1920’s

Archival Albums

Published on by Kathy Baker

How many of us have dusty old albums from our family tucked away with photos undated, faces not named and places not revealed? I can remember the first time I had access to the Camp Maqua archives in 2011. I was so excited to see the oldest ones from the early twenties, with dates and and names. They were buried in the basement of the Bay City YWCA offices at the time, piled in boxes with random photos also stuffed in envelopes. I was equally thrilled when the director allowed me to take a sampling of photos and albums home with me.

Every year at Camp Maqua, we have an association meeting with the residents. I spread the photos and albums on the old linoleum topped dining tables for them to peek into the past at the 2011 meeting.They were as excited as I was to see the dwellings that still stood on the property in the early days. I think seeing the pristine condition of the craft hut, boathouse, camp Brownie, and some of the huts planted the seed for the need to restore our precious buildings, which we did..

Years later, after many women had driven down Maqua Trail and stopped to see if the camp was still there, the idea was planted in my mind to write their stories down. Many provided clues to who were in the photos that were not named along with their stories. The boxes of archival photos that were loaned to me in for two years gave me the opportunity to organize them by era. Later, a director who was on board with my project had the foresight to enlist college kids to archive many clippings and photos professionally.

At this time, after the Y office has moved many times, the archives are at the Historical Museum of Bay County. I had hoped to see what they have before I left in September, but it did not happen. Next May I will stop again to see all the archives that were not only saved, but contained many of campers and directors donated memoribilia. I would love to see them on permanent display.

I have been given hope that we can bring the archives back to Iosco County by the director of the Greater Bay YWCA. It will be my project upon my return to Michigan, as many of the donated photos and items were given to me when I interviewed for the book. It was my understanding they would be on public display when I donated them to the Y. If any of the staff or campers have albums or photos from camp to donate, send me a message at walkbake@gmail.com

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Camp’s Influential Memories–

Published on by Kathy Baker

Long after the young girls left camp, the smells of the lodge and cabins, the fresh smell of the piney woods, the sound of the Loons and the lap of the waves on the lake left an indelible mark in their minds. So much so that the great outdoors called to them in many ways.

Judy Sherman felt like camp was all about enjoying the outdoors and it still gives her good memories to this day, even though she camped in the forties.  Sixties camper/ staffer Karen Magidisohn continues to camp and kayak to this day.

Nurse Kathleen Clements said, “I learned to love the outdoors and it rounded me out. I had experiences I would never have had and I still love to fish and be on the water. If given the chance, I head to a lake before I will go anywhere else. I have such a respect for nature, animals and the environment. I had to watch out for critters at camp.  I would rather be outside than anywhere and I have this thing for animals and wolves—maybe because I heard wolves howling at camp.”

“I first went to Camp Maqua in 1925 as an almost-thirteen-year-old for two weeks, and I went back for five consecutive years—mostly for two weeks”, wrote Harriet Crumb. “The one year I hired out as a Kitchen Aid when my two weeks was up and stayed for two more. You can see how I loved it. In 1929 I went for one week—to take and pass the tests for my American Red Cross Life Saving Badge. I was a big girl then, of course, and the next summer when I couldn’t go at all, I thought the world had come to an end. Other girls seem to be able to take or leave it, but from the first, I was hooked and in some form have enjoyed camping ever since.”

“I ended up at MSU with a degree in Environmental Science and then my master’s degree and at thirty-one, I got my law degree and practiced family law with spousal, domestic and child abuse. I think the thing that helped me with the diversity of people in my profession was the caring and acceptance I found at Maqua, “ said Chris Lambert. “That stayed with me for the rest of my life. I was in legal aid for a while and I wanted to reach out to people. Camp helped me to become more responsible and my college years were wilder, with my active part in the Vietnam War demonstrations and a trip to the big gay pride demonstration in Washington in the sixties, but my job as a sports director helped me with organization, because I had a responsibility for an area and I found I liked it. My father was an attorney and my parents were affirming and encouraged me to become the person I was meant to be, but Maqua brought me friendships and closeness and those close relationships at camp, which followed into college when I roomed with many Maqua girls, was tremendously important.”

