Camp Tanadoona

The Camp Fire group was organized in 1910 by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick, and his wife, Charlotte Vetter Gulick. It was designed as the female counterpoint to the Boy Scouts, providing opportunities for development of the “whole” girl. The first Camp Fire groups in Minnesota were organized in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 1912. These groups were charted in 1924. At first, these groups camped at a variety of sites, but wanted a permanent home of their own. This home was purchased in 1922.

After years of using sites owned by other groups, for a week at a time, the Minneapolis Camp Fire group leaders began searching for a permanent home. Camp Leader Margaret Fletcher, Mrs. Maude Armatage, and a local Rotary group worked together to locate a suitable property and pay for it, before turning control over to the Camp Fire group. The group found the old summer home of Governor John Lind, on Lake Minnewashta. This 64-acres was named “Camp Tanadoona”, which translates loosely as “living in the out of doors.”

Camp Tanadoona opened for its first season in 1925, with 207 girls in a 7-week season. Those girls camped out in tents, in relatively primitive conditions. Over the years since, many additions and improvements have been made to this camp, and other Camp Fire camps around the state. By 1929, there were 13 cabins, a dining hall, and one lodge. From the 1920’s through the 1950’s, additions included: screened cabins, Corona Lodge, Awanka Lodge, Shangra Lodge, Blue Bird Lodge, Katawa (“Place of Meeting”), and dining hall Tasiago. An area called Tenerra was built to provide a primitive camping experience for older youth. It was renamed Camp Matakaki after a Camp Fire girl’s death in the early 1980’s, and served as a camp within a camp for many years.

Other changes occurred at Camp Tanadoona in response to changes in parent organization Camp Fire Girls. In 1951, the national headquarters put out a call “for greater inclusiveness of all groups within all segments of membership.” Between 1964-1967, a national effort targeting low-income, inner-city girls was launched. And in 1974, Camp Fire expanded to include boys.

In the twenty-first century, Camp Tanadoona is 103 acres of forest and prairie on Lake Minnewashta. Summer camps are designed for youth from 5-17 years of age. These camps include day camps, resident camps, and trips to locations such as the Northwoods. Campers come from all over the metro, many provided scholarships to attend through a “Campership Fund.”  Camp Fire Minnesota only operates two camps in the twenty-first century: Camp Tanadoona in Chanhassen and Camp Bluewater, near Grand Rapids, MN.  As a Camp Fire outdoor program, Camp Tanadoona is grounded in helping youth achieve the following outcomes:

  • Greater self-awareness and positive values
  • Increased social skills and sense of belonging
  • Increased knowledge of and appreciation for the natural environment
  • Increased sense of competency and empowerment

It is one of the few remaining camps, operated by any organization, in the western suburbs or 7-county metro area.


Camp Fire USA, Minnesota website. “Camp Tanadoona”. Accessed August 20, 2014. http://www.campfireusa-mn.org/centennial/camp_tanadoona.html

Camp Fire USA, Minnesota website. “Camp Fire in Minnesota Timeline.” Accessed August 20, 2014. http://www.campfireusa-mn.org/centennial/centennial_history.html

Hoisington, Daniel John. Chanhassen: A Centennial History. Chanhassen, MN: The Press, Banta Corporation, July 1996.

Secondary:

“Award Winner Named Director at Camp Tanadoona in Chanhassen.” Chanhassen Villager, April 26, 1990.

“Camp Tanadoona Offers Camp Options.” Carver County Herald, June 22, 1989.

“Camp Tanadoona- Pictures.” Chaska Herald, April 1, 2010.

Camp Manakiki

Camp Manakiki was operated by the Pillsbury House in Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Waconia. The owners and staff wanted to offer a camp and nature experience to go along with the recreation program offered at their Settlement House. According to the camp brochure: “[Camp] presents an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills which give the child a sense of achievement. It encourages broadmindedness, tolerance and understanding and brings out the value of co-operation both in work and in play. Above all it develops in the child self-direction, resourcefulness, and a creative attitude toward life.”

This camp was located in a few spots before finding a permanent home at Lake Waconia. Originally located on Bush Lake in Bloomington, that land had to be vacated. In Fall 1920, a committee was formed from the Board of Directors to find a new location. Committee member Walter Badger located land on Rock Lake in Eden Prairie. Three acres were purchased and the camp structures and supplies were moved before it was discovered that the lake had a poor bottom and the land nearby would not be available for expansion at any near date. Frustrated, Ed Currie, director of boys’ and mens’ work, went out driving in his 1912 Ford Touring car, vowing not to stop until a good location was found. He eventually reached the shores of Lake Waconia.

