THE DREAM CONTINUES

By Alpha Ralston

Camp Hervida, the summer retreat for Washington County's 4-H members, will celebrate its 75th Anniversary this summer. The camp is located on 202 acres of land about four miles south of Waterford at the intersection of Township roads 107, 108 and 172.

Author Alpha Ralston was a 4-H camper inthe late 1920s and 1930s. Her children were campers in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and her grandchildren enjoyed Camp Hervida in the 1980s and 90s. Mrs. Ralston has also attended Women's Camp for a number of years. She credits the Washington County Extension Office for making this article possible by giving her access to former histories and the minutes of the Camp Hervida Board.

To "Make the Best Better" is our motto, and nowhere has it been shown more successfully than in the camp we have today in Washington County, a pioneer in the field of 4-H camps.

Camp Hervida is the culmination of the dream of John D. Hervey, County Agent.  In 1921, he suggested a 4-H Club camp, believing that boys and girls needed training in leadership and recreation, as well as project work. The plan of a program for both boys and girls was unique in Washington County and in the state of Ohio. The first camp was held near Waterford Grange Hall where the girls slept. The boys slept in a nearby barn. Activities such as campfire, vespers and meals were held between the two sites.

In 1922, a site was leased on the muddy fork of Wolf Creek and this was the beginning of the first permanent 4-H camp in Ohio. Tents were used for cooking, sleeping, and the dining hall. A committee of campers (Mrs. F.C. McGill, Ruth Thomas, Mrs. C.E. Lawton, and Dean Ellis) discussed a permanent name for our camp.  While they peeled potatoes, husked corn and washed dishes, appropriate names were discussed. They decided upon "Hervida," a contraction of the name Hervey and Ida, for Mrs. Ida Hervey. It was felt this name would honor the Herveys and always remind the people of Washington County of the inspiration and help Mr. and Mrs. Hervey had given so many young people.

The kitchen was built in 1923 and a lodge was built in 1924 for sleeping quarters. The latter was named  "Louvida" for "Grandma" and Mrs. Ida Hervey. In 1924, Women's Camp was established with an attendance of 124. Except for the war years, women have enjoyed planning programs, learning crafts, meeting old friends and making new ones, and living together for a weekend each summer.

The early history of Camp Hervida is very scarce. Some information is in histories of the camp as written in 1971 and perhaps earlier.  Mainly it is in the hearts of former campers. Until 1940 when the Camp was incorporated the best record is found in a note book which lists campers for most years from 1925 to 1979. It also gives an indication of the size and different camps held.

The first camp at the present site was held in 1922. This camp was on 13 acres rented from a Mr. Sheldon. Swimming took place in Wolf Creek down stream from the camp. A dam was built across the creek, the deeper pool above the dam being for swimmers and the one below it for waders. The life-guard stayed on the dam and blew a whistle so we could get with our buddies. Then he counted everyone and told us to go back to the water.

Sleeping was in tents and most of the early campers slept on straw ticks. Campers brought their ticks from home and stuffed them with straw provided at camp. (The straw usually held its share of chiggers.) Water for the camp came from a well.  It was heated in five gallon lard cans over an outdoor fire. Each camper brought his own wash pan to carry water back of his tent to wash.                                                                    

Cooking was done in a small kitchen located about where the present kitchen is located. The dining hall was an open shed with a tin roof. Campers washed their dishes in hot water carried from the lard cans.

Vespers was near where the bird blind now is. This was a natural site which lent itself to an effective program. NO TALKING was the rule as we went to vespers. Campfire was held near where the current flagpole stands. Campfire programs were a fun time with singing, stunts, and small comedies.

Club advisors usually accompanied their members to camp and thus provided the counselors. Different tents were assigned to duties each day. Everything from campfire, vespers, dish washing, helping the cooks, and camp cleanup was included. The camp program was varied with lectures, crafts and fun and games included each day. The Hervida Herald was printed each day to help us learn more about our fellow campers. 

