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)

Inscription. 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. Marker is off Jesup Drive, in Section 8 of the National Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Myer VA 22211, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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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.) This website may earn income if you use this link to make a purchase on Amazon.com.

Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (reverse) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, September 4, 2008

2. Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (reverse)

Additional keywords. Inuit, Greenland

Matthew Alexander Henson Marker image. Click for full size.

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.

Matthew Alexander Henson Marker (Viewing from the south.) image. Click for full size.

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.

Matthew Alexander Henson in 1953 showing a picture of himself in 1909. image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress, 1953

5. Matthew Alexander Henson in 1953 showing a picture of himself in 1909.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,361 times since then and 24 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.