Walter Harper facts for kids
Harper in 1913
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Main discipline | Mountain climber |
| Born | 1893 Tanana, District of Alaska |
| Died | October 25, 1918 (aged 25) Lynn Canal, Territory of Alaska |
| Nationality | American |
| Career | |
| Starting age | 20 |
| Notable ascents | Denali (June 7, 1913) |
Walter Harper (born 1893 – died October 25, 1918) was an Alaska Native mountain climber and guide. He made history on June 7, 1913. On that day, he became the first person to reach the very top of Denali. Denali is the highest mountain in North America.
Other members of his climbing team followed him to the summit. These included guide Harry Karstens, Hudson Stuck who organized the trip, and missionary Robert Tatum. After his amazing climb, Walter Harper continued his education. He got married in 1918 and planned to study medicine. Sadly, he and his wife were on a ship called the SS Princess Sophia. The ship hit a reef in a snowstorm and sank. Everyone on board was lost.
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Early Life and Education
Walter Harper was born in 1893 in Tanana. He was the youngest of eight children. His mother, Jennie Seentahna Harper, was from the Koyukon people. His father, Arthur Harper, was from Ireland. His parents had married in 1874. Arthur Harper was a trader who helped start a trading post in Tanana.
Walter's mother raised him in the traditional Koyukon way. When he was 16, Walter started attending Tortella School. This was an Episcopal boarding school in Nenana, Alaska. There, he met Hudson Stuck. Stuck was a missionary who worked in a large area of Alaska.
Stuck was very impressed by Walter's skills. Walter was good at fishing, tracking, trapping, and handling dogs. He was also very smart and polite. Stuck hired Walter to be his interpreter, guide, and dog driver. He also encouraged Walter to keep learning and studying.
The Denali Expedition
In 1913, Hudson Stuck invited Walter Harper to join his team. Their goal was to climb Denali. Walter was 20 years old at the time. The team also included Harry Peter Karstens, who was the chief guide. Robert Tatum, another missionary, was the cook. Two Gwich'in teenagers, Johnny Fredson and Esaias George, helped at the base camp. They also took care of the dog teams.
The expedition started on March 17, 1913, from Nenana. On the first day, they hiked about 30 miles (48 km). They pulled two sleds of supplies with fourteen dogs. The trip up the river to Eureka took eight days. There, they got more supplies and celebrated Easter.
It took them many weeks to reach their final camp. The journey was much longer than they expected. They faced many challenges. They went through the steep Muldrow Glacier, which had many deep cracks. They also had a tent fire. It took them three weeks to get past Karstens Ridge. This area was blocked by huge rocks and ice from an earthquake the year before. They even survived falling 50 feet (15 m) down an icefall.
On June 6, they finally reached their highest camp. It was at an elevation of 18,000 feet (5,486 m). This was the highest camp ever set up in North America at that time.
Reaching the Summit
At 4:00 a.m. the next morning, the climbers began their final push. They wanted to reach the very top of the mountain. At 1:30 p.m., the team reached the summit of Denali. The top of the mountain is 20,310 feet (6,190 m) high. Walter Harper was the first person to stand on the summit.
They spent about an hour and a half at the top. Robert Tatum put up a flag he had made from handkerchiefs. He said the view was like "looking out of a window of heaven." Hudson Stuck also made sure they put up a six-foot cross. After taking measurements to find the mountain's exact height, the team started their descent. The journey down the mountain took only two days. This was much faster than the 50 days it took to climb up. The expedition returned to Tanana on June 20. The whole trip had taken three months and four days.
Later Life and Tragedy
After his climb, Walter Harper continued his education. He went to Mount Hermon School for two years. He left in 1916 but kept studying in Alaska. He planned to go to medical school in Philadelphia.
On September 1, 1918, he married Frances Wells in Fort Yukon. Hudson Stuck performed the wedding ceremony. For their honeymoon, Walter and Frances took a ship called the SS Princess Sophia. They sailed from Skagway to Seattle. From Seattle, they planned to travel to Philadelphia. Walter was going to medical school there. Frances planned to join the Red Cross.
The ship left Skagway on October 23. A day later, it was sailing through Lynn Canal. A strong storm with heavy snow hit the ship. The Princess Sophia went about 1 mile (1.6 km) off course. It then ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef. This was a flat, rocky part of an underwater mountain.
At first, the sea was calm. But then another strong storm came. The ship sent out radio calls for help. However, other ships and small boats could not get close enough. The conditions were too dangerous to rescue anyone. After about 40 hours, the Princess Sophia broke apart and sank. This happened on October 25. All 268 passengers and 75 crew members were lost. This was a total of 343 people.
After their bodies were found, Walter and Frances Harper were buried side by side. They rest in Juneau.
Legacy and Remembrance
- In 1913, Hudson Stuck named Harper Glacier after Walter. This glacier is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long. It runs from Denali Pass to the Great Icefall. It was also named after Walter's father, Arthur.
- On June 7, 2012, Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill. This bill was to name the Talkeetna Ranger Station in Talkeetna, Alaska, after Walter Harper. It is now called the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.
