Lake Buel - Summer Camps

Summer Camps

The Lake has a long history of summer camps. A Camp Buel existed as early as 1900. Camp Berkshire, a small boys camp, started in 1912 and ended before 1937. It initially used Gibson’s Grove as a home base. Camp Owaissa was a summer camp for girls on the west shore from 1919 to 1920. In 1921 it moved to Lake Garfield. Camp Half Moon started about 1920. It became co-ed in 1994 and is still active.

Camp To-Ho-Ne started in 1921 on the former Owaissa grounds. To-Ho-Ne used a system of tribal government “to maintain discipline and safety.” In 1924, 200 acres (0.81 km2) were purchased to expand the camp. Eventually added were tennis courts, a dispensary and a lodge. The camp had a woodworking shop, held Saturday night plays, Wednesday hikes and staged a season-ending award ceremony. 1970 was the camp’s last year. In 1986 the land was sold and turned into a 27-lot housing development, To Ho Ne Shores.

In 1937, Turner’s Landing was sold, and the site became a camp, first called Camp Mi Yo Quan and then Berkshire Highland. Berkshire Highland ran until 1956. In 1957 and 1958 the site was the Ted Mack Camp, a summer music camp for kids. Activities at Ted Mack included swimming, boating, weaving, music lessons and pony rides. Weekly shows were put on, including an end-of-the-season Broadway-type show. Guys and Dolls ended one season. Frank Loesser introduced the show; his daughter Susan was a camper there. Marvin Hamlisch was also a camper there as was Bruce Vilanch.

From 1939 until 1969 the site hosted the Children’s Colony International Camp, which was home to about 220 campers for eight weeks each summer. Some of campers and counselors came from foreign countries, giving the camp an international flair. Children's Colony was owned by Trude Frank who also operated a day school of the same name in New York City. The program emphasized waterfront activities, boating and especially swimming; campers as young as 5 or 6 swam the full width of the lake and gained advance Red Cross swimming cards. Campers ranged in age from kindergarten age through high school. Highlights of the summer included a hike along a portion of the Appalachian Trail and berry picking excursions.

In 1970 it became Camp Deerwood. Deerwood offered athletics, aquatics, arts, ham radio lessons, crafts, foreign languages and photography.

In 2000 the land was sold again and became the Seven Stones, a venue for business retreats, weddings and family reunions. In 2003 Seven Stones hosted the 2003 World Gay Outdoor Gathering. In 2008, the site was purchased by Kutsher's Sports Academy, which was moving its camp from Monticello, New York Kutsher's hosted 200 campers in 2008.

The Fokine Ballet Camp leased Littlecrest for eight weeks each summer from 1957 to 1960 before relocating to a site in Lenox, Massachusetts. Bigford’s Landing hosted a Girl Scout Summer Camp throughout the 1950s.