SCOUTING
FIELD NOTES

Into The Cabins: Scouting An Abandoned Children’s Camp – Part 2

05/17/2011

This is part 2 of our look at Camp Wishe, a children’s sleepaway camp that has been abandoned for more than 15 years. Click here for part 1!

Camp Wishe is located on what used to be old Route 6. When the Wishe family purchased the property in the 1940’s, it consisted of a run down inn, a defunct gas station (which we’ll see in the third installment), and an old ice house.

The family decided to try their hand at a summer camp, and in the late 40’s, began clearing the land by hand – cutting down trees, moving rocks, and building the initial structures.

In the first year, Camp Wishe boasted 12 campers and 3 counselors. Within a decade, that number rose to over 100 campers, and by 1951, the first cabin was built. Below, a picture of a cabin in pristine condition taken decades ago…

http://campwishe.homestead.com/files/OldCamp26.JPG — Picture courtesy Camp Wishe Memories – click for more!

…and today, after 15 years of abandonment.

Frankly, they’re in pretty good shape all considered – and I challenge you to not imagine spending nights here in a bunk as a warm summer breeze blows through, the trees creaking outside…or better yet, curling up in your sleeping bag as a thunder and lightening storm rages outside, with only mosquito netting and the overhang of the roof to keep out the elements.

I love the Camp Wish cabin names, posted beside each bunk’s door. Below, signs for Bunk II: Lettuce Inn, and Bunk III: Shangrila.

Bunk IV: Twilight Zone (would’ve been my choice):

Bunk 5: Rocky Road.

Inside the cabins, wood-frame beds are still lined up as if campers are expected later this month:

Some have mattresses, and even pillows!

Best of all though are the names covering the walls, ceilings, and floors of the cabins:

There must be hundreds in total, spanning decades:

Mar Slept Here…but when?? Always leave a year! Note the cat drawing and the flower…

The oldest date I caught was from 1963…

A bunch from the 1970’s (note: Cherry the great!):

I wonder where Lurch and Scooter are today:

Outside one of the smaller cabins, a forgotten trunk:

Two smaller cabins with a roofed-over yard area:

Inside one of the cabins…

A ton of old camp supplies:

Wondering where the bathrooms were? I’m pretty sure either the toilets or showers were found in this structure (probably my least favorite part of camp):

I think this slightly more reinforced structure was the counselor cabin:

My favorite bit inside…

This old chalkboard…

…which still has a bunch of whimsical chalk drawings depicting the camp’s horses (it was a riding camp, after all):

Amazing this kind of thing would still be around after 15 years:

And much nicer bathrooms!

If you’re looking for a camp locale for your next production, it wouldn’t take much to restore these cabins enough for a shoot – and you can’t beat this authentic, totally classic camp look. Best of all, with the camp closed down, you’d have your run of the place without having to worry about campers showing up for the summer season.

But there’s even more! Coming Thursday, the final installment, with a look at the camp’s rec facilities, including the old pool, basketball court, and lake!

And if you missed it, be sure to check out part 1 here.

-SCOUT

Many more posts in the archives!

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dale

05/17/2011

Brings back such great camping memories from my childhood. I’m a dad now and feel so out of touch. Do camps like this still exist? In terms of dropping your kid off for 2 weeks or whatever of camping? I haven’t heard anybody mentioning a summer camp since I went to one, I would love to send my kid out when he gets older.

Looking forward to the rest of your shots!

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1. Jasper
  
  04/25/2013
  
  Yes. The Texas Hill Country has an abundance of summer camps for girls and boys.
  
  Reply
Tracy Edwards

05/17/2011

This makes me think of The Parent Trap – the original, not the awful remake. I always wanted to go to a summer camp, and wanted it to look just like this, well not abandoned and run down though. Gorgeous photos, thanks Nick.

Dale, yes, they do still have summer camps. They have them for any kind of sport, activity, religion, etc you can think of. Just google summer camp and you’ll be busy for hours.

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Greg

05/17/2011

Wow, this is pretty cool. Thanks for all of your posts.
If I may point out an observation, I think it is “Cheryl! the Great!”. I agree, always put the year. HA!

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kenju

05/17/2011

That place looks remarkably similar to the camp that my children – and now my grandchildren – attend every summer, in Virginia.

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Scott

05/17/2011

It’s sad at some level because if it does gets used for a film set, they will erase all the original details, and it won’t really be Camp Wishe anymore.

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Karen

05/17/2011

I agree–it’s Cheryl! the Great!

