 Photo courtesy of Hales Corners Hstorical Society |
Walter Ben Hunt (1888–1970) was an important figure in outdoor recreation and the revitalization of skills and crafts from the pioneer era. His writings, including more than 20 books and 1,000 magazine articles, have been printed in 26 languages.
Ben Hunt is perhaps best known for his many books on Native American crafts, woodworking, cabin construction, and woodcarving. He also contributed many articles (under the pen names Lone Eagle and Whittlin’ Jim) to Boys’ Life Magazine, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, with which he was deeply involved both locally and nationally.
In 1924, Ben Hunt and two of his relatives built a cabin of tamarack logs using hand tools familiar to hardy pioneers on the American frontier. The cabin still stands today in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, along with a dugout canoe that Ben carved in 1945 from a basswood tree using an axe, adze, and Indian crooked knife. These historical constructions, along with Ben Hunt's many writings and drawings, continue to inspire and encourage building and craftwork using rustic methods, tools, and natural materials.
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