Ten Mile River Trader

A few days back, I posted on a neckerchief from Camp Newcombe, while wandering about the web, I came across some information on

Richard S. Newcombe (1880-1930) led a life dedicated to public service, most notably as Queens Country District Attorney from 1924 to 1929, where he prosecuted some of the most famous cases of the 1920s.

… and from the same source:

Newcombe was elected Surrogate of Queens County in 1929 and served as president of the Boy Scouts Sustaining Association of Queens. Robert Newcombe’s work for the Boy Scouts was the inspiration for the 1929 dedication of Camp Newcombe in Wading River, Long Island. After his death from heart failure on May 9, 1930, more than 1,000 mourners attended Newcombe’s funeral at his home at 75 Greenway Terrace. The crowd was so large that an overflow of mourners gathered in nearby Hawthorn Park. Later that year, Newcombe Square was dedicated, the location being chosen due to its proximity to the Queens Criminal Courts.

Camp Newcombe was one of the short-term camps of Greater New York Councils from the 1930’s until the 1960’s. It was located on Long Pond near Wading River Long Island.  It was a small camp, approximately 45 acres on a 40 acre natural lake. It was also used at least for a time in the 1930’s as a lone-troop summer camp.  It contained 4 Lodges and 8 small cabins as well as a number of tent sites.

I am only aware of a single piece of memorabilia issued for this camp.  I’d be interested in information (or a trade on any other items issued for this camp.

For those whose experience at TMR goes back to the 1960’s and earlier, you likely remember the Donut Farm and the Slide Farm. Another institution in the TMR area is coming to and end.

Benton Wallace Mitchell of Barryville, NY, owner of Bakers Tap Room, a retired machinist and longtime resident of the area, died Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY. He was 85.

The son of the late Wallace Mitchell and Helen Mitchell Novak, he was born April 16, 1922 in Yonkers, NY. He was the widower of Margaret R. Baker Mitchell, who passed away on December 19, 2000.

In the 1960’s and into the 1970’s NY had a drinking age of 18. Bakers was the longtime off-reservation home of many TMR staff and adult leaders and could probably be considered (at least unofficially) the TMR Staff bar during the 1970’s. Even in the off season, you could usually find a familiar Scouting face at the bar or one of the tables.

Ben and Marge, and Betty the waitress, served up many a pitcher of Genesee Cream Ale and fresh pizza, burgers and sandwiches to those wanting something beside camp food.

Bakers was a regular Friday and Saturday night stop for those volunteering at camp as campmasters or on work weekends. Some called ahead from Port Jervis or Monticello, while still on their way, to avoid the long wait for a pizza on a busy night.

It wasn’t the same since Marge passed away several years ago, but we were there for beer and pizza one night last year.

Another pitcher for the table and raise your glassess…To Absent Friends.

This hasn’t happened to me in quite a while, at least in more modern (post 1965) TMR issues.  1967 was the 40th Anniversary of TMR.  It was also my first year at Camp (Nainque to be precise).  I don’t remember this neckerchief, but I wasn’t collecting patches back than and did not even buy a patch from camp that year.

I have not seen this neckerchief in 30+ years of active collecting TMR issues and 35+ years of accumulating TMR issues.

Camp Ihpetonga, was part of the Brooklyn Scout Camps at Ten Mile River.  It was located on the Delaware side of the camp.  Another one of my Staff neckerchief needs.

Found this on the web earlier today.

Bob Madson announced at tonight’s GNYC Camping Committee meeting that they
have a preliminary offer from a firm to extract natural gas from T.M.R.
property. GNYC is guarenteed $3 million to sign the contract and about $1 millon
per year in income over the next 40+ years if gas is found. The operation
would place 30-40 wells at locations all over TMR but away from the operating
camps. A gas pipe would be buried below the Schiff Trail and connect with the
natural gas pipeline which already crosses TMR property near the south end
of Lake Nianque.

Bob said that if this took place it would virtually guarentee that no T.M.R.
property would be sold over the next 40 years.

Here is a bit of background from the River Reporter a local Sullivan County newspaper. Seems there has been a lot of activity on the PA side too.

These independent contractors are asking property owners to sign leases that will allow gas companies to explore for natural gas, which is believed to be beneath the local land mass in large deposits.

According to the experts, there are three main reasons why this is happening.

First, the cost of oil has been steadily rising over the last few years, reaching the unheard of price of $100 a barrel. By contrast, the cost of natural gas from a local well is much cheaper.

Second, geologists are telling the industry that there is evidence that very large deposits of gas are contained in a geological formation called the Marcellus Shale, which extends from Tennessee northward into central and northeastern Pennsylvania, including Wayne County, and the Southern Tier of New York State, including Sullivan County.

Third, new drilling techniques, principally developed by Halliburton, called horizontal drilling, can now recover gas deposits that were unrecoverable a short time ago.

If this pans out (to mix metaphors), it would help to maintain the camp for years to come.

Pictured below is a staff patch from Camp Aquehonga from 1952.   This is one of my TMR staff needs.

Roy More posted on his TSPA Blog:

I  heard this from a friend of mine, Jay Lenrow, that the upcoming 2010 100th Anniversary of BSA Jamboree will be the last one to be held at Fort A. P. Hill. Jay and I were Council Presidents of our respective councils when participating in Philmont Key-3 Training Conference. Since then we’ve kept in touch at National Meetings and other gatherings.

Here’s what Jay had to say. What is your reaction?

I can officially tell you that the rumors you have heard are true. The 2010 National Jamboree will be the last one to be held at Fort A.P.  Hill. There is a committee of volunteers that has been appointed by Rick Cronk, the National President, to find a permanent home for the  National Jamboree that will be owned by the BSA. They are currently looking at many properties.    

You can read the rest there.

There have been rumors for years that TMR would become the “Philmont of the East,”  that it would become a Northeast Region High Adventure Base and or a National BSA Training Center. 

Is TMR on the list of properties being considered as the permanent site of National Jamborees? 

Pros -

• 12,000 plus acres, mostly undeveloped and already owned by the Scouts. 

• Less of the reservation currently in use by GNYC for summer camps

• GNYC numbers alone probably would not support the 3 remaining open camps.

Cons -  

• Infrastructure - even at its height of 13 camps there were probably only 2500 people in camp at any given time not 25,000 to 50,000.  Most of the facilities in the closed camps are gone or in poor condition.

• Terrain -  Most of the reservation is heavily wooded and while not major by Western standards part of the Catskill mountains.

• County Infrastructure - Local Roads and facilities would likley be overwhelmed by Jamboree related traffic.

None of the these cons are insurmountable, although the thought of Jamboree traffic on County Roads 23 and 26 let alone State Routes 55 and 17B is a pretty scary thought. 

The Ten Mile River Scout Camp Museum is in the process of updating the Guide to Memorabilia of the Ten Mile River Scout Camps, 1st ed.  A second edition is planned which will incorporate all of the memorabilia issued since 2001 as well as previously undiscovered and undocumented older issues.  We will also endeavor to correct sevearl errors which crept into the first edition of the guide.

If you have any scans of patches or neckerchiefs not pictured in the first edition, corrections to dates or desriptions for items pictured in the first edition or any other pertinent information; please contact me at billmul -at- mindspring -dot- com

In 1973, TMR issued a Pocket Patch similar in shape and design to the 1972 45th Anniversary pocket patch.  This shape would not be reused for nearly two decades.