CAMP SHAW-MI-DEL-ECA
THE EARLY YEARS
NOTES
Geography
Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca (Camp) is located in Caldwell, West Virginia, and consists of two tracts: 53.1 acres of mostly level land bordering the Greenbrier River on the east side and a 20-acre island in the Greenbrier River.
PRE-HISTORY
There was a dirt road from the main camp to the stables that ran beside a corn field. Campers would find arrowheads indicating the camp may have been used by Native Americans. The deed indicates the property may have been the site of a lime kiln, and on the island there may have a boom that was used in the spring timber drive. The St. Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company of Ronceverte purchased the island and channel “at the old boom above the bridge at Caldwell.” The company reserved the right for two years to “use said existing booms and catch logs that may be driven by it on the Greenbrier River.” (Deed Book 113, Page 206).
Purchase
On May 12, 1928, Emma E. Moore and Willie J. Moore purchased 53.1 acres from Caroline and J. North Caldwell. On September 25, 1930 Emma and Willie Moore sold the property to the Four Tribe Camp Corporation. (Deed Book 117, Page 576).
On May 19, 1930 Frank and Ellen Dunbar sold “the larger part of the island” of 20 acres to the Four Tribe Camp Corporation. (Deed Book 117, Page 575).
The Four Tribe Corporation
The Four Tribe Corporation was chartered in March 1930 by the West Virginia Secretary of State and capitalized at $25,000. The incorporators were H. B. Moore, D. T. Moore, J. M. Moore, Glenn T. Strock and Alfred A. Adkins (Hinton Daily News, March 5, 1930).
All of the incorporators were associated with Greenbrier Military School (GMS) in Lewisburg, West Virginia. H. B. Moore was President of GMS; D. T. Moore was Business Manager and Treasurer; J. M. Moore was Vice-President; Glenn T. Strock was Assistant Commandant; and Alfred A. Adkins was an athletic coach. (Greenbrier Military School Catalogue of 1930-1931 season)
1920s
A camp was written about in the Greenbrier Independent in 1928: “The football camp this coming fall will doubtless be held at the newly acquired camp on the Greenbrier River. There is room at this site for a 2,000-yard rifle range as well as ample opportunities for boating and swimming. A summer camp to link up the military school year with the vacation period is planned.” (The Greenbrier Independent, July 20, 1928).
Later that year, it was reported “the Greenbrier football training camp opened last Thursday with about 35 players on hand. (The Greenbrier Independent, September 14, 1928).
An article in Green-Briars, GMS’s student newspaper, indicates a camp and summer school will be run in connection with GMS during the summer of 1929. Much like Camp Greenbrier, it begins as a summer school and camp. The article reports the camp will be known as the Greenbrier Summer School and Camp and the first director will be Mr. H. T. Taylor who was Director of Physical Education and Athletics in Louisville, KY.
The plan is for the boys to sleep and have classes at GMS. They will be transported to Camp by automobile. The article confirms Camp had been used in the previous year as a football camp and rifle range.
(Green-Briars, May 30, 1929)
1930s
An article in the March 3, 1930 Green-Briars announces that the “Greenbrier Military School summer school and camp” will open July 1 for eight weeks. While Col. Moore is in charge of all summer school activities, Major Strock will be the director of the school and camp.
An October 31 edition of Green-Briars shows a photo of a minature golf course and identifies the camp as Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca.
One of the first buildings may have been the lodge. An article in Green-Briars by John “Monty” Montgomery reported “logs are being cut to remodel the assembly haul.” I am guessing what was called the lodge when I was a camper was first the assembly hall and logs were added to the outside. Montgomery also reports the entrance road was macadamized. (Green-Briars, Nov. 29, 1930).
A June 1, 1931 Green-Briars reports the gymnasium is being built of logs and will house a basketball court. Five new Old Town canoes arrived., and several additional horses were purchased. Photos show canoeing, horseback riding, surf-board riding, and excursion to Hot Springs, Natural Bridge and other points of interest.
An article in the July 3, 1931 edition of The Greenbrier Independent reports the Camp will open July 2, and there are many improvements including a minature golf course and a gymnasium will be completed.
A June 1, 1932 article in Green-Briars announces the opening of Camp on June 30 with Major Strock as Camp Director. Mahre Stark to be the camp’s athletic director. (Note: Stark was director of Physical Education at Charleston (WV) High School and had been an outstanding football player at GMS). Stark was still director when I was there in the 1950s).