In 1940, the camp was incorporated and the original thirteen acres was purchased. There were twenty-seven members on the camp board,  with a five-member board of directors.  At that time the permanent buildings were kitchen, dining hall, lodge and toilets. 

The first 4-H camp was held in 1922. Women's camp began in 1924, and Men's camp in 1942.  In 1944 an older youth camp was held. Junior Camp was first listed in 1950 and in 1960 a second week of Junior Camp was held. In 1964 Intermediate camp was listed instead of the second week of junior camp. Morgan County has been a part of Camp Hervida since 1929, sometimes included with Washington County's camp and later with their own week of camping.

Since  1949, the camp site has been rented to other counties, church groups, outdoor education camps, band camps, Easter Seals, scouts, YMCA, family reunions, business outings and school reunions. It is in use from early May until October.

Land purchases over the years are interesting. The original 13 acres was purchased in 1940 for $300; 28.5 acres were purchased for $1,300 in 1948; 41.2 acres were purchased for $800 in 1955; 2.39 acres were purchased for $60 in 1962; and in 1989 two plots were purchased -- 10.56 acres for $8,500 and 107 acres for $27,000. 

In 1942 plans were made for a swimming pool in the creek known as Humphrey Run that flows through camp. This was constructed for $600. The pool was unsuccessful due to its location (no sun) and because of flooding after hard rains.

In 1945, REA Electric was available at the camp. The first cabin was built in 1947. By 1949 there was a total of nine cabins and today there are twenty-one cabins plus a nature center and an activities building. The craft hall was built in 1952. In 1956 a swimming pool was built, and in 1977 a recreation hall was completed. Most of the labor and cost of construction materials were donated by individuals and business firms. The present dining hall was dedicated June 4, 1967 and named in memory of Lloyd S. Stacy.

In 1985, two Youth Conservation Corps Camp buildings were given to the camp by Wayne National Forest. One building is now used as an activities building and the other as a nature center. In 1987, a covered deck addition was added to expand the use of the nature center.  Again volunteer labor from Washington County residents and donations of materials from businesses made the completion of these buildings possible.

By 1994, new boys' and girls' rest rooms had been completed with flush toilets and showers. Most of the buildings are handicap accessible. 

A personal note -- the present-day Camp Hervida has the same name as it had in the 1920s and 1930s when I was a camper, and the gate is in the same place, but those are about the only things that are the same.

Where are the tents, the outside fire for heating water in five gallon lard cans (both for washing dishes and washing campers)? The water used to be pumped by hand from a well. In back of each tent was a washstand, or shelf, to hold the wash pan filled with water carried from the center of the camp.

Where is the tent full of straw that was located out near the flag pole? We filled our bed ticks with straw; yes, straw ticks (with chiggers) on slats was the kind of beds we had. Later many of us had camp cots.  A lantern was hung near the front of each tent for light.

The kitchen in those days was small and the dining hall open on all sides. Swimming was in Wolf Creek, down near where the lagoon is now.

Every morning after the trumpet played reveille, we did exercises with Mr. Vanderpool. Then came flag raising and breakfast. The camp program varied; C.C. Lang from the Ohio State University Extension often came to camp to speak to the older youth while the younger campers had stories with an advisor.  Circle games, crafts and swimming completed the day. One year Bruce Tom from O.S.U. taught crafts and recreation.

Vespers took place near where the duck blind is today. It was a natural area where the audience faced downward toward those who were presenting the program. A quiet time was observed from the time we left the camping area until we returned. Campfire was in the area near the flag pole. Each day a different group of campers was in charge of vespers and campfire.

Today there are cabins, a swimming pool, recreation building, crafts hall, and nature center. The kitchen has a gas stove, cooler and dishwasher, The dining hall is screened and the rest rooms have flush toilets and showers.

Camp Hervida continues to be an important asset to Washington County and a source of many happy memories for its campers.