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Slide 1: 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the North Pole by Admiral Robert E. Peary By Dot DeAngelo
Slide 2: Birth Place of Peary  Born in Cresson, PA  May, 6, 1856  Parents had move from Maine to join relatives in the shook business (manufacture of barrel heads and staves)  His home was build before 1850, but was razed in 1983
Slide 3: Peary’s Life Peary’s father died when he was only three yeas old. His mother made the decision to take her child back to Maine near her relatives. He did well in school and graduated from Bowdoin College as a civil engineer He had the desire for exploration from an early age.
Slide 4: Local History Admiral Peary Park A park in Peary’s honor was dedicated in 1937 near the place of his birth. The monument of Peary with Eskimo sled dog was unveiled by his daughter Marie— Named “Snow Baby” by the Eskimos when seeing such white skin after her birth in Greenland.
Slide 5: Peary Monument
Slide 6: Admiral Peary Monument Funding for the Monument of Peary was made possible by the collection of coins by local school children during the Great Depression and support of Rotary The land for the park was donated by a wealthy benefactor, Mary K. Thaw The Works Project Administration during Depression provided the labor for the park development
Slide 7: Peary’s Accomplishment Peary made multiple unsuccessful trips in his attempts to reach the North Pole and encountered many hardships and. Just prior to his 52nd birthday, he and his team attained the North Pole on April 6, 1909 Co-explorer was Mathew Henson, an African American and four Inuits named Ootah, Ooqueals, Seegloo, Eglingwah
Slide 9: Peary’s Attributes The Cresson Area Historical Association has used the native son’s name to validate the “attributes of the Alleghenies” where he was born: Perseverance Endurance Achievement Resilience Yearning
Slide 10: Arctic Explorations Postage Stamp A special stamp was released at the Cresson Post office on April 6, 1959 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Peary’s accomplishment and the year of the U. S. Nautilus Submarine’s venture under the North Pole. “First day issue” was a grand event in Cresson
Slide 12: Cresson, PA Celebrates Native Son April 6, 2009 A Celebration Dinner is Planned at the “Admiral Peary” room of the Cresson American Legion to honor Admiral Peary A retired Naval Commander, active duty Naval officer, and government officials will be speakers who will describe Peary’s accomplishments.
Slide 13: Recognition  Students from districts that are part of Admiral Peary Consortium of Schools will be recognized for their works related to Peary  Special 100th Anniversary Coins that have been made by the “Friends of Eagle Island” (Peary’s Maine Home and state park) will be presented
Slide 14: Commemorative Coin  http://www.pearyeagleisland.org/
Slide 15: Inspiration and Exploration
Slide 16: Inspiration  Speakers will engage young and old alike to embrace the attributes of Peary  Opportunities for study, adventure, and exploration of the North Pole will be highlighted  Local band students will perform uplifting musical arrangements
Slide 17: Saving Local History  The Cresson Area Historical Association and Multiple Local Organizations have coordinated efforts in hope of inspiring the youth of our community to appreciate and preserve the history of our area.  The 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the North Pole by Cresson Area Native, Admiral Robert Peary has provided a great opportunity to promote the goal.