Category: United States

Noah John Rondeau (1883-1967) was known as the Adirondack hermit. He lived in a wilderness area of Cold River, New York, dubbing his hermitage Cold River City (population 1) and himself as mayor. Rondeau began staying in his hermitage even over the harsh winters after 1929. He was forced to move after a 1950 storm leveled much of the forest around his hermitage. Some details about Rondeau are offered on the “Adirondack Lives” web site: http://www.adirondackhistory.org/newadklives/ and at http://www.adirondack-park.net/history/noah.john.rondeau.html). The first link has good photos. There are also two books on Rondeau: Noah John Rondeau, Adirondack Hermit by Maitland C. DeSormo and Life With Noah: Stories and Adventures of Richard Smith with Noah John Rondeau as told to William J. O

The diary of Florida Everglades hermit Al Seely continues:
Part 9: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13326420&BRD=2256&PAG=461&dept_id=457701&rfi=6;
Part 10: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13386153&BRD=2256&PAG=461&dept_id=457701&rfi=6;
Part 11: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2256&dept_id=457701&newsid=13431339&PAG=461&rfi=9″.

Previous sections are recorded under the September 22, 2004 and October 15, 2004 entries.

Here is a quirky news item about a New Mexico man living in a cave near Los Alamos on public property, evicted by authorities when his wood-stove billowed out too much smoke and revealed his presence. Note solar panels on cave roof. URL: http://www.abqjournal.com/north/250595north_news10-29-04.htm?lrail.
A follow-up article: http://www.abqjournal.com/north/262036north_news11-21-04.htm?tease; added November 22.
Arrested and evicted from another federal site. URL: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-12-27-hermit_x.htm and http://www.abqjournal.com/north/278682north_news12-25-04.htm?tease. Added December 28.

The story of the Italian-born hermit Agostini-Justiniani (1800-69) is related on several pages. He emigrated to the New World as a young man. Agostini walked throughout the U.S. West and into Central and South America, settling in New Mexico in the 1860’s. He lived as a hermit in a mountain cave (“La Cueva”) in Dona Ana County, known for his herbal healing skills and his ascetic life. Agostini-Justiniani was murdered, probably by bandits. The inscription on his gravesite reads (in Spanish): “John Mary Justiniani, Hermit of the Old and New World. He died the 17th of April, 1869, at 69 years and 49 years a hermit.” URLs: http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/drippingsprings/dripping.html#hermit and

Posted on October 15, 2004September 12, 2008

Florida Everglades hermit (continued)