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Friday 26 April 2013

Ralph Plaisted, Adventurer - 1927 - 2008.

 
Ralph Plaisted showing you where he would be travelling within the month.

Another claim to fame for the Plaisted family is Ralph Summers Plaisted who was born 30th September 1927 in Bruno, Minn., south west of Duluth.  He was the son of Orey Plaisted and Phyllis Summers

Though he dropped out of High School in tenth grade, I doubt anyone could imagine that he would end up holding the title with three friends of the first person to be verified at the North Pole.  This is his story.

He made his mother very proud by joining the Navy, where he became a Baker in the Aleutians towards the end of World War II.  After leaving the Navy he finally settled in St Pauls where he opened his own Insurance Agency.

Information read from another blog by Michael Plaisted who is a relative of Ralph's through his father says that Ralph was out drinking with three of his mates when the idea of making a trip to the North Pole on Snowmobiles a recent invention would be a great idea.  This was in 1967.  Snowmobiles had only been around a few years, the first time Ralph sat on one he loved it.  He proved that they were capable of extended journeys in 1965 when he did a 14 hour journey of 250 miles from Ely to St Paul's.

The title of the first proven team to cross the ice to the top of the world goes to Ralph Plaisted and his friends.  Gerald Pitzl, Jean-Luc Bombardier & Walter Pederson.  On their first attempt in 1967 failed, however all their trails and tribulations were documented by TV Journalist Charles Kuralt.

On 7th March 1968 they set out for another shot at reaching the North Pole.  They left Ward Hunt Island in Canada which was 474 miles from the North Pole.  They had many challenges along the way.  It took them 44 days to reach the North Pole, travelling through ice ridges and fissures and of course all the weather changes that occurred.  Once on the pole they hoisted flags for America & Canada then put up tents and rested.  The following morning they had to move their tents 2 miles back to the North Pole, this certainly shows how much movement there is in the ice.  A 10am that morning a US Forces aircraft confirmed their position as on top of the world, right at the North Pole.

There are various books written about this mans story, it would certainly make an interesting read.

My information came from one of Ralph Plaisted's obituaries which states that he died of a heart attack 8th September 2008.  Here is the link to that obituary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/13plaisted.html?_r=0

Friday 19 April 2013

DNA Plaisted via photos

Two lines that are not yet connected, though have strong DNA similarities

First I will put in a photo of my husbands 4th great grand uncle that was taken in about 1885 in London a few years before he died.  A rather handsome man to say the least.

 
Thomas Wilkes Plaisted   1811 - 1886


Next are two photos.  One of my husband and another of a gentleman from the American line.  Note these two lines do not yet connect at this stage.  Though looking at the photos I am sure they do somewhere.


            
                         My husband - photo taken May 2012                   Bob from the USA

So looking at these three photos tell me  what you think.  Most definitely  strong Plaisted
DNA
       





Time for an Update

Hi folks

Not been doing much research for the Plaisted family recently.  Last lady I helped was Amy.  I charming young lady in the USA.  I hope that I managed to connect her with another researcher of her direct line. 

I would dearly like to  connect all the dots for the Plaisted line in Australia and bring it all up to date, there are so many different surnames and in so many different places too.  Those that are in Australia please give me a yell, it would be lovely to find some more details and cousins.

Now I would love to show you some photos of various Plaisteds from completely different lines that have no connect (YET) however the DNA is amazing - and shows to be very strong.

Just got to ask permission to use photos so keep an eye open for them soon.  I hope.

Let us get this American lines up and running too.  I have updated some family trees.  If you see anything that matches your line please let me know.  I will be putting them up soon too.  The trees I have updated are from the Book by Arthur H Plaisted.


Before I go to links from Anne  (Big Thanks)  about The Australian Plaisted line and also the Green line that married into it. 

 http://ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/tabitha-plaisted-1806-1891.html   Tabitha Plaisted sister of John

http://ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/green-family-in-australia.html    Anne Green wife of John

Take care be back soon.  xx