Camp Pahaquarra HistoryZusman, Albert 1999 The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area produces a quarterly newsletter that features information about the region. The Summer 1999 issue contained an article that included the following information about Camp Pahaquarra. Camp Pahaquarra (later known as Pahaquarra Scout Reservation) served Scouts from 1925 until 1971. It was the first council-wide camp owned by the George Washington Council, BSA and the earlier councils (Trenton Council, BSA and Trenton-Mercer Council, BSA).Thousands of boys from Mercer, Hunterdon and Warren Counties came to the "wilds" of northwestern New Jersey for adventure, including hiking, camping, pioneering, swimming, canoeing and numerous other activities. As they developed these skills, they also learned about teamwork and leadership. Every so often, we are fortunate to find photographs of those early days. Camp Pahaquarra is most often symbolized by the totem pole which appears on the council patch. This totem pole actually did exist, standing proudly in front of the Pahaquarra Trading Post. The main part of camp spread out along Mine Brook, with campsites on both sides of the ravine. The waterfront area was along the Delaware River. During the
1960s, rumors began that the US Government was about to condemn all
private property holdings along both shores of the Delaware River in order
to construct the Tocks Island Dam Project.
In the early 1970s, rumors became facts and the George
Washington Council was forced to sell Camp Pahaquarra to the government.
We were not alone; other Boy Scout camps as well as farms and
homes, were acquired by the government.
1971 was the final summer camping season at Camp Pahaquarra.
Immediately after the last camper left, the Council moved "over
the mountain"to its new camp - Yards Creek Scout Reservation. The
Tocks Island Dam was never constructed.
Today, both sides of the Delaware River are part of the Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area. The
parade ground is now the Coppermine Parking Area.
The buildings are all torn down, though the dining hall floor
remains. Mine Brook continues
to trickle along and the steps that descend to the tunnel used by
thousands of Scouts to cross River Road (the Old Mine Road) are overgrown
with moss.
The following two errors, amongst others, exist in the article: Use of Phaquarra rather than
Pahaquarra for the camp name is wrong. The
dates of 1925-1965/69, for the beginning and ending years, are wrong. Pahaquarra Scout Reservation continued to operate until after the 1971 summer camp season
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