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year was 1952, and the Indianhead Council Board of Directors was
looking for a new camp. Their existing facility, Camp Neibel serving
just over 1,000 campers, had been outgrown. The camp was named after
Frank Neibel, Council Scout Executive from 1915 – 1937.
A contract
to purchase 1,932 acres of land with over eight miles of shoreline
on Long Lake was signed on February 14, 1953. The land was purchased
from Aksel Nielsen, a restaurateur from Illinois, who had originally
planned to raise cattle on the property. The Nielsen family continues
to maintain a summer home near Tomahawk's entrance.
Work on the
new camp began immediately that summer with troops working to clear
campsites, roads and trails. The first two summers were fairly rugged
as the camp developed. By 1955, the camp was ready to run a full
program with troops camping in what would later become Chippewa
Camp.
By 1958, campsites
were found throughout Chippewa Camp, stretching south into the area
now called Sioux Camp. During the summer of ’58, Tomahawk
was officially dedicated.
In 1965, Tomahawk
was serving over 3,000 Scouts each summer. It was a thriving two-camp
reservation, gaining a nation-wide reputation as an outstanding
Scout Reservation.
Tomahawk began
being used beyond the summer months in 1979, when the Spearhead
winter program started. This was the first of the programs that
currently makes up Tomahawk Snow Base.
Tomahawk’s
renaissance again began taking place in 1991 with several new additions
to the camp. The central kitchen facility was moved from Chippewa
Camp to the Central Service Lodge, allowing for the expansion of
the Chippewa Dining Hall, and for the ability to serve more campers
out of a central kitchen facility.
The addition
of Navajo Webelos Camp came in 1991. A year later, in 1992, the
Randall Scout Ranch was acquired bringing the total acreage to 2,500.
Steadily increasing numbers of campers provoked the initiation of
Tomahawk’s newest sub-camp, White Pine. Construction began
in 1994, with its first full season coming in 1995.
Today, Tomahawk
is among the largest and most prominent Scout
Reservations in the country. It serves over 10,000 youth and leaders
annually through year-round camping opportunities.
TOMAHAWK
SCOUT RESERVATION IN THE FUTURE
It is the practice of Tomahawk to lead the way with progressive
programs and safety measures. As we look to the future, Tomahawk
continues to demonstrate an innovative spirit in an effort to forever
lead the country with the highest quality camping programs.
As the Indianhead
Council prepares to kick off a $10 million capital
campaign, the results are already visible in camp. The most prominent
of these results is seen by raising your eyes to the sky and viewing
the new 125 foot flagpole. Also, in Chippewa Camp, you will see
the new state-of-the-art shower house, storm shelter and boathouse
multi-purpose building. Other camp improvements planned as part
of the capital campaign include:
Campsite Equipment & Improvements
Family Cabin Renovation (2 planned)
Staff Cabin Renovation (2 planned)
Chapel Renovation (2 facilities)
Storm Shelter (4 planned)
Administration Building Remodel
The face of
Tomahawk will continue to change in the future, but the
faces of Scouts camping in it’s woods will always be the same….
Smiles from ear to ear.
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