The Bear that Ate Bacon led to rescue of Stranded Crew

A bear's love for bacon led to a dramatic rescue mission 125 years ago. This intriguing tale is a testament to the unexpected twists of nature and human resilience - at the end of the story a glacier's naming commemorates kindness and friendship, all wrapped in Herron Glacier's history from 1899 

The Rescue Mission by Chief Sesui of 

Lt. Joseph Herron's survey crew

Reports of the missing party appeared in newspapers around the country.  This article appeared in the St. Louis Globe Democrat, December 8, 1899. Above: Minchumina Ivan (left) and Chief Sesui (right)

From Lt. Joseph Herron's publication "Explorations in Alaska," 1899.

Credit: National Park Service 

Herron Glacier: This glacier was named in 1902 by A. H. Brooks, U.S. Geological Survey for Lieutenant Joseph S. Herron, US Army, who conducted an exploring expedition in 1899 from Cook Inlet north along the west slope of the Alaska Range to the Tanana River. The 14-mile glacier trends north from Mount Foraker to the head of Herron River, Alaska Range.

      An interesting event preceded the glacier’s name. In September 1899, Athabaskan Chief Sesui was out hunting when he came across a strange sight: the bear he had just shot was not full of berries and fish as expected; instead, it was full of bacon—a food associated with newcomers to Alaska.  Sesui reportedly followed the bear tracks that led to a raided food cache and located Lt. Herron’s bedraggled exploration party. The ill-equipped group were lost in the boggy lowlands on the western boundary of what is now Denali National Park and Preserve.

The Chief rescued the distressed explorers and led them to his village of Telida (Tilayadi). 

Unbeknownst to the lost, newspapers across country reported on the strange disappearance of Herron and his men. Were they swallowed whole by the frozen landscape of the north?

No, they were alive and well.

For over two months the Telida people helped the six strangers and provided them with warm clothing, food, and shelter to survive the oncoming winter for which they were not properly outfitted. When the conditions were again suitable for travel, Alaska Natives guided the expedition north on its final leg to Fort Gibbon (on the Yukon River at the mouth of the Tanana River). Herron told the story of the rescue in his book, Explorations of Alaska 1899. He noted the sacrifice of the Telida people in sharing their own scant resources with strangers and expressed deep gratitude.

      One hundred and twenty-five years after Herron’s party was saved, the Telida Village and people are still here, and are an important part of Denali National Park and Preserve’s community, according to the park’s publications. Telida Village is a federally recognized tribe that park managers consult with regularly. An overview of Telida’s history is available in Ray Collins’ Dichinanek’ Hwt’ana.