[1] John Ruskey of Clarksdale Mississippi is building 30 foot Voyager style canoes based on a design he was given by Frese.
[8] The Chicago Maritime Museum, which screened the documentary, describes it as "the incredible story of Ralph Frese, the inspirational Instigator behind countless canoe journeys through the heart of the country.
Experience the inside story from his many canoe disciples, Including the epic 3,000 mile historic journey from Montreal to New Orleans.
"[9][10][11] Francis Benton - British adventurer, photographer and explorer built his little kayak at Chicagoland Canoe Base before his second trip across the ocean.
"In the 1970s, Frese motivated peers to undertake the longest canoe journeys in more than 300 years by re-enacting two late 17th century voyages: one by Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Joliet, and another by French explorers René-Robert Cavelier and Sieur de La Salle.
[2] Larry Suffredin, Cook County Forest Preserve District Board commissioner said "He may have been the last blacksmith working in Chicago"[2] Frese was inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame in 2006.
We are grateful for these contributions and in particular for his ability to attract, inspire and enthuse an ever-growing cadre of like-minded supporters, of both professional and amateur backgrounds, to follow in his footsteps.