For decades Camp Windham was a wonderful place for kids

A 2007 printed program for a Windham Free Library fundraiser event, “Jazz In The Garden,” has turned out to be a marvelous source of local history. A well written story that appears within its pages was authored by Virginia Fulton of Windham Center. Her story began with Solomon and Rebecca Edelman who had emigrated from the Ukraine and settled in Windham Center in 1926. They operated a fish farm, raised cows for dairy and had an egg business at the historic Frog Pond property. See their story in the March 13, 2023 edition of the Chronicle. Later their son and daughter-in-law, Marvin and Eunice, established a highly regarded children’s summer camp, Camp Windham, on the same property.

Based on interviews with Marvin and Eunice, Virginia Fulton wrote about the history of Camp Windham. “The Edelmans helped to make ends meet by taking in people whom Marvin calls ‘boarders’ during the 30’s and early 40’s.” These were visitors from New York; and, sometimes, Boston where they came for rest and relaxation in the country. The Edelman’s also hosted Fresh Air Kids from the city. Marvin relates that one summer, a couple who were pivotal in the creation of Camp Windham came for a stay. The man worked for the New York Telegram and had a connection with boxing. He thought the house and grounds would make a good training center for boxers, but his wife countered that it might do better as a children’s camp. The seed was planted.”

The running of the camp was truly a family affair. “Rebecca was noted by then for her creative cooking for large groups and her abilities as an organizer. She became the camp’s cook, and Solomon was the builder and maintenance crew of one. The first cabins were refurbished chicken coops. Marvin was camp counselor and his older sister Shirley its nurse.” They also had two other staff.

“During the camp’s first season in 1945, eight to ten children between 6 and 12 years of age came and stayed up to eight weeks. Most of the residential campers were Jewish children from New York. Their parents heard about the camp from word-of-mouth. Among the campers were also ten to fifteen children from the Windham area who came for day camp. Marvin says that the early curriculum was very limited.

“As the camp continued and grew, Marvin assumed the duties of Camp Director and took on the responsibilities for recruiting, screening of campers and staff as well as program supervision during the camping season. During the period of 1950-52, when Marvin was in the military, a professional camp director was hired. (Marvin was a veteran of the Korean War and an instructor at the US Army Medical Service Corps Leadership School.) He returned in 1953 to resume the directorship and remained in that capacity until the camp’s closing thirty years later.”

During the school year, Marvin worked as a school teacher and administrator. He received degrees at UConn and then a doctorate from Columbia University. While at UConn, he pursued his earlier interest in journalism and served as co-editor-in chief of “The Campus.” There were the many stresses and strains of balancing working and pursuing college degrees that is described by Virginia Fulton. “This required an elaborate juggling of his time and schedule, which included his teaching schedule, all the duties related to Camp Windham and time devoted to his wife Eunice and their two sons, Bruce and Steven. Eunice says, ‘It was always a race against time to prepare and maintain the grounds and buildings in the spring, then to close the camp and do the needed repairs prior to the start of the school year.’ Marvin’s exhaustion led to pneumonia and other illnesses at the end of virtually every camping season.”

“Camp Windham’s heyday was about 1950-1970. By 1950, the Camp was established and offered the sort of widely varied program for which camps were known. Enrollment soared to 150 campers, with 35-40 staff who functioned as camp counselors and instructors. Frog Pond was the sight of swimming, lifesaving, water safety, water skiing, and other activities. Everyone had to learn to swim. Diamond J Ranch was added in 1960 on the property across from the main camp, adjacent to the pond. Three dozen horses were available for English and Western riding instruction offered by instructors who were recruited from all over the country. During the 1960’s various one-week sports clinics were held immediately before and after the regular season.

“Marvin spoke with pride and enthusiasm as he reminisced about Camp Windham. However, from time to time, the weariness he felt from the unrelenting pace of the camp years crept into his thoughts and became almost palpable. Eunice was less ambivalent. ‘You’ll scratch the surface of those years,’ she said, ‘and even make it sound glamorous. But it was the hard, demanding, never-ending pace’ that she remembers.”

The historic Frog Pond of the French and Indian War era served 168 years later as a home for a family from the Ukraine, who escaped from religious persecution and the massacre of their ethnic group. Later the same family provided thousands of children with a fun filled summer experience out in the country.

Pictured is the tablet originally erected in 1924 by the Anne Wood Elderkin Chapter of the D.A.R. at the Frog Pond, and it is now located on the Windham Center Green across from the Windham Free Library. The library has a copy of the 2007 “Jazz in the Garden” on reserve for your review. Marvin B. Edelman was laid to rest on November 8, 2022. It was a pleasure to work with Marvin when together we served on a group to advise the Windham Superintendent of Schools, and Marvin was always enthusiastic about assuring that things were done in the best interests of children and their families. Without question, Camp Windham was a wonderful place for kids.