Dr. Charles Lemon of Lewisburg was named camp physician (Note: he and later his son were the camp physicians into at least the 1950s).
Another article in the same edition of Green-Briars is entitled “Campers To Decide For Tents or Cabins.” Ten new cabins were built with four boys to each cabin (Note: there were four boys to each cabin when I was a camper). Others were quartered in tents. The cabins were allocated to the younger campers.
An additional article lists the classes offered.
A gymnasium was painted green. Activities being offered include swimming, horseback riding, polo, archery, canoeing, and surf-board riding (behind motorboats). (Green-Briars, GMS 1930-31 catalogue)
(Note: I have been unable to determine when the dam was constructed. When M. L. Dunbar sold the island to the St. Lawrence Boom & Mfg. Co. were required to “not construct anything in the said channel that will divert the current of the Greenbrier River so as to injure the fields of said M. L. Dunbar.” I am guessing some sort of dam was constructed after The Four Tribe Corporation bought the island. In the 1930-31 GMS catalogue there is a photo of the lake and it is named Lake Weotowe. In Briar Patch, 1938 it notes Camp has a new concrete dam. )
An ad in the same edition is the first time I have found the name Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca used.
In the June 9, 1933 edition of The Greenbrier Independent, it was reported that Mahre H. Stark was appointed athletic director and camp counselor and Col. H. B. Moore is in charge.
In 1933 two buses and three cars transported 120 boys to Grand Caverns in Virginia where they camped for the night. (The Daily News Leader, August 2, 1933)
In 1934, Col. H. B. Moore reported Camp had the largest number of boys ever. Fifty cabins, big new dining hall, staff of approximately 56, including 32 active counselors. (Covington Virginian, June 30, 1934)
In Green-Briars, October 15, 1934, it was reported the cabins had replaced the tents, recreation halls were built for each group, a new dining hall was constructed, and there were new shooting galleries. The Camp was divided into four parts: midgets, juniors, intermediates, and seniors.
In 1935, there were 160 boys in Camp. (Covington Virginian, July 9, 1935).
Activities in 1935 included all-night horseback rides to High Top, overnight canoe trips and a carnival during the second month. (Covington Virginian, July 26, 1935)
200 boys were expected in 1936. Several new cabins were built. (Green-Briars, June 1, 1936).
About 20 canoes bearing sixty happy “braves” left headed down the Greenbrier River on an overnight trip. (Covington Virginian, Aug. 7, 1936)
Some of the regular features are leathercraft, woodcraft, metalcraft and all sports. Weekly campfire in the “big tribal circle each Thursday. Boys took a trip to Seneca Rocks where they camped overnight. (Covington Virginian, July 28, 1936)
In 1937, camp closed its season with the annual banquet at which time many cups and medals were awarded to various campers. A horseshow featured Monday afternoon’s activities. Last week “Ringtail & Baledhay’s Circus” was held by the campers with proceeds going to the Davis-Stuart School (local orphanage). Camp Alleghany girls were guests at the circus.
Also, during the 1937 season Indian dances were under the direction of Dr. Heinz, an Indian lore expert, who was assisted by Walter Hamilton, an Eagle Warrior of the Cheyennes. (Covington Virginian, Aug. 17, 1937)
During the 1937 season, the entire Camp Ann Bailey hiked to Camp to be guests at an Indian council fire. (The Charleston Daily Mail, July 18, 1937).
1940s
A photo taken from atop Goat Mountain, shows the camp developed to pretty much like it was in the 1950s.
Headlines in The Raleigh Register (Beckley, WV): Iron Lungs, Nurses Sought as West Va. Polio Totals Go Up. William Mason Mayfield, 9-year old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was stricken with polio at Camp and died three hours after admittance to the hospital. A second youth at Camp from Charleston was put in an iron lung at the Morris Memorial Hospital in Milton, WV. Directors closed the camp. There were 200 boys and 50 counselors.
The Covington Virginian reported on June 25, 1941, that Camp opens on June 26. Col. H. B. Moore is camp president and Robert M. Harris, active manager. Brad Jones of Louisville, KY, will be director of camp activities and Mahre Stark, athletic director of Charleston High School, will direct athletics.
