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Memories of Father Kane Camp will be shared
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
S’mores around nightly campfires, visits to the totem-pole landmark and gazing at a “bazillion” stars remain memories of summer weeks spent at Father Kane Camp.
Memories and stories of the popular camp, now closed, will be shared during the annual parish picnic Sunday on the grounds of St. Patrick Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave.
Recently, the Rev. Ed Noga, pastor, and Denise O’Hara Ayers, picnic committee member, reminisced about the camp.
Ironically, Father Noga said the Rev. William A. Kane, camp founder, served as pastor of St. Patrick from 1923 to 1937.
Church history reveals that the building of the new permanent church progressed under Father Kane, with the groundbreaking in 1923 and church dedication in 1926. Under Father Kane, the St. Patrick Parish Camp at Lake Milton was started and later renamed Father Kane Camp, which operated from 1927 to 1990.
At the time, the church was part of the Diocese of Cleveland. The Diocese of Youngstown was established May 15, 1943, with six Northeast Ohio counties: Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark and Trumbull. The Youngstown diocese operated the camp for a time.
The theme of the church picnic is “Raising Kane” in honor of the camp’s founder and legacy.
Ayers said she participated in family camp weeks from 1968 to 1970. Her parents, Virginia O’Hara, also a St. Patrick member, and the late Jerry O’Hara, took their triplets to the camp. Her sister is Diane Scott of Columbus and her brother is the late Dan O’Hara. Ayers said her family always stayed in Apache cabin. The 10 cabins, all with bunk beds, were named for Indian tribes.
Father Noga and Ayers both attended camp as campers then junior counselors, who were in their early and late teens. Senior camp counselors were usually seminarians; Father Noga once served as head counselor. Weeks were devoted to male and female campers and for family camping. “We always found out when our friends were coming back next summer so we could be there the same time,” Ayers said. “We kept in touch with some children, and some friendships lasted.”
Father Noga said history on Father Kane is hard to come by. It is believed Father Kane acquired the property in Lake Milton from his family, who owned it. What remains are treasured memories of wholesome camp experiences.
“It was styled after Boy and Girl Scout camps,” Father Noga said. “There was a big L-shaped pool, craft den, archery ... all that camp stuff,” Father Noga said.
There was breakfast followed by activities, then lunch, activities, dinner and campfire at dark. And there were midnight swims. Camp weeks were from Sunday through Saturday.
“I think it was the novelty of being away from the city,” Father Noga said. For city residents, the twinkling sky promoted stargazing that wasn’t possible with city streetlights. “It was the simple things that made it special. It was wholesome.”
Ayers said there was a talent show Friday nights to end the camping week. During her stints as junior camp counselor, she recalled helping in the kitchen, dining hall and crafts. “The values we learned stayed with us,” she said.
Father Noga and Ayers agreed that young campers experienced “a sense of freedom” at the resident camp. “I think some kids arrived home in the same set of clothes they came in,” Father Noga said, adding kids were having too much fun to worry about clothes.
A focal point at the camp was a totem pole, where a tepee was set up and campfires took place.
Father Noga said the totem pole had disappeared from the camp; it had been rescued from oblivion and decay by three brothers from Portage County who had fond members as campers. The totem pole, being spruced up, will be featured at the picnic.