Charles Sheldon

The Wilderness of the North Pacific Coast Islands Charles Sheldon

A self-made millionaire, Charles Sheldon went from railroad tycoon to revered naturalist. Much of Sheldon's exploration took place in the untamed wilderness of Alaska and surrounding regions. Throughout his journeys, he came across native tribes that had experienced very little contact with the outside world. His efforts in increasing public awareness of the natural wonders and need to protect wilderness areas led to the creation of Mount McKinley National Park in 1917. Excerpt: "Through the summer and early fall of 1904 I had been hunting mountain-sheep among the Rockies of the Yukon Territory, and on my return stopped at Victoria for the purpose of arranging a trip for wapiti, Cervus occidentalis, during the month of November. Although many sportsmen had killed this fine animal on the island, little had been recorded about it, and nowhere had I seen a detailed description of the experiences of a hunter in the Vancouver Island forests. Some question had arisen as to the exact status of the wapiti isolated there, and the main object of my trip was to secure a bull for the Biological Survey in Washington, so that its relation to the wapiti, Cervus roosevelti, of the Olympics could be positively determined. Warburton Pike, who had passed the summer hunting in the Stikine River region and had joined me on the steamer at Wrangel, took great interest in my proposed trip, and through his kind assistance in Victoria I was enabled to make my plans."