“Maqua was a loving cocoon,” ended Chris. “It was a spiritual, warm and loving place. The best I could hope for would be the preservation of that spirit. To this day my partner and I still love outdoor activities. My parent’s idea of camping was a room at the Holiday Inn, but I have taken survival classes, hiked the Appalachian Trail, camp, kayak, still love to canoe and have hiked in the Colorado Mountains for two weeks. I owe the start of all this to my activities at Maqua, which contributed to my love for the outdoors. I have to admit, I do have a motor home now, so I can have a real bed and bathroom.”

Friendships, the music, campfires and the ceremonies were a large part of Karen Kaiser’s (photo above) memories at camp (1959-62). “It was a chance to become who we were. Karen met her husband at WMU and both were both successful athletes. She went to college on a sports scholarship, but due to an injury on her ACL after a fall, was in danger of losing her scholarship Every year she had to be voted back into the program and sign letter of liability release, so she could stay in the program and compete. Her husband began a camp for underprivileged kids and they became co-directors and now works full time at Van Buren Youth Camp.  She said they both have a long tradition of camping in their family. Karen is the author of many books and is a motivational speaker and is pictured above.

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A Well-Organized Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

Barb Ballor was eight years old when she first attended Camp Maqua. “It fostered kindness to others. I was so sad when it was no longer a camp. It was such a well-organized camp. There was a camp nurse in attendance. Older girls were encouraged to help. And the staff were careful not to let the boys from the boy’s camp too close,” she said. “Everyone had fun!”

“Camp Maqua, that lovely spot just north of Hale, Michigan, is a place where one can be at her best,” stated a newspaper article from June 1929. “ It is the place away from the complex grind of everyday things—almost a fairyland. A blue lake nestled among silver birch trees; comfortable huts and a cozy lodge; joy of creating things with one’s own hands; joy of being natural; friendships that are sacred; all of these things dear to the hearts of real lovers of nature are found at Camp Maqua.”

“I liked my counselors and everyone at the camp. They were very good to us. They accepted everyone and always appeared to be fair and impartial. I never remember anyone, even the cooks, becoming angry or impatient or ever raising their voice. They were exemplary models of good behavior, said Janet Dixon, of her camping years during the early fifties.”

“The camp was very well organized and very well run. The staff knew how to keep children busy and out of trouble. I liked the regimentation, but it was because it was tempered with variety, choices, and enough free time. I loved learning new things, and, especially, the chance to taste independence. I don’t know how they did it but I know they did it well! in 62 years, I have never forgotten my experiences there.”

Hut five was interviewed in August 1950 and the girl’s answers were published in a copy of the “Loon”, “What do you think of Camp Maqua?” and the comments ranged from “Camp Maqua is worth saving because it is educational”, “You can’t compare Camp Maqua with any other camp because Camp Maqua is the best”, “Camp Maqua is more fun than any other camp I’ve been to”.

“It’s a great camp. You learn many new activities and you have the opportunity to meet other girls,” wrote Jean Jahnke, who was the reporter and was from Bay City. She said she wanted to tell those who had been there before and the ones that were there for the first time that they made the camp what it was and the counselors did a “swell job”.

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Sadness For End Of Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

 

 

 

Camp meant freedom from family, the chance to make new friends and the opportunity to learn new skills often not offered at home. For many girls who did not experience the pang of homesickness, leaving camp held true sadness.

For Harriet Crumb, it was the best experience! “You can see I loved it. In 1929 I went for one week—to take and pass the tests for my American Red Cross Life Saving badge. I was a big girl then, of course, and the next summer when I couldn’t go at all, I thought the world had come to an end. Other girls seemed to be able to take it or leave it, but from the first I was hooked and in some form have enjoyed camping ever since.”

Sue Augustyniak lived in Bllomfield Hills and camped 1962-68 at Maqua. “Our parents wanted us to become independent and they encouraged up. We felt like we could do anything. We mastered skills. We expected to do well and we did. Saying goodbye on the last day was always a sad day.”

Kim Moore was nine years old when she attended Camp Maqua for the first time in 1967 and continued every summer until she turned fifteen when she ended her camp career as a kitchen aide. “It was a huge part of my life—one of the best parts of my life. I would cry at the end of the session because I didn’t want to go home. I felt so grown up at camp and so safe and independent.”

