Camp Nebagamon

by Adam Kaplan

One thing I’m always struck by is the way Camp Nebagamon alumni react to photos of camp out of season. Fall leaves scattered along the path to the Waterfront. The Big House covered in snow. Sometimes it feels like a bit of a surprise, as if we need to be reminded that, oh yeah, our beloved summer camp is not just a summer entity. It actually still exists in October and January and April. It’s part of a year-round world. And that world – the Village of Lake Nebagamon — is the theme of this edition of The Keylog.

When Muggs and Janet Lorber purchased the future site of Camp Nebagamon from the Patrick-Duluth Woolen Mills on July 5, 1928, it met their criteria for a perfect setting. As Muggs later explained, “Some of the requirements were: A flowing lake (inlet and outlet); a gradual, sloping sandy beach; good drainage; purity of lake and drinking water supply; sufficient flat area for playgrounds; acceptable summer mean average temperatures of air and water; transportation to and from metropolitan areas, nearness to food supply; proximity to national and state parks; community acceptance; nearness to hospitals and doctors, etc.” But the two most important words may be “community acceptance.” Camp’s relationship to the surrounding village is vital to its vitality, in ways both big and small.

Every July 4^th, the campers and staff craft a float (often with a Paul Bunyan flair) for the town’s tiny Independence Day parade and proudly participate in the procession. But the camp family also cheers from the sidelines — not only for the campers that walk past, but also for the rest of the townsfolk who ride by. It’s our way of saying, Hey, we’re in this together. Before the campers ooh and aah at evening fireworks, they get a sense of the kind of local pride that sustains so many of the tiniest dots on the American map.

A couple of days later every summer, a large Camp Nebagamon contingent enters the Dragin’ Tail Run/Walk, a five-mile jaunt around town with proceeds benefitting the Lake Nebagamon Volunteer Fire Department. Some take it seriously. Others do it with a wink and a grin and a canoe on their shoulders. But either way, the camp family is running (or walking) in step with the town family. Ask some campers and staff to show you their Nebagamon swag from recent years, and about half of the collection will consist of Dragin’ Tail T-shirts.

Of course, there is also the walk to Dairy Queen, which has become as much a part of camp tradition as Big Trip plaques, Candy Line, and a visitor from the Yo-Yo Islands. Imagine a Cruiser Day without it. You can’t. (Just like the DQ’s owners surely can’t imagine summer business without hundreds of hungry campers).

That route into town takes us past lodging owned not only by Camp Nebagamon, but also past a beautiful house owned by former directors Sally and Nardie Stein, who still spend most of their summers on the shores of Lake Nebagamon. So yes, that walk to the DQ takes us through the camp “gate,” but it’s not a stark exit from one place and entrance into another. Instead, camp seems to morph seamlessly into the village. And that well describes the relationship.

We share a special place, just like we share the lake itself. We’re all stewards of something rather glorious. So this Keylog celebrates that – in the form of a fascinating and funny examination of the village’s history, a pictorial account of a DQ adventure, and an essay about what it’s like to live in Lake Nebagamon year-round.

After all, how often is it that a simple zip code always elicits a smile?  

by Amy Mack

Since 1996, Amy and Andy Mack have lived right next door to camp, just steps from the flashing yellow light, the main entrance, and the Paul Bunyan statue. Both have worked at Camp Nebagamon—Andy as the longest-serving head caretaker (since 1993) and Amy in the art shop (1993-97) and as a trip driver (2015-19)—while living in Lake Nebagamon. It offers a unique perspective. So THE KEYLOG asked Amy if she would muse about something that is usually far from most of our thoughts during a Nebagamon summer—namely, what it’s like during the winter…

In the heat of July, I think about how wonderful January feels: calm and quiet. Of course, after I consider the cold of the winter, I remember to be present, to soak in the visitors, the laughter, Sundays in camp. I enjoy seeing the campers, always a bit taller and so happy to be back. I look forward to meeting those new to the staff. And I witness the teary goodbyes in August.

During those summer months, curious people occasionally ask about winter at camp:

“Don’t you get lonely?”

