A Sudden Realization in the Spring of 1943

“Once the land was purchased, people quickly realized they had a lot of work to do if there was to be a week of summer camp that July.” Rev. Amon Johnson, Kalispell

Oscar and Jenny Engebretson working on the dining hall
Oscar and Jenny Engebretson working on the dining hall

Members of ELC (Evangelical Lutheran Church) congregations in Montana embraced the vision of a new youth camp. By spring more than $3,500 had been raised by 14 congregations and excited individuals to help build this new camp as a place for Christian education for young people.

“This camp was created during WWII and we couldn’t get lumber or other building materials. Everything went to the war effort. In fact, most of the young men were away at war and only older men and pastors were left to work on the new camp.”  Rev. Ocee Johnson, Conrad

  • Portable sawmill on the big field milling lumber for camp buildings
    Portable sawmill on the big field milling lumber for camp buildings

    The camp’s big field was densely forested in 1943. To prepare for building efforts, trees were felled across the field, and a portable sawmill was set up on-site. The operation produced 50,000 board feet of lumber from trees harvested both in the field and other areas of camp property. This lumber was then used for the construction of essential structures, including the dining hall and cabins.
Working on the kitchen end of dining hall
Working on the kitchen end of dining hall

“One weekend we volunteers carried dozens of 2” x 12” x 24’ beams from the big field to the dining hall.  We couldn’t lift our arms the next day.  Another weekend, men from the Lutheran Church in Conrad and Golden West built cabins 1,2, 3, just above the swimming area using large native rocks as cornerstones.” Rev. Ocee Johnson, Conrad

After several remarkable months of spring fundraising, detailed planning, and dedicated volunteer labor, the camp was ready to host its first week of summer programming. Despite the absence of running water, the camp boasted a large, picturesque dining hall equipped with a wooden cook stove and a few electric lights. Several sparsely furnished cabins were also available to accommodate adult attendees, providing a simple yet functional setup for the inaugural season.

Rev. Ocee Johnson, Conrad, MT and daughter Marilyn during the dining hall construction
Rev. Ocee Johnson, Conrad, MT and daughter Marilyn during the dining hall construction

In 1943, Flathead Lutheran Camp’s dining hall was the second structure built on the shores of Hughes Bay.

In the late 1880's or early 1890s's a man named Jimmie Hughes built "a rough two room cabin with a dirt floor and dirt roof at the entrance of what would later be called Hughes Bay." Jimmie was from a sailing family on the East Coast. He arrived on a ship in San Francisco in 1949 and then made his way to Montana. He had one of the first sailboats on the north end of the lake. His cabin's exact location is lost to history. (from The Pioneers, a compilation of Samuel E. Johns’ journals of the history of the Flathead Valley.)

The Camp was rustic but ready! On July 18, 1943 the first campers would be welcomed to this new place for grace.