Leffingwell Camp Site on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Leffingwell Camp Site, on Flaxman Island, west of Barter Island on the Arctic Coast of Alaska, was used by polar explorer and geologist 
Following the destruction of the ''Duchess of Bedford'', Leffingwell "returned to civilization in the fall of 1908, as the guest of Capt. George B. Leavitt." Leffingwell subsequently named Narwhal Island for the name of Capt. Leavitt's vessel, the steam Narwhal Island, cLocations
The historic integrity of the camp was diminished in the 1930s when some structure was removed by a salvager. The camp was added to the
Ernest de Koven Leffingwell
Ernest de Koven Leffingwell (January 13, 1875January 27, 1971) was an arctic explorer, geologist and Spanish–American War veteran.
During the period from 1906 to 1914, Leffingwell spent nine summers and six winters on the Arctic coast of Alaska ...
on his pioneering Anglo-American Polar Expedition of 1906–1908, which aimed to explore the Beaufort Sea
The Beaufort Sea (; french: Mer de Beaufort, Iñupiaq: ''Taġiuq'') is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, and west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after Sir Fr ...
. The expedition's ship, the ''Duchess of Bedford'', was allowed to become locked in ice which eventually destroyed it.
The camp site was chosen before the ship was locked in ice, and was not merely the nearest landfall. The site was used by Leffingwell over several years, beyond the end of that expedition.
Leffingwell created the first accurate map of a section of Alaskan coastline. He was the first to scientifically describe permafrost
Permafrost is ground that continuously remains below 0 °C (32 °F) for two or more years, located on land or under the ocean. Most common in the Northern Hemisphere, around 15% of the Northern Hemisphere or 11% of the global surface ...
and to pose theories about permafrost which have largely proven true. He accurately identified the oil potential of the area, including assessing that it was not, in his day, technologically or economically feasible to develop it.
Following the destruction of the ''Duchess of Bedford'', Leffingwell "returned to civilization in the fall of 1908, as the guest of Capt. George B. Leavitt." Leffingwell subsequently named Narwhal Island for the name of Capt. Leavitt's vessel, the steam New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
-based whaler ''Narwhal'', and bestowed the name of the Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
-born Captain, who married an Inuit woman and settled at Barrow, on Leavitt Island off the Alaska North Slope
The Alaska North Slope ( Iñupiaq: ''Siḷaliñiq'') is the region of the U.S. state of Alaska located on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of two marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea being on the western sid ...
.The historic integrity of the camp was diminished in the 1930s when some structure was removed by a salvager. The camp was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1971 and and was declared a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1978.
See also
*List of National Historic Landmarks in Alaska
The National Historic Landmarks in Alaska represent Alaska's history from its Russian heritage to its statehood. There are 50 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the state. The United States National Historic Landmark program is operated under ...
*National Register of Historic Places listings in North Slope Borough, Alaska
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in North Slope Borough, Alaska.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in North Slope Borough, Alaska ...
References
External links
{{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in Alaska Geography of North Slope Borough, Alaska National Register of Historic Places in Alaska National Register of Historic Places in North Slope Borough, Alaska