Joe Root (hermit)

Joseph Root (1860 – 29 October 1912) was a well-known hermit who lived in what is now Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania,[1][2] Root lived on Presque Isle without any modern conveniences.[3] He has sometimes been nicknamed "the King of the Peninsula"[2] or "the King of Presque Isle".[4]

Joe Root
Root while residing at Presque Isle State Park (circa 1890s)
Born1860
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Died1912 (aged 51–52)
Warren, Pennsylvania, United States
Resting placeOdd Fellow Cemetery (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Known forWell-known hermit who lived in Presque Isle State Park; lived completely off the land

Life

Presque Isle State Park

Root moved away from his childhood home to Presque Isle while still in his adolescent years.[1][2] He was one of the first permanent inhabitants to the peninsula (Presque Isle wasn't declared an official state park until 1921[5]) There was also a lighthouse keeper who resided at the park during the late 19th century and he often had his tomatoes swiped by Root.[3]

Root hunted and fished to support himself in the harsh environment – he would become fond of raw fish in particular.[6] There was a rumor that a dead cow once washed up on the shore of Presque Isle and Root fed off of it for an entire week.[6] Root also ate local wild plants such as wild cattails, duck potatoes, spatterdocks, rice, blueberries, dewberries, and wild strawberries.[3]

Root was a favorite with local children, entertaining them with ventriloquism and stories about his "friends".[1][2] These friends were called the Jee-Bees (alternatively known as either GBs[3] or jeebies[6]); they were invisible nature spirits[7] who could accurately predict the weather.[1][2] During long winter nights, Root would walk to Erie to spend some time at the local poorhouse.[6] Locals could sometimes see him walking on State Street with either a fishing net or a cane pole.[6]

Later life

Root was committed to the Warren State Hospital for the Insane in Warren, Pennsylvania, on 14 April 1910 after a short stay at an Erie-area poorhouse.[6]

Legacy

Joe Root is remembered in the Erie, Pennsylvania, area as a colorful character and something of a symbol of Erie's history. A now-shuttered local restaurant, Joe Root's Grill, whose last day open for business was 30 September 2019, honored his name, as does a winter golf tournament, Joe Root's Frostbite Open (sponsored by local businesses, one of which was the restaurant).[4][8]

References
  1. "Basic history of Joe Root". Joe Roots Grill. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "King of The Peninsula". Innvista. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  3. Richards, Dave (18 March 2010). "What was Joe Root, the legendary inhabitant of the peninsula, really like? Ask Brian Akula". Erie Times-News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  4. Martin, Jim. "Erie's Joe Root's Grill has closed". GoErie.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  5. Cupper, Dan (1993). Our Priceless Heritage: Pennsylvania's State Parks 1893-1993. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks. ISBN 0-89271-056-X.
  6. Massing, Dana (10 March 2010). "Naturalist preserves history with Presque Isle program on Joe Root". Erie Times-News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  7. Palmer, Joe. "Interview With Sean McGrath". Prism Comics. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  8. "Joe Root's Frostbite Open". Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.