“Isn’t it cold and dark?”

“How deep does the snow get?”

The answers are: yes, yes, and it varies. The solitude was a draw when we considered coming to camp for a year-round job. The cool gray of the clouds when snow is coming is an experience made better by sharing the subtle beauty with people you love. Winter is both joyous and melancholy. The surprise of stumbling upon an otter belly-sliding across the ice can make a whole weekend feel magical, and a walk in a blizzard can bring on a feeling of isolation that isn’t all bad. The key is connection. The people make the place, and in the winter we connect on a smaller scale.

Although our small family (including our twins) has shared this amazing place as a group of four, visitors come to town rather often—for events like Fisharama (a 60-year-old ice-fishing extravaganza on the lake in January) and the American Birkebiener (the largest cross-country ski race in North America, which starts in Hayward every February). And there are those who come by camp itself—simply on a day trip to see the Rec Hall in the snow.

One of my favorite winter activities at camp is sledding down the terraces behind the Swamper-Logger Push Shack. Daisy and Leo were three years old when we decided they were old enough to try it out. We made a nice path down the hill with a ten-foot toboggan, and then we moved on to the shorter and faster five-foot toboggan. An experienced tobogganer knows that the front seat is not the place to be if you don’t enjoy a snowy facial.

If you ask Andy, Daisy, or Leo, they may have a different favorite winter activity. I am certain that the list would include: snowshoeing absolutely everywhere in camp, bringing in the new year on the lake, bundling for a walk in a blizzard, learning to ice skate on the lake, making the first tracks on the Upper Diamond after a big snow, playing Frisbee on the ice, game nights, and cutting our Christmas tree in the Brule River State Forest. 

A constant of winter is the snow. Most of our time is spent either playing in it or removing it from our cars, sidewalks, and roads. As I write this, it is only mid-November, but before I could leave for work this morning, I shoveled my way into the garage in the dark. And when I got home, I did it all over again. It is cold and dark and snowy, but I love it. You may be surprised to know that after the first big snow, and the plows that follow, our streets will stay white until March. More surprising might be the road that some enthusiastic ice fisherman will inevitably plow across the lake. Cars, trucks, and even school buses have ventured out onto our lake in pursuit of pulling chilly fish through a hole in the ice. Still, despite spending the past 25 winters in (and on) Lake Nebagamon, I am nervous each year when I step onto the ice for the first time.

Winter in Lake Nebagamon has shaped my family. Much like summers at Camp Nebagamon for so many in the camp family, the winters have helped us to form memories and create traditions. On a Sunday night during the summer, I join the camp family in singing “Thanks for the Pines.” I am truly thankful – and the winter snow is not far from my mind.

by Brad Herzog

More than three decades ago, the Village of Lake Nebagamon published a spiral-bound history book—a 321-page tome that features a half-dozen pages about Camp Nebagamon. Among the photos included: Herb Hollinger, “Big Pete” Peterson, the weddings of Sally Lorber/Nardie Stein and Jane Stein/Euan Kerr, a Lorber-Stein-Mendelsohn family photo on the steps near the Rec Hall (the photo was reprised by the current Stein-Kerr-Diamond clans at the 90^th reunion), and a 1985 photo of 20 campers and counselors in front of the “Welcome for All” sign. Perhaps the most compelling photo comes from 1903—a shot of lumber baron Frederick Weyerhaeuser and his family sitting on the front steps of… the Big House.

The book was published in 1986, on the 90^th anniversary of the construction of the village’s first post office. Now, 90 years after Camp Nebagamon’s launch in 1929, here are 29 fun facts and historical snippets about Lake Nebagamon:

ORIGINS: Lake Nebagamon was originally called… Lake Nebagamain. Its origins date to 1882 when the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad constructed a line across northern Wisconsin. A portion of that line ran above the “lake passing.”

BARON MIND: The name was shortened to “Nebagamon” in 1902 by the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company, principal land owner of the village.

THIRST: With lumbermen abounding in Lake Nebagamon, there was a total of $2,800 paid for saloon licenses in 1901—at $100 each.

