs : 1 Best Sellers Rank: #12,150 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV) #7,331 in DVD Customer Reviews: 1,056 ratings Videos Upload your video He collected gravel from the lake bed to build the cabin's base, and hand-selected trees, manually cutting them down and creating interlocking joints for the walls and roof rafter framing. Dick Proenneke: The Simplest, Wildest Man - Ballistic Magazine Also Known As: Richard Louis Proenneke, Dick Proenneke Died At Age: 86 Family: father: William Christian Proenneke mother: Laura Bonn siblings: Florence, Helen, Lorene, Raymond, Robert Naturalists American Men Died on: April 20, 2003 place of death: Hemet, California U.S. State: Iowa Recommended Lists: American Celebrities Well, maybe take the Klepper kayak over to the other side and see if berries are ripe. In 2011 a sequel was produced after enough footage for at least two more programs was discovered. Dick always left a map of the area on the cabin table and a flagged pin to show exactly where he intended to go that day. Genealogy Collection :: Donnellson Public Library What schools or universities did Richard attend? His pants were just flapping in the wind where the seam used to be. He set up camp on the shores of Twin Lakes. The March was organized to address "the ills of black communities and call for unity and revitalization of African American communities". Richard Proenneke, whose friends called him Dick, is an icon of wilderness values and an inspiration to those who value simplicity, direct connection with nature, self-reliance, and ingenuity. Some guests would be a little timid at the prospect of a screaming gray jay landing on them, and they would just place the cracker in the palm of their hands. She went on to spend another 20 years teaching science, math and other subjects in Alaska. He saw his correspondence, films, and journals as a way to share a life untethered to the commercial world. When more footage was found from his recordings, a second part was made and aired on December 2, 2011. You may know Proenneke as the subject of four Without a doubt, Dick Proenneke's One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey is as memorable and captivating as any I've read in my five decades of reading.
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