Item 0023 - Correspondence, Kingston, ON, to

Wallace Havelock Robb, poet, author, and naturalist, was born in Belleville, Ontario in 1888. After serving in World War I, he entered business until 1921. He then went to the United States as a writer and bird photographer. An encounter with Edward, Prince of Wales, encouraged Robb to return to Canada in 1925. He settled on five hundred acres of property, which he called Abbey Dawn, where he established a sanctuary for all birds, including birds of prey, which was open to the public and attracted many visitors. For many years he wrote wild life stories for a number of Canadian periodicals. Robb also had a great interest in native culture, archeological finds of native artifacts, and he studied the Mohawk language. Several of his writings were based on native tradition. In 1948, Robb was adopted by blood rite by Mohawks of the Kente and made Great White Eagle and Pine Tree Chief of the Iroquois. Wallace Havelock Robb died in 1976.