That's me, Merrill G. Bradlee, at Camp Mishe Mokwa,
back in 1931!
By Merrill G. Bradlee
My family and I visited a Mr. Irwin at
the Weirs on Lake Winnipesaukee in the spring of 1928
to find a boys camp where I might spend the summer. After
a harrowing experience at the marina where I almost drowned,
but was saved by the same Mr. Irwin, it was decided that
Camp Mishe Mokwa on Treasure Island would be the best
place. So in July of 1928 I was driven to Alton Bay by
my family and was put on a boat for a ride to Treasure
Island.
I guess I adjusted ok, for I only remember being homesick
for a short period. I was the youngest camper on the island,
so probably got a little special attention.
We slept in a cabin with about ten boys and a counselor.
Bathroom facilities we must have had, but I don’t
remember that. Because there were no females on the island,
any place along a trail was ok. The cabins were connected
by trails in the woods, with the main trail ending up
at the mess hall and auditorium. Along these trails could
be found blueberries, which were eaten with relish.
On one side of the island was a wild area where we could
fish. It was not too far, if I remember correctly, from
a baseball field and open area. Closer to the main buildings
was a tennis court. I do remember Bill Tilden coming to
visit Mr. Wallis who ran the camp. Some of us got to hit
a few balls with him.
On one side of the island was a dock where a Chris Craft
was tied. On rare occasions we would be taken for a ride.
Down by the mess hall was the beach where we swam. No
one used a bathing suit of any kind. Only on Sunday, when
parents might come visit was a bathing suit worn and then
the kind “in vogue” at the time -- the ones
with straps over the shoulders. It was at the beach where
most activity took place: it was here that we were taught
to swim, here that canoes were launched and here where
we were taught to handle a canoe.
When one had mastered the act of swimming, they tested
our prowess. Each boy had to swim from Treasure Island
to some other island. As I remember it, the island was
Big Cub or Little Cub. There were long canoes, which were
called war canoes. I would guess they would hold between
ten to fifteen boys. These were sometimes raced.
Once a boy had learned to swim, instructions in the handling
of a canoe could proceed. A boy would go one on one with
a counselor. After the counselor thought the boy had the
hang of canoeing, he was taken out a hundred feet or so
from the shore where the canoe was tipped over and the
counselor swam to shore. It would be the responsibility
of the boy to gather the paddles and get the canoe to
shore. Once this was accomplished, the boy would be qualified
to take the canoe out on his own. At what stage I mastered
this I do not know, but it happened before I left the
camp after a four year stay. I learned to both swim and
canoe with a fair amount of proficiency.
A couple of times each summer we were taken to somewhere
around Portsmouth, NH and put on a boat and given a hand
line to fish for cod and other fish of this sort. It was
a day trip.
Rattlesnake Island was the mysterious island. We could
see it, but we never went to it. One time in 1930 some
of us were taken to the foot of Mt Chocorua, a 3490 foot
peak, with our necessary overnight equipment, which probably
consisted of a blanket with blanket pins which in that
day was our sleeping bag. We climbed up part way, stopped,
made camp around a fire, roasted marshmallows and listened
to ghost stories told by our counselors. In the morning
we climbed to the summit and back to our transportation.
For me it was fantastic. The highest mountains I had ever
climbed. I still remember it to this day.
Once every summer, we were taken for a sail on the “Mt.
Washington” a big tourist type boat that may still
be running. The highlight was our being given a box of
Cracker Jacks. There was always a “prize”
in each box.
In my last year at Mishe Mokwa we put on a cabaret. I
played the part of Bad Girl. I can remember one of the
other boys singing to me “You forgot your gloves.”
Also, I can remember one year when my family came to pick
me up, we went over to Pecketts at Sugar Hill to spend
a day or two. When we got there I remember getting out
of the car and rolling on the beautiful green grass, the
likes of which I had not seen for the last two months.