Rockwell Kent "Wilderness" Centennial Journal

ROCKWELL KENT WILDERNESS CENTENNIAL JOURNAL 100 YEARS LATER by Doug Capra © 2018 These days 100 years ago Kent and his son were in Seward off and on between gathering supplies and making the Fox Island cabin livable. “Father laid a floor, cut window openings, mounted windows and roof, which he shingled, built shelves, a table and a bunk,” Rockie recalled. “I would like to report that we did all these things, but I believe I was of little help. I may have held the end of a board when so requested, but I think I was sent off to explore the woods, to get out of the way of flying nails and hammer.” And what a place to explore for an eight-year-old! Kent mentions the flat, odd-shaped stones on the pebbly beach but only a few times. I’ve always been surprised that he never commented on the flat, heart-shaped stones we sometimes find. As I’ve strolled the beach over many years, I’ve finally come to understand why. Kent was not looking down – the artist was looking up – at the sky, the