Did You Know?

The economy is a topic of conversation that is being brought up quite a bit with the struggling market and the presidential debates and it has caused a lot of people to compare the costs of things now versus five years ago, twenty years ago and even back to the great depression of 1929.

Did you know that before any of that, YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln officially opened its gates in 1918 in Maquoketa, Iowa? It moved to its current location in Blue Grass, Iowa in 1924. I thought it would be interesting to see what was going on in the world when YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln first started.

Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States.

World War I was happening.

A soldier at Camp Fuston, Kansas falls sick with the first confirmed case of Spanish Flu.
March 4th

Soviet Russia moves its capital from Petrograd to Moscow.
March 5th

The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight savings time.
March 19th

General Motors acquires Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.
May 2nd

"Spanish Flu" influenza becomes a pandemic; over 25 million people die
in the following six months (almost twice as many as died in the war).
August

Boston Red Sox defeat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.
September 11th

World War I ends.
November 11th

Woodrow Wilson becomes the first president to travel to Europe while in office.
December 4th

Babe Ruth leads the American League in home runs for the first time with 11.


Not too long ago we found a box of old camp pictures dating back to the 1930's. We have hung up many of the photos to show campers they are part of a rich history at Camp Abe Lincoln. Scattered throughout the blog are a few of the pictures we found. If you are a past camper in the area, stop by our main lodge and maybe you can see a picture with you as a child.

The pictures really make you realize the history and impact Camp Abe Lincoln has had on the community over the years. We would love to hear from any of you who attended camp when you were a child. We are working to put together a reunion activity where past campers and past counselors can come out to camp for a day and walk around the grounds. We are looking for volunteers to help us organize this event. Please let us know if you are interested. If you know of anyone who may be interested in reading more about the ongoing activity at Camp Abe Lincoln, please forward them this website as well as Camp's Website. We would love to hear from any alumni so please do not hesitate to call or email us at camp@scottcountyfamilyy.org. We look forward to hearing from you.