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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:
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