Camp Miramichee was a YWCA Camp that operated on the South Fork River from 1916 to 1989. It was founded as a girls' vacation camp on a portion of the original parcel of land purchased for Kia Kima. Throughout its history, Camp Miramichee and Kia Kima had many shared events and friendships.
Originally printed in the Old Kia Kima Newsletter, November 1997, Volume 3, Issue 3.
"At the request of some of you, I will attempt to reconstruct some of the beginning phases of the re-opening of Kia Kima in the summer of 1948. As you have already noted in your newsletters, Kia Kima had been a Memphis council camp in the 1920's and 1930's and it operated up until 1941. At the start of WW2 it closed. At the urging of many ex-campers still active in Memphis Scouting, Kia Kima was then re-opened in 1948."
Originally printed in the April 1997 Old Kia Kima Newsletter, Volume 3, Issue 1.
"I feel confident that each one of us have moments in which we reflect back on experiences and wonder how we ever 'pulled it off.' One such experience happened in 1948 when Buddy Irwin brought 'Ole 97' to Kia Kima and took them to Calico Rock Cave for the first time. . . . None of us had ever undertaken a spelunking adventure such as this, and the only thing we had was guts."
Originally written for the Old Kia Kima Preservation Association.
"Well, let me think. It was either late May or early June of 1960. I was 19. Turned 20 in July. I had planned to ride my old Schwinn Black Phantom to Kamp Kia Kima from Memphis."
Originally written for the Old Kia Kima Preservation Association.
"By the next summer, 1964, my dad was the Scoutmaster and was determined that we would get to camp. When the process started we were scheduled for old camp Kia Kima. The campsites had names and we picked one that sounded good. By the time summer rolled around, the land exchange had taken place, and old camp Kia Kima was history. We came up during the dedication week—remember that? I still have my neckerchief slide and the triangular patch. It was the best experience of my life to that point."
Originally written in February 2006 for the Old Kia Kima Preservation Association.
"Through all ages man has had his triumphant returns. This thought brings to mind Kia Kima’s triumphant returns of the many treks led by their fearless trek masters. Starting with the first trek masters, Jim McWhorter and Dorris Goodman in 1951 and the last trek master Steve Horne in 1958. Many a tale has been told of their strength and stamina such as McWhorter taking a 30 pound cast iron grill strapped to his back pack and Horne hiking 50 miles in one day, leaving his crew of marines far behind eating his dust."
