History of Camp Kawanhee

       
 
 

The story of Camp Kawanhee starts with the lives of George and Raymond Frank. George and Raymond were brothers born near Portland, Maine, but their adult lives had taken them to Columbus, Ohio and Engelwood, New Jersey respectively. Both George and Raymond were involved in youth work- George was a teacher and Raymond, a church youth worker.

George began coming to the western mountains of Maine in 1909. On one of his visits, George and his cousin Burt Mitchell shot a deer and decided to take the deer to the top of nearby Mt. Blue for a feast. It was on top of Mt. Blue that George Frank first saw the beautiful Lake Webb.  George made regular visits to the lake and when he was married in 1912, George honeymooned on the lake.

In 1917, Raymond accepted an invitation from George to visit the lake. Raymond also fell in love with the lake and on frequent canoe trips around the lake, George and Raymond visited the beautiful cove that would be Kawanhee cove many times.  It was at this time that a dream of a summer camp began to take shape.  The beautiful Kawanhee cove and the land that bordered the cove became the location of this dream.
   
 

The Frank brothers bought sixty acres and began to go to work.  Part of the property was a potato field and had to be cleared to make the present day athletic field. The dining hall was the first building to be built and the Eagle and Falcon lodges were soon added. A man named Herbert L. Berry gave the brothers a $5,000 loan in those early days and today the Recreation Hall at Kawanhee is named in Mr. Berry’s honor.

In 1921, Camp Kawanhee opened with 16 boys! Not every building was completed but they were underway! Each year Kawanhee grew in numbers. Lodges were added and equipment and activities were added.  In the early days Kawanhee was advertised as a haven from hay fever and many boys came to Kawanhee for that reason.

    
By the 1930’s, Camp Kawanhee had been firmly established and attracted a population of over 100 campers every summer. In the late 1930’s a young counselor named Walter Estabrook attended Camp Kawanhee. Little did he know that thirty years later he would own and manage Camp Kawanhee. Just as the world was different in the 1930’s and 1940’s so was Kawanhee.  Horseback riding was a popular activity. Kawanhee even had their own stables.  Boxing was also an activity in those days, but soon was replaced by wrestling.  Kawanhee boys wore uniforms in those days and the staff was often decked out in their “whites”. In the war years of 1942-1945, Kawanhee boys sometimes helped harvest crops for the war effort. But, a Kawanhee camper of the Twenty First century would have been comfortable at Kawanhee in the early days of the camp. Many of the activities were the same-baseball, archery, swimming, nature, campcraft, range, boating, sailing tennis and many others. Tripping was a strong activity just as it is today. Kawanhee has always taken advantage of its location in the western mountains. But we also venture far away from Kawanhee.  The traditions were also the same - The Coming and Going of the Chief, the Saturday night campfires, Sunday evening vespers ,church at the point, Maroon/Grey competition - both throughout the summer and on Saturday afternoons. Kawanhee has changed with the times, but also has kept many of the great activities and traditions that make it such a fantastic camp.
In 1966, Raymond Frank passed away.  George Frank continued to operate the camp, but he became concerned about the future of the camp as he grew older.  In the late 1960’s, George decided to sell the camp to a group headed by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Estabrook.  This enabled Camp Kawanhee to continue to be a great influence on the lives of boys around the world.
As the Estabrooks began to operate the camp, Kawanhee moved with the times and changes were made. Enrollment increased.  New activities were added.  Soccer was added in the 1970’s, and in the coming years kayaking and volleyball were added.  The make up of the camp also changed. Many foreign boys began attending Kawanhee in recent years. Today, Kawanhee attracts boys from every corner of the world.

In 1977, a terrible fire destroyed the dining hall and three lodges.  Mr. George Frank died in the fire. Kawanhee continued to operate that summer and by the  next summer, a new dining hall was in operation. 

In recent years Kawanhee has made even more changes.  A scholarship fund was established. New lodges have been added and enrollment has reached all time highs. A new ropes course was added in 2000 and additions were made to the course in 2001.A new arts and crafts center is on the horizon.

In 1999 another huge change took place when Mr. and Mrs. Estabrook and all other Kawanhee stock holders donated their stock to a non-profit foundation-The George and Raymond Frank Foundation. Kawanhee is now owned by the foundation and operated by a board of directors. A managing director hired by the board operates the camp.

Kawanhee has had a glorious history in the past 80 plus years. It started with the dream of two brothers. It started with twelve campers, a dining hall and two lodges. Through the years, campers, staff and activities were added until it has reached the maximum capacity and greatness we enjoy today.
Operating a seven week summer camp in Maine is not easy. Scores have gone out of business since 1921. Schools start earlier and end later, families want time for vacation and boys want to attend specialty camps.  But, Kawanhee has survived and not only survived, but flourished in these times. Kawanhee has flourished in part because of the great setting, history, tradition and activities briefly mentioned in these few paragraphs. But Kawanhee has really survived because of the great people who have attended the camp and especially those who have worked at the camp.  There are too many great Kawanheans to mention in this brief history, but it is really the people of Kawanhee who have made it successful.  As a staff member at Camp Kawanhee you are now part of a great tradition.  Always remember the great tradition you are now part of.  Always strive to make Kawanhee better than it was the day before. It is because of you that Kawanhee is great.      
   
Provided by: Mike Altmaier
           
 
   
     
 

Last updated: Sunday, December 30, 2007 8:31 PM
Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003,2004,2005, and 2006. Camp Kawanhee. All rights reserved.

For additional information or comments about this site,
please e-mail to Mark Gibson, Webmaster at:gibby@kawanhee.com

Wigwam and information pages designed by Jim Estabrook