|
As we celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Camp House, we take a moment to look back at the site’s incredible history. From the site’s first days, through a number of transitions and now as part of Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, Camp House has been supported and treasured by many generations who saw Camp House for what it is: a sacred, holy, unique opportunity to find rest and renewal in God’s beautiful Northwoods. Read the full history of Camp House and its 100 years of ministry. Camp House’s doors remained closed in 1992. The Lutheran Camp Board was in financial distress, and could not operate their sites: Shores of St. Andrew Bible Camp in New London and Camp House near Brimson. A merger was proposed with the Lutheran Camp Board and Green Lake Bible Camp, due to the proximity of the sites in Kandiyohi County and the success Green Lake Bible Camp had seen in outdoor ministry. A group of consultants formed an audit and evaluation team to evaluate the possibility and feasibility of this merger in May of 1992. This team was led by Mark Burkhardt, Specialist for Outdoor Ministries, Ralph Yernberg, Executive Director of Crossways Lutheran Camping Ministries and Duane Hanson, Executive Director of Bethel Horizons. They acted as mediators, researchers, dreamers, and advisors for both parties. For the Lutheran Camp Board, merging with Green Lake Bible Camp would give their sites and campers a chance to continue camping at these beloved sites, with new leadership, a solid base of operation, and a strong reputation. For Green Lake Bible Camp, this merger would allow their ministry to grow and expand, while they were currently bound by their physical locations and resources. It would allow the ministry to be more dynamic and diverse in its offerings, in ways not otherwise feasible. Most importantly, for both parties, this meant that God’s love could continue to be shared at all sites involved, and campers would be able to continue visiting their beloved camps. While this was a promising and exciting idea, this would not be easy. The evaluation team found that the Camp House site in particular was in need of major repairs. This assessment was confirmed by a group of outdoor ministry professionals during a visit to Camp House. Team members included Jerry Olstad, Art Vorhes, Paul Fjore, Ron Nielsen, Milt Krona, Loren Teig and Paul Halverson. Camp House would need a major financial commitment to rebuild and renovate the camp site. In his reflections on this time, Roy Eliason shared, “Not only were the buildings in various states of disrepair, but all permits, licenses and grandfathered agreements had gone by the wayside.” Shores of St. Andrew Bible Camp in New London was nearby and closer to operational standards. On October 1, 1992, Lutheran Camp Board merged with Green Lake Bible Camp, becoming what is now known as Green Lake Lutheran Ministries. It took some time for the Board of Directors and camp staff to live into this merger. Attention was again focused on Camp House in April of 1994, when Green Lake Bible Camp and Shores of St. Andrew Bible Camp were operating at near capacities. The same evaluation team was hired to guide the next steps for Camp House and help determine what needed to be accomplished first. It was their consensus that many of the structures needed to be replaced or removed in order to safely support large numbers of campers. A plan was put into motion and volunteers showed up—with chainsaws, prayers, and hope. Beginning in the summer of 1995, volunteers accomplished projects in the summer months, paying $10 a day to help offset lodging and food costs. Guiding this building process were Erling Lundeen and Roy Eliason, two long time Green Lake Bible Camp staff members. Roy Eliason wrote “Volunteers were most instrumental in bringing back life to Camp House. They came in large groups, small groups, sometimes a couple or just one person but together they grew to hundreds of volunteers who labored thousands of hours to accomplish a mission. To these volunteers goes the credit for putting Camp House back to where it could again function as a camp for people of all ages, and our everlasting thanks is offered.”
It wasn’t just volunteers that helped out at Camp House. As Roy Eliason wrote, “Plans were also made to make connections with all the government agencies from the township, county and state that had to be made in order to once again reach compliance. It turned out that all these agencies were pretty cooperative. They assisted us with paperwork, documents, permits, zoning issues and so forth and met us on site whenever necessary. It seems everyone was anxious to see Camp House back in operation.” The tales of this time are hard to describe any other way than heartwarming. The memories shared are marked by feelings of joy, exhaustion, excitement, and hope. Hundreds of volunteers, old and young, from all over the state of Minnesota, tackled everything from demolishing, building, remodeling, laying new foundations, sanding, painting, staining, varnishing, plumbing work, electrical work, shingling, and so much cleaning. Erling Lundeen documented his memories from when a small but mighty group of volunteers raised the main lodge building and repaired the foundation, and said it best: “We realized that God was in charge and we were the workers. Since it was part of God’s plan, we couldn’t fail. If it had been ours alone, we would have failed long before now (...) The only thing this group of volunteers had in common was that we were convinced that this was God’s camp. He was the architect and we were going to work under His direct guidance.”  It wasn’t all work - there was some play! Rodney and Darlene Yarger and Bryce and Dorothy Wolle were among the many volunteers, and remembered “We had time for R & R. The fishing was usually pretty good, but you couldn’t leave the fish in the lake. Bryce lost some of his fish to a snapping turtle!” In typical camp fashion, coffee and cookies were served at 10:00 every morning, and campfires were enjoyed every evening. There was no doubt that the Holy Spirit was moving with and amongst them.   A grand reopening was held on July 14, 2001 and Camp House was reopened for summer programming. Around 150 attended the day with a hog roast, rededication service, tours, beach time and reminiscing. Since then, thousands of campers have attended summer camp, confirmation camps, fishing camps and family camps. Retreat groups have gone early in the spring to help open the site and late in the fall to help close the site. Ordinary Time, starting in 2024, has offered guests the chance to simply be at Camp House, enjoying the great Minnesota summers however they choose. There have been floods, sunshine, wildfires, droughts, meteor showers, sunshine and northern lights. There have been countless memories made, friendships forged, prayers answered, and faith lives nurtured. Camp House has been, and will continue to be, an amazing blessing. We are honored to celebrate these 100 years of ministry and excited to see what comes next! Were you part of the Camp House story? We’d love to hear from you. Share your memories, photos, and stories as we celebrate 100 years together.