The cost for the 1944 season was $275 for eight week. (Camp Catalogue)
A May 25, 1946 article in The Daily Review (Clifton Forge, VA) reported Camp will open for a seven-week term June 27. Several of the staff returned after war service. Major R. M. Harris is director. Granville Shirley returned after serving in the Navy. Major W. A. Richards heads the Senior Camp and Mahre Stark heads the Junior Camp. Major J. W. Benjamin will be be charge of the school work and special activities, including story telling to the smaller campers at camp fire. E. V. Core will be charge of the nature study.
Capt. Dick Staten had been a counselor at Camp for 10 years. He graduated from GMS in 1938 and was an outstanding football player. (Green-Briars, Sept. 15, 1947)
On April 23, 1948, Major Robert Harris died at age 40. He had been the camp’s managing director and was married to Carolyn Moore Harris, daughter of Col. H. B. Moore. He was also varsity football, baseball and basketball coach at GMS. (Green-Briars, May 11, 1948)
200 campers expected (Beckley Post-Herald, June 16, 1948).
On July 2, 1949 the Beckley Post-Herald reported Camp opened for its 22nd year. L. E. “Brad” Jones, athletic director at Georgetown (KY) College is again serving as director and Steve Harrick, baseball and wrestling coach at West Virginia University, is director of activities. Granville Shirley will be the swimming instructor and Mahre Stark will head the Junior Camp. Major J. W. Benjamin and Capt. Dick Staten were listed as staff.
The Beckley Post-Herald reported Camp will open for its 22nd year.
1950s
The most significant event for me was the swimming pool. During my first season, the inexperienced swimmers would swim below the dam. After passing a swimming test, we could swim above the dam.
Canoeing was one of my favorite activities. We had wooden Old Town canoes and Gruman alumnium canoes. Photos from the 1940 show campers building kayaks. There was a little of that in the early 50s but seem to have ended.
Popular activities in the craft building included woodcraft in the shop (building lamps, book ends, etc.), leather craft, building radios, building and flying model airplanes, and making Indian costumes and dance items.
Memorable outdoor activities include snipe hunting on goat mountain, taking camp canoes upriver on the train and floating back to camp, overnight horseback trips to the outpost cabin (a house/camp north of Camp.
Each season there was a horseshow with ribbons awarded.
The only off-camp outing I can recall was the annual trip in an open truck to Organ Cave.
Each week there were Indian dances on the island, and each Sunday there was a service on the island. There seemed to always be a camper or counselor who could play the accordion to accompany us when we sang at church services.
I recall one dance with Camp Appalachia (girls camp in Virginia) and frequent dances with girls from Lewisburg.
Golf was popular with frequent trips to the Elk’s course in Lewisburg and an occasional trip for good golfers to The Greenbrier.
The academic part of the camp seemed to have fizzled by the 1950s although J. W. Benjamin (“Col. Ben”) provided tutoring in English. He also led the Sunday services.
The rifle range was popular and Col. Turley was the instructor through the 50s. He was a teacher and coach at GMS, former cadet, and outstanding football player.
Woodcraft and camping took place on the island.
We rose to a camper playing revelry and went to bed after taps. In the early 50s we all had calisthenics in the morning but that stopped after a few seasons.
There was a nature center and campers could lean taxidermy. For a few years the camp had an excellent local naturalist – Dale Atkinson.
Carolyn Harris (widow of R. M. Harris) was the business manager of the camp during the 50s. All of her five children were involved either as counselors, employees or campers.
Capt. Dick Staten was Director of Activities in the 50s. His children were also involved either as counselors, campers or employees.
Mr. Mahre Stark and Col. Richardson continued their long involvement with the camp. Granville Shirley was director of water-front activities and swimming instructor.
Dr. Lemon or his son continued as camp physician.
The cost in 1955 was $350 for eight weeks. There were two terms, but most campers stayed for both.
Postscript
The Four Tribe Camp Corporation conveyed the camp’s property to Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca and the camp was sold on May 1, 1972 to Eugene and Earnestine McClung.
While described as GMS’s Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca it was really a independent business that was owned by the Moore family as was GMS.
Notes
Green-Briars was the student newspaper at GMS. The Briar Patch was the school yearbook.
All of the GMS ranks used by the staff at Camp were conferred by school and not necessarily (if ever) by the military.
2023 September