Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Matthew Alexander Henson
Co-discoverer of the North Pole
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, August 30, 2008
1. Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (obverse)
Reached the North Pole on April 6, 1909, with Robert E. Peary and four Polar Eskimos.
[Caption with image of group at Pole:]
Ooqueah, Ootah, Henson, Egingwah, Seegloo.
Matthew Alexander Henson Re-interment Committee: Dr. S. Allen Counter, Chairman and Organizer; John H. Johnson, Honorary Chairman.
April 6, 1988.
Reverse:
Matthew Alexander Henson
Co-discoverer of the North Pole
August 8, 1866 - March 5, 1955
"The lure of the Arctic is tugging at my heart. To me the trail is calling! The old trail - the trail that is always new."
And his beloved wife, Lucy Ross Henson
Erected 1988 by the Matthew Alexander Henson Re-interment Committee.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration. In addition, it is included in the National Cemeteries series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1881.
Location. 38° 52.236′ N, 77° 4.106′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Arlington National Cemetery. It is on Jessup Drive. Marker is off Jesup Drive, in Section 8 of the National Cemetery.
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Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Robert Edwin Peary (here, next to this marker); U.S. Coast Guard Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Indian Warriors and Their Brothers (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); You Are Remembered (about 800 feet away); The Vietnamese Airborne Division and Their Advisors (approx. 0.2 miles away); Americal Division (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Marine Division Association (approx. 0.2 miles away); 96th Infantry Division, U.S. Army (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Also see . . .
1. Matthew Henson. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 25, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Matthew Henson: the pioneering African-American Arctic adventurer. The Guardian website entry (Submitted on September 25, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
3. North Pole Legacy: Black, White, Eskimo. Amazon website entry:
From Library Journal: Counter, a Harvard professor, recounts how he located the half-Eskimo octogenarian sons of polar explorers Matthew Henson and Robert Peary and, after many difficulties, helped them to achieve their lifetime dream of visiting the United States to meet their American relatives and view their fathers' graves. ... (Submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, September 4, 2008
2. Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (reverse)
Additional keywords. Inuit, Greenland
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, September 4, 2008
3. Matthew Alexander Henson Marker
Seen with Admiral Peary's grave (nearby to its right) and the Air Force Memorial, in the distance to its left.
National Park Service, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, July 22, 2019
4. Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (Viewing from the south.)
Robert Edwin Peary Memorial in the foreground and the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial in the background.
Library of Congress, 1953
5. Matthew Alexander Henson in 1953 showing a picture of himself in 1909.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,648 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 25, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4, 5. submitted on August 15, 2019. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.