After finding the perfect location, Pillsbury House negotiated with landowner Frank Wagener to purchase four acres of his lakefront property, at $600.00 per acre, with the option of two additional acres as needed. The purchase was completed on June 21, 1921. The first building went up on the property in summer 1921, shortly after the land was purchased. That building was used for storing groceries and supplies. A main lodge was built later that winter- a 15 x 30 foot room with a stone fireplace, large dining porch, a kitchen/pantry, and a bedroom for the head worker. That first summer, 242 campers stayed twelve days at a time in primitive conditions- in tents with no floors or screens, on straw-filled mattresses, with drinking water over a half-mile away.

During the following seasons, many additions and improvements were added to the camp. The additional two acres were purchased first, a well was dug, and a newer, larger kitchen replaced the kitchen tent. Many sleeping cabins or bunkhouses were added, including one for nursery campers and their mothers. A station wagon, named the “Golden Chariot”, replaced the old 1912 Touring car to haul campers and supplies. By the 1930’s, the camp had indoor plumbing, a hospital, and a guest house. With the Indian mounds in the northwest corner of camp, campers and camp director Currie thought the camp needed an Indian name. The name “Camp Manakiki” was chosen, based on the Indian word for “maple grove” due to the large number of maple trees on the property.

Camp was open to anyone who would benefit from it: those needing physical build-up, those with built-up hostilities and emotional upsets, or just those wanting to experience outdoor living. By 1943, there were 27 buildings with modern equipment and a swimming pool. 900 children camped throughout the year. Soon after, a dance hall was added, and lessons became available for local residents not attending camp in swimming and Junior Life Saving.

Longtime director Ed Currie retired in 1963, with the position going to Yoshiro Tanji. The camp remained open throughout the late twentieth century, before being closed due to waning interest and decreased attendance.


Camp Manakiki brochure. Pillsbury House, St. Paul, undated.

“Red Cross Swimming Lessons Offered.” Waconia Patriot, May 20, 1971.

“Swimming Lessons Available This Year at Camp.” Waconia Patriot, June 9, 1966.

Waconia Heritage Association. Waconia, Paradise of the Northwest: The Lake and Its Island. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1986.

Secondary:

“$15,000 Swimming Pool to be Built at Pillsbury Camp.” Waconia Patriot, October 14, 1937.

“302 Youngsters Have Enjoyed Pillsbury Camp Manakiki Facilities.” Waconia Patriot, July 24, 1947.

“775 Waconians Swim at Pillsbury, Camp Manakiki.” Waconia Patriot, July 18, 1957.

“Local Camp, lake to be Featured in Minneapolis Paper.” Waconia Patriot, July 5, 1945.

“Pillsbury Camp Celebrates 40th Birthday.” Waconia Patriot, July 7, 1960.

“Pillsbury Pool Opens to Youths.” Waconia Patriot, July 8, 1948.

“Waconia Men Cooperate in Improvement at Camp Manakiki.” Waconia Patriot, June 4, 1959.

The Battle for the County Seat

Chaska has been the county seat since 1856 but that honor has not come without a fight. During the past 143 years there have been three battles for the Carver County seat.

Chaska, in fact, was not the first county seat. When Minnesota’s Territorial Legislature organized this county in 1855, they established the county seat at San Francisco Township. Like Chaska and Carver, San Francisco was founded on the Minnesota River and was seeing growth due to the settlers entering Carver County from the river. The Legislature, however, allowed the county’s voters to determine a permanent site for the county seat. San Francisco, Carver and Chaska all wanted the honor. The county seat would help secure continued prosperity for that community since many farmers bought their supplies when they paid their taxes at the county courthouse. There would also be a need for accommodations for those visiting on county business. In 1856, Chaska received 303 of the 525 votes and was awarded the county seat.

By the early 1870s, the issue of the county seat’s location was raised. Carver County’s population was now more spread out and citizens living in the central and western parts of the county felt that the county seat should be centrally located. They suggested that the county seat be moved to Benton or Waconia and signed a petition asking the state legislature to call a special election to address the location issue. The legislature never called the election and the issue died for another fifty years.