“There was a two-week block in July when I went to camp and loved it,” said Kathy Butsch, who was ten in 1968 when she first attended and camped until 1974. “I was always sad and depressed to leave camp because I was leaving all my new best friends”

“One cherished memory for me,” said Judith Moore, assistant director in 1970-71, “was the sight of the young campers making friends and bonding throughout the two-week period, so sad to leave each other at the end. They too had an experience for the first time and it was very emotional. There were those who waited so anxiously for their parents to arrive for pick up and it was always obvious to me which parents had a special bond with their girls. These young campers had an adventure that asked that they survive without their usual family support and develop these skills. Remarkable when I think about it.”

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Others Who Rented Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

A group of men and women were to go to camp June 11, 1934, to clean and open Maqua, according to minutes and ledgers of the camp committee. Following the opening, “The Cigar Factory Girls” were to spend a weekend vacation at camp with a lifeguard on June 18. Camp was to open on June 27, but the counselors and other staff were up there ahead of opening day on June 23 of that summer.

“The committee agreed to allow fifteen business girls to attend Camp Maqua as a weekend trip with a charge of twenty-five cents per girl”, noted the minutes from May 22, 1936. By February 1937, the camp committee discussed keeping the camp open for families after season.

Minutes stated the camp was used for a conference from Michigan Sate University in 1941. By 1957, the camp committee was pondering how to rent the camp to school groups off-season when the lodge and cabins were not winterized.

By 1958 the Bay City Council of Churches and the Sterling High School Band utilized the camp. The band was charged $225 and they had to provide their own Red Cross certified lifeguard and prepare their own meals. It was mentioned in 1959 that the profits were increased by renting to these extra groups, and the structures did not “lie dormant” with no-one using them, so it was in the best interest financially to figure out the best plan.

The camp committee agreed on June 20, 1962 to run a blind ad in the Bay City Times stating that the camp could be rented by responsible parties for groups during the month of August. Various churches used the camp for their retreats in the early sixties, as well as the Oscoda High School band, and the Young Adult Group (the Y-Teens) with payment around $380. There were also mentions of exchange students participating in camp activities though the Council of Churches in the later sixties.

The Camp Maqua committee met on January 15, 1964 and one of the main topics concerned “Family Camp”, which started August 15-24 and was limited to ten families. The fee structure was $50 for adults 17 and older; $30 for children 5-16 inclusive; and $10 for children 4 and under. The camp investigated the type of insurance required for this type of camping and medicals were required. At the end of this camp experience, a letter arrived to the camp committee from Wayne State University in August regarding the creation of a family camp at Maqua.

Other mentions of rental were in 1971, when the Live-Y’ers used the camp and Peace River Lutheran Chruch from Rhodes, Michigan used the property and facilities for $400 and $10 per cabin. The committee restricted the use of boats and campers were restricted to the field, most likely in part to liability with water safety.

The entries found in some of the archival scrapbooks at the Great Lakes Bay Region YWCA in Bay City held pages of articles referring to the Girl Reserves and Business and Emplyoyed girls who would rent Camp Maqua off-season, as well as many other organizations.

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Viking Boats Across The Lake–

Published on by Kathy Baker

When Elaine Levinsohn (1927-30) camped at Maqua, there were no homes around, just a pretty lake with many trees. “All the girls knew there was a boys’ camp there,” she laughed, as she recalled a vague memory of boating over to the camp, like many before and after her years at camp.

As the boating director, Anne Pennington (1964-72) recalled some of the fun on the water on Hawaiian Day when the girls would decorate the canoes and rowboats. The boys across the lake would also decorate their large boat, which she said resembled a Viking ship. The boys tried to throw things from their boat onto the girls’ boat. One summer she was dating Larry Roberts, who was caretaker Homer Robert’s son from the boys’ camp and she enjoyed the mixers with the boy counselors in the pre-sessions the week before camp opened.

“I remember a beauty pageant in bathing suits with a Hawaiian theme’” said Tami Nagel, who camped in the sixties. “Although I can’t remember her name, she had blonde hair and she won something, and I remember the boys from Camp Mahn-go-tah-see coming over.”

Sarah Smith, whose camping years spanned the late sixties to the mid-seventies, had a vivid memory at the end of her camping experience when the boys came over from camp and she was chosen to be the Indian Maiden. “I had dark hair and dark skin, so that’s probably why I was chosen, but I was thrilled since I was a chubby kid.”

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