Description of Historic Place

Located on the northeast coast of Ellesmere Island, Fort Conger features three small buildings and a debris field related to early scientific research and exploration in the arctic. Its surviving shelters were erected by arctic explorer Robert Peary in 1900. They were built using material from a scientific research station erected at the same location by the United States Army in 1881.

qanuittuuninga:
ausuitturmiut qikiqtangata uangnangani pingangniqlinganiittuq, Fort Conger pingasunik mikijunik qarmaqaqtuq ammalu aktakunik taipsumani qaujisailauqtut ujaraksiulauqtullu quttiktumi qimaktaviningit. qarmait sanajaujuviniit ukiuqtaqtumuuqsimajumut raput piurimut 1900- nginni. piqutit katitausimajut qaujisaivvingningaaqtut nappaqtiqtaujuviniit taikanittainnaq unataqtuksat iniviningani 1881-mi.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Fort Conger is derived from its association with exploration and scientific research in the arctic during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The crew of HMS Discovery first wintered in the area during their historic voyage along the northeast coast of Ellesmere Island in 1875.

Led by Lieutenant Adolphus Greely, the United States Army established a scientific research station at Discovery Harbour in 1880. Named for an expedition supporter, Fort Conger included a large winter shelter that soon proved difficult to heat. When severe ice condition prevented supplies from reaching its residents for two years in a row, Fort Conger was abandoned. By the time expedition members were rescued several months later, only seven of the original twenty-five had survived.

In 1899 Fort Conger was reborn under the leadership of explorer Robert Peary. As part of his attempt to reach the North Pole, Peary used Fort Conger as a base camp. A year after arriving at Fort Conger, he dismantled the large shelter built there by the Greely Expedition in 1881 and replaced it with several smaller semi-subterranean structures. Employing design techniques found in traditional Inuit dwellings, the new shelters were much easier to heat.

The Peary Expedition, which included Inughuit guides from Greenland, spent one winter at Fort Conger in 1900. Peary also used it as a base for two other expeditions in 1905-06 and 1908-09 Arctic expeditions from around the world continued to use Fort Conger for several decades after that.

itsarnitait pimmariutitaujut:
itsarnitatigut pimmariutitauninga Fort Conger pijjutiqaqtuq tariup akianingaaqtut tikilauqsimaninginnut ammalu qaujisarutausimajunut ukiuqtaqtumi 1800-ngit nunguppallialiqtillugit 1900-ngit pigialisaaqtillugit. umiarjuakkut tikittut HMS Discovery-kut sivulliqpaami tauvaniilauqsimajut 1875-mi.

sivuliqtigijaulluni unataqtuksat angajuqqaanga atavis gurili, amialikakkut unataqtuksangit saqqitittilauqsimajut qaujisaivvingmi Discovery Harbour-mi 1881-mi. attiqtaulauqsimajuq nuna tariup akianingaaqtuq ikajuriaqti isumagijaulluni, Fort Conger pitaqalauqtuq ukiukkut uqqualiangusimajumi uqungittummarialuusimajumi. sikuqalualimut piqutit tikittunnaillisimajuviniit marruungnik ukiunik, taimaimmat Fort Conger qimaktaulilauqtuviniq. qapsikallat taqqit pianiktillugit nanijaulirniqlutik, 25-ngulauqtuugaluat 7- tuinnaulirniqlutik.

1899-mi Fort Conger atuqtaukkannililaurmijuq sivuliqtigijaulluni raput piari. nunarjuap kapjinganut tikinnasuaqluni, piari Fort Conger-mi atulauqsimajuq tunngavigilluniuk. arraagumi atausirmi tauvaniiliqluni, uqqualiangusimajuq iguptilauqsimajanga gurilikkunnut sanajaulauqsimajuq mikilligiaqluniuk nunaup ataanut ilulliqtiqsimajumuungallugu. aaqqiksuqsimaninga inuit iliqqusituqanginningaaqtuq qarmaliuqattaqsimaninginnik, nutaaq najurniaqtanga uquqsiriarniqsaulauqtut.

piari ingirraqatingillu, inuksuit akukitturmiunik nunamik qaujimajiqaqlutik piqatiqalauqtut, pingasunik ukiuqsiulauqtut Fort Conger-mi 1899 ammalu 1908 akunningani. ukiuqtaqtuliaqattaqtut nunarjuarmiutat atuqattainnaqsimajut Fort Conger-mi amisukallangnik ukiunik.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements:
- The huts constructed by the Peary Expedition in 1900; the traditional design techniques they employ and their salvaged construction materials.
- Surviving above ground, below ground and underwater archaeological remains related to HMS Discovery, the Greely Expedition and Peary Expedition.
- The landscape of Fort Conger, bearing evidence of human activity, as well as natural features such as the beaches, streambeds, rise of the land and its relationship with the water.

tagvanngaaqtunik tukisitittigiarutiit:
- qarmait nappaqtiqtaujut piarikkunnut 1900-mi; iliqqusituqatigut sanajausimajut ammalu atuqtaukkannirunnaqsimajut piqutit uqquarmut atuqtausimajuviniit.
- inuunasuarniq nunaup qaangani, ataani ammalu imarmi itsarnitat piqutiviniit HMS Discovery-mi umiarmuarmingaaqsimajut, gurilikkut piarikkullu ukiuqtaqtumiinnirilauqtanginningaaqtut.
- uqqualiuqsimajut nunatuinnarmi Fort Conger-mi, ujjirnaqluni inuqaqattalaurninganut, ammattauq ujjirnaqtut sigjami, kuuralaarni, majuqqani imarmilu piliriqattaqsimaninginnut.