0 Comments
100 Years of Camp House: A Story Worth Celebrating As we celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Camp House, we take a moment to look back at the site’s incredible history. From the site’s first days, through a number of transitions and now as part of Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, Camp House has been supported and treasured by many generations who saw Camp House for what it is: a sacred, holy, unique opportunity to find rest and renewal in God’s beautiful Northwoods. Read the full history of Camp House and its 100 years of ministry. By the 1960’s, thousands of campers had experienced “never-to-be-forgotten summers at Camp Francis E. House.” The Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway (DM&IR) though, had begun to experience financial hardship and could not continue to manage Camp Francis E. House. In the March 1963 edition of the Missabe Iron Ranger Magazine, it was announced that Camp Francis E. House would soon be for sale. “Discontinuance of the camp as a portion of the employee activities sponsored by DM&IR was announced by President Daniel J. Smith recently. The camp has been operated for 39 seasons by DM&IR Employees Association with financial and other assistance of the company. (...) The joint holdings include some 80 acres of land and most of the shoreline of the lake, and the structures include seven sleeping cabins, a lodge, dining hall and kitchen, two handicraft buildings, boat house, administration quarters and other miscellaneous structures.”  During this same time, the Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church of America had launched a special study of camping and its impact on the synod. The church had previously established that summer camping was a profound and life-changing experience for youth, stating “The revelation of God to every soul is most important. This revelation of enlightenment is often an experience of the camper at a church Bible camp. With dedicated camp personnel from management, instruction, and counsel, this program has become an integral part of the Christian education program - not only for children but for maturing youth and adults as well. Nature as the setting with these experiences and studies centered in Christ is ideal for everyone included in our parish responsibility. This makes church-camping the challenge that it is.”  During their study, it was found that of the 38,000 youth who were eligible by age to attend a summer camp, only 7,000 were able to due to space limitations. The committee found that even if “any respectable percent of those 38,000 youngsters” were able to attend camp, they would have neither the space nor staff to be able to accommodate them in a single summer. The Lutheran Church of America was operating sites like Lutheran Lake Camp near Chisago City already, but there was no camp in northern Minnesota. Pastor Maynard Wellington saw these pieces coming together, and sparked the initial interest in Camp Francis E. House on behalf of the Lutheran Church of America. He organized a group of leaders to help solve arising problems and take the first steps, including Pastor Malcolm Gustafson, Pastor Joseph Dahlquist, Pastor Gerald Eisle, Phil Eckman, Dale Carlson and Hjalmer Laine (lead site maintenance for 46 years).  This small but mighty group secured the necessary $10,000 down payment from congregations in that area, and purchased Camp Francis E. House and its contents for just $40,000. A dedication service was held in June 1963, where 45 churches in the Duluth and Iron Range area were represented amongst 367 campers. A name change was considered, but ultimately decided against, as the committee wanted to continue to honor and celebrate the local residents who made Camp Francis E. House the special place that it was. Instead, the name was shortened to Camp House.  Beginning in 1964, the area churches managed Camp House under the direction of Dale Carlson. After some needed maintenance projects were completed, Lutheran Church Board ran it’s first season of programming at Camp House during the summer of 1964, serving 350 youth and their families, including canoe trips down the Cloquet River. Boys and girls were bused to Camp House from the Twin Cities, while local children were brought by their parents. Buildings were repaired and added, including a sauna, shower building with flush toilets, a bunk house for the canoe groups, and addition on the Dining Hall. Due to a shortage of funds, the head Minneapolis office for the Lutheran Church of America took over the management of the site. William Bahe became the full time Director of Camping in the Minnesota Synod in 1966, based out of Minneapolis in the Minnesota Church Center. In 1969, a switch to full-time staff was instituted. “The practice of weekly counseling staff provided by the congregations camping that week was inhibiting the growth of camping.” Camp House, along with the two other camps owned by the synod, were accredited by the American Camping Association, ensuring that the camp environment was as healthy and safe as could be. A scholarship program was created and shared widely in the summer camp brochure: “The cost of camping is expensive, but everything worthwhile usually is. We want every youth to be able to attend camp and no one is turned away because they can’t pay the entire fee.” By 1972, Camp House was able to serve nearly 1,200 campers a year. The next generations of campers were loving their time at camp, just as generations before, and learning about God’s overwhelming and abundant love for them.  In 1988, the Lutheran Church of America and the American Lutheran Church merged to create the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). In the process of merging, the Lutheran Camp Board of the Minnesota Synod drew up articles of incorporation and bylaws, becoming the Lutheran Camp Board of Minnesota, Inc. The Lutheran Camp Board continued to manage the sites, including Shores of St. Andrew Bible Camp near New London and Camp House near Brimson. But, by 1992, Camp House had once again closed. The Lutheran Camp Board was in a difficult financial position and was looking for solutions to keep their camp sites open. The future of Camp House was uncertain. This site, so loved and cherished by many, was looking for a new owner. References:
