Ernest De Koven Leffingwell - Trivia, Family, Bio
Zoe Patterson
Updated on February 20, 2026
Polar explorer who spent a good portion of his life on the Alaskan Arctic coast.
Before Fame
He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War, serving on the battleship Oregon during its trip around Cape Horn.
Trivia
He and his co-explorer, Ejnar Mikkelsen, financed their own expedition to the North Pole. After their boat got trapped in ice, they used its planks to build a permanent cabin.
Family Life
He was born in Knoxville, Illinois. His father, Charles Wesley Leffingwell, was a wealthy California rancher.
Associated With
He was one of the early explorers of Alaska, much like American Wilds P. Richardson .
