Mushing Maine, From End to End, in 1941.
In my ongoing quest to finish what Perry Greene started in 1951, by ascending Mount Katahdin by dogteam, I received a big surprise.
A few weeks ago, Peter Richard’s gave me a phone call. He is the grandson of Perry Greene. What’s more, Richards- now in his 80s- was one of the Boy Scouts that accompanied his Grandfather on the Katahdin dog sled expedition.
Peter Richards and I have become friends over the past two weeks- We talk on the phone or message almost daily- swapping stories.
Peter Richards Sr., grandson of Perry Greene
I asked him if he had seen the 1941 Fort Kent, Maine images of his grandfather, with his team of Chinooks, that had been featured on the old Can-Am Crown website. He had not.
This set me on a quest to track those photos down. First to The Can Am Crown. They were no longer on their new website anywhere, so I reached out to their social media team. Then, to the Fort Kent Preservation Society. And then to the Acadian Archives.
I have described in detail- elsewhere here on my blog- Greene’s 1951 attempt to ascend Katahdin by dogsled team in my own expedition proposal. But Greene is more well known for his 1941 mush across the state of Maine.
During February, 1941 Perry Greene and his stepson, Johnny Gephart and seven Chinooks hauled 800-pounds of equipment via dog sled from Fort Kent to Kittery. “They traveled 502 miles in 90 (traveling) hours. This was the longest sled dog trek ever made entirely within the United States at the time.” Or so the promotional material said.
Eventually the Can Am Crown was able to pull the images from their old server, and sent them to me. So I want to share them publicly here, to ensure they will not ever become lost to history. The Fort Kent Historical Society reviewed the images and told me the brick building in some of the pics was the "Acadia Hotel" which was located where Irving Gas Station is now, in town. The Society also identified the photographer as a town resident photographer, Tim Hoyt. Chad Pelletier, of the historical Society also shared these images with me of a post card in his personal collection of the 1941 Greene/Chinook trip.
The caption reads, "World's Only Breeder of Pure Bred Chinook Dogs, for House and Harness. These dogs make excellent playmates and companions for children, and are exceptionally intelligent, strong and gentle. On sale of Exhibition at the Perry Greene Kennels On US Highway #1, Warren Maine"
A special thank you to the Can Am Crown International Sled Dog Race, and the Fort Kent Historical Society, for taking the time to dig these up for us. Perry Greene's grandson and I thank you!
