|
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.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
RSS Feed