Lieutenant Frederick G. Schwatka is best known for his command of the Franklin search expedition that was sponsored by the American Geographical Society of New York from 1878 to 1880. Later he extensively explored Alaska, the Yukon and Mexico. Schwatka's ‘search’ resulted in the finding of a number of new relics and remains that were returned to England. His accomplishments included one of the longest sledge journeys completed to that time under some of the coldest conditions experienced in the Arctic. This brought him extensive praise (Markham Reference Markham1880: 659; McClintock Reference McClintock1908: 71).
He was born in Illinois and he grew up in Oregon as his family had participated in the western migration in the United States. He was appointed to West Point, the United States Military Academy, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 3rd Cavalry in which he served in the Indian Wars, 1871–1876. Schwatka was clearly an unusual soldier as during his military service he was admitted to the bar in Nebraska in 1875 and received a medical degree from Bellevue Medical College in New York City in 1876.
He died from a self-administered dose of a narcotic in Portland, Oregon on 2 November 1892 after his return from his expedition to Alaska. He was buried in the Odd Fellow Rural Cemetery in Salem, Oregon on 4 November 1892. His chief pallbearer was Dr David Walker, who had been the surgeon and naturalist on Sir Leopold McClintock's Fox expedition in 1857–1859 (Johnson and others Reference Johnson, Johnson, Jeanes and Deaver1984: 11–12).
His headstone (Fig. 1) stands in a corner of the family lot, facing northeast, overlooking the Willamette Valley toward Mt. Hood, the area that he envisaged for a future expedition. The headstone was selected by his brother-in-law Thomas H. Reynolds, at the request of his wife Ada Brackett Schwatka. She returned to Rock Island, Illinois after his death and she remained there receiving a widow's pension until her death in 1930.
Schwatka's headstone. Photograph by the author.
The headstone, which is barely 20 inches (0.5 m) high, is well worn but the inscriptions are still visible. Its face is decorated by with a chevron that contains ‘Lieut. F. G. Schwatka, 3rd Cav.’ Below are found ‘Died, Nov. 2, 1892, EXPLORER.’ The latter is hidden for much of the year by vegetation and snow and ice. The Friends of the cemetery diligently maintain the stone as best they can but it leans forward and would be prone on the ground save for a cement bar propping it up.
Schwatka's headstone is small, when compared to others and especially with those of his parents who died before him. Both stand well over four feet and are on pedestals. His father's headstone sits on a block that is blazed with ‘SCHWATKA’ in strong block letters. His mother's is a short stone placed on two pediments. Both differ from his in that they state their place of birth and are inscribed ‘At Rest’.
