1919 Postcard

Camp Miramichee was a YWCA Camp that operated on the South Fork River from 1916 to 1989.

Founding

Camp Miramichee was founded as a girls' vacation camp, and its founding is intertwined with Kia Kima's. A month after Kia Kima was purchased, the plans for Camp Miramichee began to be formed.

The working girls of Memphis this summer will have an opportunity to enjoy for two weeks real out-of-doors mountain life. A camp, situated in the foothills of the beautiful Ozark Mountains, near Hardy and on a river, has been arranged for them by a group of Memphis men, who have bought some property in that neighborhood for the benefit of the Memphis Boy Scouts.

(Working Girls Will Camp in the Ozarks, Commercial Appeal, May 14, 1916, at 20).

The camp was founded by Sophia Kraus, "who called to her aid the generous business men of Memphis." (Camp to Open Soon, Commercial Appeal, June 21, 1919, at 7). The Commercial Appeal newspaper reported that 100 business men answered Ms. Kraus's call, contributing the entire equipment for the camp.

“‘Merimichee,’ the Indian wor[d] for ‘happy resting place,’ has been chosen for the camp name[,]” and the camp was “situated on the Boy Scouts’ land.” (Ninety Girls Entered for Outing at Hardy, Commercial Appeal, June 4, 1916, at 56).

Edward Everett and his wife were both on the advisory committee, and Mrs. Everett served on staff at Miramichee while her husband was the camp director just up-river. (Plan Vacation Camp, Commercial Appeal, May 6, 1917, at 20). Mr. Everett, on behalf of the Chickasaw Council, facilitated securing 30 acres of Kia Kima's land for the new camp. (Ibid). That first year, 93 girls attended camp with Sophia Kraus as the director. The camp had a dining hall and four sleeping houses, and a “spending spring was found on the site and was properly cemented.” (Ibid).

The land was eventually given to the Girls Vacation Club. The Girls Vacation Club merged into the YWCA (Young Womens Christian Association) in 1919. (Deed to YWCA, 1919.).

1916-1978

Camp Miramichee was located outside of Hardy, Arkansas, on the South Fork River. The camp was built with stone cabins using a similar architecture style as Kia Kima. (See the Stonework Architecture exhibit).

Directly across the road from Miramichee was Kamp Kiwani, the Girl Scout camp.

Over the years, Camp Miramichee was very popular with the Memphis community.

During the first decade with the YWCA, participants continued to be working women with a two-week period designated each summer for use by Girl Reserves (the YWCA predecessor of Y-Teens). The changeover in age groups was gradual with mixed ages attending for several years. During the years of the Great Depression, the camp was open to young women and girls of all ages. Family groups also enjoyed the camp during these years.

In the early 1940's enrollment was limited to girls aged 10 to 18. Miss Julia Hope Hall, YWCA Youth Director, began her long tenure as Camp Director in the late 1930's. During the war years of World War II, adult camping returned. Gasoline and tire rationing curtailed long trips, so Miramichee again became a vacation spot for employed women with a camp fee of $10.00 per week. Adult camping continued for approximately fifteen years attracting mainly former campers from Shelby County and their families. In the 1950's camping reverted to the younger age group.

Swimming, canoeing, hiking, singing games, crafts, archery and overnight sleep outs were all part of life at Miramichee, which attracted campers not only from Memphis and Shelby County but also west Tennessee, north Mississippi and east Arkansas. Starting in Unit 1, at 10 years old, campers returned year after year until they joined the Senior Unit. Enrollment steadily increased from the end of World War II into the mid-1960's. During these years, registration forms were returned as soon as they were received shortly after Christmas in order to insure one's place at camp.

Woody Lodge, the cabin of the Senior Unit, was donated to the camp by the Zonta Club of Memphis and opened in 1950. The lodge was named in memory of one of its members, Mary Wood Davis, who also was active in the YWCA for many years. Shortly thereafter a new unit was created, Unit IV, with the building of additional stone cabins.

During the 1950's and 1960's truck trips were expanded to explore the surrounding area of northeast Arkansas and southern Missouri. The Senior Unit took three-day trips to Lake Norfolk and Blanchard Springs in Arkansas and Alley Springs in Missouri. The Long Canoe Trip became longer and longer. Canoeists no longer paddled up Spring River to Dam 3, but now set in at Dam 3 and paddled down to Imboden or Black Rock. Annual events were also held such as Olympic Day and Camper/Staff Day.

Miramichee also held joint events with Kia Kima as well as the other camps in Hardy: Kamp Kiwani (Girl Scouts) and Camp Cedar Valley (Boy Scouts -- Eastern Arkansas Area Council).

During the development of Cherokee Village in 1960s, Miramichee was the final summer camp to stay with their original property. Kamp Kiwani sold their property in 1960 and reopened in Middleton, Tennessee, in 1965. Kia Kima moved upriver to its current location in 1964. Camp Cedar Valley sold their property in 1966 and reopened in Viola, Arkansas, in 1967.

Miss Hall retired in 1970, and in 1975 the original Miramichee campsite was sold. A new site which had been identified by Miss Hall, was acquired. Located up river on South Fork, near the new Kia Kima, the site consisted of 138 underdeveloped acres. Peggy Matthews served as Camp Director during the early 1970's and created new traditions during the final years at the oldcamp site. Camp Miramichee stayed at their original property until 1977, when it moved upriver near Kia Kima.

1979-1989

In 1979, Camp Miramichee moved upriver from its original property. As with the original properties, Miramichee was once more located just downriver of Kia Kima.

In the years leading up to the move, the mid-1970's were a period of planning and fund-raising. The Camp Committee was reconstituted; former staff member Betty Griff Woodard was hired as camp director; a master camp plan designed by the University Of Arkansas was approved; and an architectural firm was hired. The new camp opened in June 1979 after operating one summer at the YMCA camp in Mammoth Springs.

An extensive building program of 14 cabins, a dining hall, a bunkhouse, and a bath house was nearing completion when a tornado hit in December 1982 ravaging the camp. The building started over with hope to raise the camp again. Ann Pool, longtime camper and staff member, served as Camp Director during those difficult years.

In October 1983, the new senior lodge and bunkhouse was dedicated to Julia Hope Hall on a fall day attended by over a 100 people.

However, by the mid-1980's camp enrollment was experiencing a serious decline, and competent staff were difficult to secure.After several years of problems, the YWCA decided to stop operating the camp. Various other uses were considered, but the decision was finally made to sell the property and focus on other programs.

Camp Miramichee closed in 1989. Today, the stone cabins are privately owned. Several have been restored by former Miramichee Staff and are available for rent.