Frederick A Cook

After Dr. Cook returned from his 1903 expedition to Mt. McKinley, he gave lectures about the expedition to the Arctic Club and other groups. In 1904, he gave his lecture to the Canadian Camp, a group of mountaineering enthusiasts. One of the audience members was Dr. Herschel C. Parker, a wealthy physics professor from Columbia University. Parker pledged $2000 to Dr. Cook for another attempt to climb Mt. McKinley, if Dr. Cook would include him as a member of the expedition. Dr. Cook agreed, and began outlining his plans for the next expedition.

In 1905, Dr. Cook joined with Parker and 5 others to form the Explorers Club. The club attracted influential explorers and patrons, and rapidly became one of America’s most influential organizations for supporting and evaluating exploration. Cook was elected the first president of the Club in 1906.

Financial support for Dr. Cook’s next expedition came together quickly. Henry Disston, heir to the saw-manufacturing fortune, promised Dr. Cook $10,000 if Cook would agree to join him for an autumn big-game hunt after his upcoming expedition to ascend McKinley. Harper’s Monthly Magazine advanced Cook $1000 for his story. Along with Parker’s $2000, Dr. Cook had $13,000, more than enough to carry out the expedition.13
On May 16, 1906, Dr. Cook and his expedition party departed Seattle, arriving in Tyonek on May 29. In an effort to move supplies to the base of Mt. McKinley, the expedition party used pack horses and a motorized boat, the Bolshoy. Several men traveled with the horses over land, while Dr. Cook and two of the men, Ed Barrill and John Dokkin, took the boat up river.

Given the lateness of the season, Dr. Cook told his companions that he would not try for the summit after all – he was only looking for a route to try the next season.  However, the weather cleared and Dr. Cook thought he could see a route to the summit.  He decided to go ahead with an attempt up the northeastern ridge.  They began their ascent on September 8.  Leaving Dokkin at 6000 feet to prospect for gold, Cook and Barrill steadily made their way to the summit, achieving the peak on the morning of September 16, 1906.