History
Camp Manito-wish YMCA was established in 1919 by the Wisconsin State YMCA Board as a small wilderness tripping camp for boys. The area was chosen for its wilderness setting and prime location in the center of Northern Wisconsin waterways, ideal for exploring by canoe. Walter “Daddy” Wones, and two other men travelled to the Northwoods in search of an ideal spot to have a summer camp. Looking at a map of the area, Wones counted over 290 lakes within a ten-mile (16 km) radius around camp. Wones decided that this was the place, a setting for a wilderness experience for young men.
The original twenty-five acres of land purchased by the Wisconsin YMCA had previously been known as the Rabbits Foot Resort, owned by Bill Paquette. A dining hall, six cabins and a few other facilities were all that stood here at the time of the purchase. Lakeview cabin is the only building from Rabbits Foot Resort that is still standing today.
Located on Boulder Lake, in the middle of the Manitowish chain of lakes, it was only obvious to name the camp after the waters of the area. The word Manitowish is Ojibwa and is believed to translate to “playful spirit.” Camp hyphenated the word using the Ojibwa beginning, with the English word “wish” as an ending, to convey a desire “for all to achieve what is best for themselves.”
Daddy Wones was appointed Camp Director and in July of that year the first session of camp began. Early camper life was disciplined, including mandatory pre-breakfast morning swims, bible studies and calisthenics.
Today, over 85 years later Manito-wish has grown from a small wilderness tripping camp to one of the most established and respected youth camps in the world. The camp's programs have expanded from a few weeks during the summer, to year round programs offered to people of all ages.
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