In 1920, a group of citizens formed the Carver County Seat Removal Committee whose goal was to move the county seat to Waconia. As in the 1870s, their issue was location. The committee said that the county buildings were in poor condition and since new buildings were needed anyway, the county seat should be moved to a central location. The Waconia Village Council even gave their permission to allow their village hall to be used as the county courthouse until a new county building could be built. The Waconia Patriot and the Young America Eagle ran numerous articles supporting the move to Waconia and worked feverishly to convince area residents to vote in favor of the move.

In Chaska, the Weekly Valley Herald was printing articles to convince their readers to vote against the move. County officials gave testimony that the county buildings were in fine shape and new buildings were unnecessary. Local citizens also formed their own committee called the Civic Association of Chaska to rally residents.

The battle raged for months in the local newspapers, each accusing the other of misrepresenting the truth. The election was held on June 18 and when the votes were counted, 1989 voted in favor of the move while 2372 voted against. Chaska remained the county seat.

To help prevent future county seat battles, C.H. Klein of Chaska left $500,000 to Carver County in his will for a new courthouse building. But there was a catch. The new courthouse building must be built in Chaska.

Today, automobiles and good roads have made the trip to the county courthouse manageable from anywhere in Carver County. And while county seat battles are a thing of the past, they do make for a lively chapter in Carver County’s history.

A Brief History of Carver County

Carver County has been home to many different cultures throughout time. One of the best documented early native peoples is the Woodland Culture who lived in this region from 1200 B.C. until 1700 A.D. Their nomadic hunting and gathering patterns depended upon the seasons and resources of the land. More recently, the Dakota Indians used the area for hunting and temporary lodging. With the signing of the treaty of Traverse de Sioux, however, this area was opened for settlement by white pioneers.

In March of 1855, Carver County was organized by the Minnesota
Territorial Legislature. The county was named in honor of the explorer, Jonathan Carver. The original county seat was San Francisco Township but in 1856 voters moved it to Chaska.

Much of the east central part of Minnesota, including Carver County, was covered by the Big Woods; a dense forest of oak, elm, maple and cottonwood trees. The density of the Big Woods made it difficult for early settlers to clear the land for farming.

Many of Carver County’s initial settlers were from eastern states but by the 1860s most new settlers were immigrants from Germany or Sweden. The Germans founded towns like Hamburg, New Germany and Cologne while the Swedes settled in East Union and Watertown. Most immigrants became farmers but some living in Chaska became laborers in the brick industry.

Located along the Minnesota River, Chaska had good deposits of clay for brick-making.   The cream-colored brick became a favorite for building houses in Chaska and the surrounding rural area. The bricks were also used in the foundation of the Minnesota Capitol building when it was constructed 100 years ago. Slowly the brickyards closed until the last one shut down in the 1950s.

Farming was the chief occupation of Carver County for 100 years. While many grew crops, others were dairy farmers. Creameries were numerous and the county claimed for itself the title of “The Golden Buckle of the Dairy Belt.” Bongards Creameries is still important link to our dairy heritage.

Carver County’s most historically important farmer was Wendelin Grimm, a German immigrant who settled in Chanhassen. Grimm planted alfalfa and gathered the seeds from the plants that survived the first winter and re-planted every year until he had a full crop. His perseverance paid off when Grimm Alfalfa was recognized as the most winter-hardy strain available. In fact, it was used throughout North America between 1910 and 1940 and is one of Minnesota’s leading contributions to the history of agriculture.

Today, farming is no longer the predominant occupation in the county. Carver County has seen an explosion of residential development in Chanhassen, Chaska, Waconia, Carver and Victoria. Many now commute to jobs in Minneapolis or its suburbs. Carver County currently has a population of 80,000 people.

New link to county history website! Want to learn more about the history of San Francisco Township? Follow the link below to explore their new website! www.sanfranciscotownship.com

Living 70+ years in one town. 78-year-old Ron Roeser still lives next door to the home where he grew up in Chanhassen, MN, no. 10 on Money’s Best Places to Live. Watch the CNN video in the link below to learn a bit of the history of Chanhassen and what it’s like to live in one of the 10 best places to live. money.cnn.com/video/pf/2011/08/12/pf_bpl_chanhassen_mn.moneymag/