Chilling Reality

On Saturday, March 26, Rich and Liz Stanaitis, members of the Pennsylvania  Sled Dog Club, presented a program at Chester County Historical Society in conjunction with the current exhibit “Chilling Reality, Chester County’s Arctic Explorers”.  Rich presented a power point about the history of sled dogs and then Liz talked about the sport today. 

They brought 2 sleds, one hand crafted by the legendary dog sled maker Ed Moody, as well as a “gig”, a 3 wheeled vehicle for dry land racing.  Of course you can’t demonstrate sled dog racing without the dogs, and two of t

The note tied to the spoon reads:  “This teaspoon is the only one I had on the 1894 ice cap dash for the Pole.  This & my hunting knife were the only tools to eat with I had with me.  I had a string in the hole in handle & tied it around my neck inside my shirt & when needed pulled it out stirred my tea & returned it.  S.J. Entrikin”  Survival, of course, is about more than a few tools.

The Chilling Reality exhibit contains many objects that were brought to the Arctic by our featured explorers which are now in the collection of the Chester County Historical Society. The watch and compass in this picture are so rich with associations that they tie together time and space, from the 19^thcentury to the present, from Chester County to the Arctic and certainly to wherever you are now reading this. Read more »