Were you part of the Camp House story? We’d love to hear from you. Share your memories, photos, and stories as we celebrate 100 years together. 100 Years of Camp House: A Story Worth Celebrating As we celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Camp House, we take a moment to look back at the site’s incredible history. From the site’s first days, through a number of transitions and now as part of Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, Camp House has been supported and treasured by many generations who saw Camp House for what it is: a sacred, holy, unique opportunity to find rest and renewal in God’s beautiful Northwoods. Were you part of the Camp House story? We’d love to hear from you. Share your memories, photos, and stories as we celebrate 100 years together. It’s fitting that Camp House originated from two men’s longing to find the perfect getaway during the beautiful Minnesota summers. While you wouldn’t know it today, Two Harbors was a “rough” town in the 1920s, and families were in need of a place to find peace and rest. George W. Watts, a dock agent with the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, and George Mumford, a banker from Two Harbors, purchased the land and plotted it into lakeshore lots and a main wilderness recreation area. The lots were sold to local residents and employees of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad in Two Harbors. This spot was ideal for railroad employees and their families: it was close to the townships of Ault and Fairbanks, just miles away from the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad station at Brimson, and a beautiful spot to spend time away from the grueling work on the railroad. The small lake, Lake George, was named in their honor, in thanks for their passion for the space and their foresight of preserving this special spot.  Soon after, in June of 1923, the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad in partnership with their chapter of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) organized and founded a camp for young boys and girls from the railroad families. With just two abandoned logging buildings and no equipment, the camp hosted around 40 young campers. Campers slept on bunks filled with pine branches and straw and cooked meals on an old oil stove found on the premises. Despite these rustic accommodations, campers enjoyed their time at camp, exploring the untamed wilderness and savoring all the joys of a summer by the lake. After seeing the joy that campers experienced during the first summer, the Board of Directors decided to purchase 4 additional lots, about 40 acres, to establish a permanent camp. Between 1924 and 1925, the camp really began to take shape. The old logging buildings were renovated to be more comfortable for campers and families, while plans were made to build a main lodge space and a proper sleeping cabin. Iron beds were repurposed from old pulpwood camps in Two Harbors to offer more hospitable accommodations. Oliver Aas was hired as the Camp Director, and that summer, during one week sessions, 96 boys and girls attended camp. Francis E. House, President of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, saw that summer camping was more than just a passing trend. He understood that children and their families would continue to need this respite for years to come. Despite its popularity though, House also saw that the site would not pay itself off and decided to pay off the balance of the camp property himself. Just before his death in 1926, upon their request, House gave his permission for the camp to be named after him: Camp Francis E. House.  DMIR Employees Association Board of Directors 1944 Following in the footsteps of House, Horace Johnson, the newly appointed President and General Manager of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, encouraged the Board of Directors to invest in Camp Francis E. House. More land was purchased and an accelerated improvement plan was put into motion, calling for the construction of additional buildings, an ornamental gate, a fence along the road, an improved playground and to remove dead trees. Inspired by this progress and these improvements, the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway and Duluth and Iron Range Railroads YMCAs coordinated with Iron Range Employee Associations to run a broader program in 1930. Charles E. Carlson, President of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway, authorized an even larger building program including an administration building, first aid room, two wash houses with running water, a boat house, a swimming crib and beach improvements, electrical light plant to furnish lights for the entire camp with wiring placed underground for the protection and safety of campers, a dining hall and kitchen with a walk in cooler, a council ring, and picnic grounds. Building projects and innovative outdoor education programming continued through the 1940s, with the construction of concrete tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, water pump house, project building, additional sleeping cabins, and the purchase of more land. The main lodge was expanded to include three large picture windows to enjoy the view of Lake George.
Brochure from 1960s season For families associated with the railroad, the camp became the finest camping and recreation destination in the area. By 1959, Camp Francis E. House accommodated over 800 campers per season, serving boys and girls between the ages of eight and eighteen. The weekly rate was $12.00 per week, promising an enjoyable outdoor program for all who wanted to participate however they wanted. Campers did all the same things that we associate with camping now: shared meals together, played games, swam and boated, explored, made arts and crafts, sang, laughed and enjoyed their time away from home. Awards were given, including Best All Around Camper, Best All Around Athlete, Best All Around Swimmer. The first leaders of Camp House built a strong base for the following years, with their abundant creativity, strong initiative and overwhelming generosity. We are so grateful for their foresight and belief that Camp House should be preserved for generations to come.  References:
|
RSS Feed