Caledonia Argus

Earthwalker will visit Caledonia

Posted: 7/3/02

By Shannon McKinney

Argus News Reporter

Dave Kunst will return to Caledonia Wednesday, July 10, to talk about his adventures as being the first person to walk around the world which began on June 20, 1970, and ended on October 5, 1974.

Kunstís appearence is sponsored by the Caledonia Performing Arts Council and will be held at St. Maryís School gym at 7:30 p.m.

Kunst, 62, was born in Caledonia and credits his desire to walk with his childhood experience. He recalls one summer day when he was about nine years old. He talked a few of his friends into seeing his Grandma Bell in Spring Grove. They set out walking and made it seven miles before being found by his mother near the highway.

Kunst lived in Caledonia until he was 14-years-old. His great grandmother and grandfather, Katherine and Leonard Hill, owned a motel with a restaurant in Caledonia. His grandmother and grandfather, Frank and Eva Kunst, owned a harness shop that later became a shoe store. His dad, Al, worked for the H.P. Nelson Lumber Company. years. During his last few years in Caledonia, Kunst lived on Winnebago Street.

Caledonia resident Irma Klug remembers when Kunstís mother, Augusta, used to deliver their milk in Caledonia. She had read Dave Kunstís book ìThe Man Who Walked Around the World,î written by Kunst and Clinton Trowbridge, and had thought it would be a neat idea to have Kunst talk in Caledonia.

It was originally her idea to bring Kunst to Caledonia.

Kunst spent his first year of high school in Florida when the family moved there. However, he graduated from Waseca High School in 1957.

Kunstís earth walk presentation features four continents and 13 countries. It took four years, three months and 16 days to traverse the earth. He wore out 21 pairs of shoes, while walking the 14,450 miles.

The walk earned Kunst an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records, a spot on Ripleyís Believe it or Not, a record in the Minnesota Historical Society and the opportunity to be a Community Hero Torchbearer for the 1996 Olympic games.

Walk takes toll

As grand and adventurous as the walk was, it cost Kunstís brother, John his life.

Dave, himself, almost lost his life too.

The two were attacked by bandits while passing through Afghanistan. John was shot to death on October 21, 1972, and Dave was also shot, but survived by playing dead.

The following is a passage taken from the first chapter of Kunstís book, ìI am grabbed roughly by the right shoulder and turned over. A hand on my chest, where the bullet has hit me. Suddenly, there is another shot, and I know then they have finished off John.î

Since John had been killed 90 miles outside of Kabul, Klug thought it would be an interesting slant because of the war that the United States is engaged with Afghanistan today.

After Johnís death, Daveís family tried to persuade him to give up the walk, but, the tragedy made it even more important to Dave that he finish the walk. He took a break and returned to the United States to recuperate for four months and spend some time with his children. He then returned to continue the walk with another brother, Pete, who was able to walk part of the way with him, but was not able to finish.

To honor Johnís memory, the governor of Minnesota proclaimed Wednesday, February 21, 1973 to be ìKunst Brothers Dayî.

Early in 1973, with the help of the America Embassy, Dave and Pete started at the exact site in Afghanistan where John had been killed, and the walk continued into Pakistan.

Walk highlights

The walk started with John and Dave leaving the east side of Waseca, Minnesota with a pack mule named Willie Makeit. This was the first of four mules that were eventually used during the trip. They only had $1,000, no paying sponsors, no experience as world travelers and spoke only English.

Dave and John walked from Waseca to New York City and touched the Atlantic Ocean. They then flew across the Atlantic ocean to New Lisbon, Portugal. There they traversed Europe and Asia to Calcutta India. Dave touched the Indian Ocean and flew to Perth and western Australia. He crossed Australia to Sydney to touch the Pacific Ocean. He then flew to Los Angeles where he walked from Newport Beach to Waseca, Minnesota.

Kunst carried a plastic scroll with him to document the walk. He had every mayor of every city in which he spent the night stamp and sign the scroll. When he was finished, there were six, one foot by five foot scroll sheets that were totally covered with stamps and signatures of officials around the world.

After Pete joined Dave in Afghanistan, the brothers received special permission to walk through the Khyber Pass of Pakistan because a Pakistani tribal prince agreed to walk with them. It was printed in a Pakistani newspaper that the Kunst brothers were the first non-Asians to walk through the Khyber Pass since Alexander the Great.

While walking through Australia, Will Willie Makeit II, another mule that was purchased in Australia, died of a heart attack. Another mule couldnít be found as Kunst was in Australian sheep country where there wasnít another mule for miles around.

Thatís when Kunst met Jenni Samuel, an Australian school teacher, who ended up towing the wagon for 1,000 miles after driving up to Kunst for a chat. She towed him in low gear to Sydney while Dave walked alongside.

The two fell in love and married when Kunst finished the walk.

Kunst to visit own exhibit

The day before Kunst is scheduled to arrive in Caledonia, he will pay a visit to the Minnesota History Centerís ìMinnesota A to Z exhibitî in St. Paul where the wagon he used to travel around the world in will be on display. Other memorabilia such as photographs, and two of the 21 pair of shoes that Dave wore while making his way across the world will be featured.

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