I went to a camp like this, not far from the Delaware Water Gap. I hated it, but I can see the charms. It’s definitely more interesting from an historical distance…

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1. Scout
  
  05/17/2011
  
  Ha, I think you’re right. Now that I think back a little more, I’m pretty sure I was the kid the rest of the cabins would all bond over hating…and come to think of it, I was always picked last for sports teams…and in fact, my one favorite event was when our cabin decided to go with a Star Wars theme for our camp parade, and pretty much everyone was disappointed but me…
  
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Evan

05/18/2011

This post inspired me to begin writing a screenplay.. not sure why.

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AmberStang

05/18/2011

WOW! Your post brought back memories. I attended Camp Wishe in the 1970’s. The two small cabins with the adjoining roof was the Arts and Crafts building. The building with the large chalk board was the Recreation Cabin – used on rainy days. Also one of the few buildings with electricity. The cabins had no power supply. More than likely Lurch and Scooter were horses. I don’t recognize them, but Pawnee in the photo above it, was a large chestnut horse. The picture of the bathroom building that has only stalls was nearer the cabins. It had no electricity, so one had to take a flashlight with them at night. Thank you for sharing these photos and tour of the camp.

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1. Tracy Edwards
  
  05/18/2011
  
  Amber, I love that you found this and shared this info with us. This is so cool. It made the pictures come alive.
  
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Nicole Dallal

05/19/2011

Lurch and Scooter were horses. The Cabin with the ‘forgotten trunk’ was were either the head counselor or art counselor lived. Thoses were indeed the ‘bathrooms’ (outhouses really), the reinforced cabin was the infirmary. The two cabins with the roof between was where we had art classes.
If Bunk 6 is still there, no name, we were ‘too old’ for that, you can find the story on the wall of how a few of us ran away with the cook and his friends one night. Of course, we got caught…

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Carol Morris

06/02/2011

I went to Camp Wishe for 8 summers in the 1960’s. I can fill in some details about some of your pix, if you want.

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Christina Rudling

03/11/2012

“I think this slightly more reinforced structure was the counselor cabin”. No man!
All counselors stayed in the same frugal cabin as the kids they were in charge of. For almost two months!
I was one the Euoropean counselors 1966 and 1967. To work in a childrens camp was an excellent way to afford travelling to the US from Europe (free flight, pocket money and one month of travelling around the country).
For me Camp Wishe was indeed an interesting first meeting with US. I remember how one the teenagers always shouted “this is NOT a socialist country” (like Sweden?) when I asked her to pic up her thing from the bunk floor.
But most of the girls were nice, it was always summer, it was near NYC.
It´s so sad to see your pictures from Camp Wishe today.

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Leslie Dangerfield

04/29/2012

And if they choose not to rehabilitate the cabins, it makes for a great Camp Crystal Lake setting for a horror film. LOL Were you even creeped the slightest while roaming the abandoned campground?

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Carol Zakaluk

07/19/2012

Thanks for posting these great pictures, which bring back such specific images for me, a camper there in summer ’68 and ’69, Bunk IV and Bunk V. Happy (sweetest horse ever), Pawnee, Lurch, Voulez-Vous, Grey (the balky one) are horses I remember vividly. Riding was generally everyone’s favorite activity, but tennis and arts and crafts and the occasional hike and cookout were memorable, too. The lake near the swimming pool was for use only by girls who could swim well. I remember watching the campers who were studying for their life saving certificate “saving” people who were trying to pull them under, and campers getting canoeing certificates righting overturned canoes.

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Lynda (Watt) Olita

07/30/2012

I had some of the best summers of my life in the early 70’s at Camp Wishe, as a matter of fact one of the photos shows where I had signed my name on the cabin ceiling.I was shocked to see that!So sad to see how it looks now. Really brought me back though.

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Lisa

06/17/2014

As always a great post with some cool pics. I love that the former Camp Wishe attendees are bringing it more to life for the rest of us. I always wanted to go away to a Summer camp but it wasn’t something my parents believed in. This was exactly what I envisioned it to be. Tks! for sharing:)

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Art

12/13/2014

I was one of the cooks at Camp Wishe ,during the summer’s of 1967 and 1968.I was a student at the Culinary Institute of America during that time. It was a wonderful experience. I remember the original owners they had two children .I believe the mother of Mr. Wishe helped out in the kitchen when I was there.

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Glynis Sheppard

05/26/2016

Hi,

These pictures bring back memories of my time as an English camp counsellor in 1987. My cabin was called Hilltop and the bathrooms had no lights at night. I recall playing tennis, taking nature walks and life guarding at the pool. I did A LOT of washing up in the kitchen and recognise the crockery! I also recognise the big ‘fridge too – it was stuffed full of maple syrup and cartons of milk for breakfast. I also remember Mr and Mrs Wishe and their children.

Such a shame that the memories of Camp Wishe website is no longer up and running. There was a photo there of my 21st birthday celebrations of which I would love to have a copy.

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