A century of summer camps, at historical society show

KENT — The concept of summer camps for children started here in Connecticut, at The Gunnery in Washington. That’s only one of many interesting history facts available in a show opening next week at the Kent Historical Society, called “The Camps of Kent: Memories of Summer.”

Curator Marge Smith and Trustee Melissa Roth Cherniske began collecting information, photos and stories last summer, when they came up with the idea while brainstorming for new exhibitions.

Kent has been home to more than 10 summer camps over the last century. Information on them wasn’t in the historical society archives, though, so Smith and Cherniske reached out to the community for data and details.

The creation of summer camps is attributed to The Gunnery Camp. The Gunn family ran a home school for boys in Washington and, around the time of the Civil War, decided to take the whole school on a two-week trip. 

The students hiked to their destination and then set up camp. They spent the next two weeks boating, fishing and trapping — and they had so much fun that the Gunns continued the trip for the next dozen years.

In 1874, the first girls  camp, and first YWCA camp (or “vacation project”), was offered in Asbury Park, N.J., by the Philadelphia chapter of the YWCA. 

The camp was created for “tired young women wearing out their lives in an almost endless drudgery for wages that admit no thought of rest or recreation.”

Two years later, Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock founded the first private camp, the North Mountain School of Physical Culture, near Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The purpose of the camp was to take “weakly boys” into the woods to combine their need for healthier lifestyles with their pursuit of practical knowledge outside usual academic lines.

The Kent Historical Society exhibit tells the story of the many camps that have existed here through stories, documents and artifacts. 

Smith and Cherniske interviewed camp alumni and tracked down documents (including public health records). 

Cherniske said they used social media too. She found Facebook pages for alumni groups from many of the camps and began “joining” the groups online. This gave her access to many former campers, who shared stories for the exhibit and the historical society’s archives. 

Thanks to the exhibit, and Cherniske’s efforts, many of these groups decided to hold reunion events in town this summer.

The exhibit also documents related phenomena such as the “Camp Special,” a train that brought campers from New York City’s Grand Central Station to Connecticut. 

Each camper was given a special ticket for the camp they would be attending. The youngsters were supposed to walk through the train until they found other children going to the same camp. This was supposed to help campers develop friendships before even arriving at camp.

The show will open June 13 to the general public. Patrons and members of the historical society can view the show on June 6 and 7. 

For more information go to www.kenthistoricalsociety.org or call 860-927-4587.