1900: “The football craze has struck the town. A meeting Tuesday evening, October 16, was held to organize a team.”

LOGGERS: When the Weyerhaeuser’s Nebagamon Lumber Company started in 1898, the mill was expected to remain in operation for at least 20 years. But after 12 years, the area had been largely cleared, and the company moved on.

GLAMPING: After the Patrick-Duluth Company purchased the property in 1920, the company offered it as a resort for employees on vacation. The vacationers traveled in elegant dining cars from Duluth to Lake Nebagamon.

LAWN BEACH: The building now called Lawn Beach Inn was built in 1900 for a Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company executive named F.L. Wilkins. It boasted some of the building’s first electric lights and was soon dubbed The Poplars… then the Lake Hotel. During Prohibition, there was a speakeasy in the basement.

BRAVE FAMILIES: During World War II, two Lake Nebagamon families each had five sons serving in the military. Another, the Edgette family, saw six sons serve. Captain Delbert Edgette, who received a bronze star at the Battle of the Bulge, was later killed in action during the Korean War.

1900 (part 2): “The Douglas County Agriculture Society will give 40 acres of land to the first couple who offer to be married at the fair this fall. Come young fellers, spruce up and get a home for yourself.”

NO RELATION: In 1904, exactly 100 years before Stephanie Hanson’s first summer as co-director at Camp Nebagamon, a family settled in the Lake Nebagamon area, having arrived from Norway by steamship, train and horse-drawn carriage. Their names: the Hansons.

MAR-A-LAKE-O: President Calvin Coolidge opted to spend the summer of 1928 at an estate along the Brule River. It housed his entourage of 60 soldiers, 14 servants, 10 secret servicemen, many of whom spent their free time in Lake Nebagamon. Coolidge established an office at Superior’s Central High School, and Douglas County spent more than $30,000 upgrading a dirt road into a modern gravel road now known as Highway B.

1903: “A coin of considerable value was discovered in the contribution on the evening of the Catholic Ladies’ sociable. If placed there by mistake, please call on Mrs. F. Ginder.”

NUMBERS: The Village of Lake Nebagamon consists of 12.6 square miles of land and 1.74 square miles of water.

CENSUS: As of the census of 2010, there were 1,069 people, 446 households, and 321 families residing in the village. Median age: 47.5 years.

CROPS: In 1899, farmers in Lake Nebagamon produced 5,000 pounds of butter, 965 bushels of potatoes, 805 bushels of root vegetables, and 95 tons of hay.

ED THE MC: More than 250 people gathered in June 1981 for an all-class reunion of students of the Lake Nebagamon School. Ed Drolson, who spent 19 years on the Camp Nebagamon staff between 1953 and 1974, served as master of ceremonies.

1904: “Tuesday evening, June 14, seems to have been chosen as the suitable time for robbery. First Charles Olson’s saloon, about $15 taken; next Pete Nero’s place, about $40 taken; then Archibald’s beer warehouse, several kegs of beer.”

TWINE STEWARD: Since 1979, Lake Nebagamon resident James Frank Kotera has been constructing what is believed to be the world’s largest ball of twine—eight feet high, 22 feet wide, and weighing nearly 23,000 pounds.

ICE DREAM: During the winter of 1914, the village leaders decided to draw crowds to a newly planned Ice Carnival by building an Ice Palace. The place was built out of 12x24x30-inch ice cakes cut from ice on the lake. Inside, a skating rink completely surrounded the village pavilion.

TRIO: In 1977, when only about 700 people lived in Lake Nebagamon, a set of triplets was born. The boys were given alphabetical names—Aaron, Brian, and Christopher.

1905: “Plans for a special train from Superior to Lake Nebagamon were suspended in February, 1905. Two boxing bouts were scheduled there, but District Attorney Foley instructed Sheriff McKenzie to enforce the Wisconsin anti-prizefight law.”

DEATH HOAX: One of the most talked about incidents in Lake Nebagamon history occurred in 1920. After a fire destroyed four homes, some clothing and jewelry belonging to one Edward Sailstad (a married father of two) were found amid the remains of a bed. Also, some bones matching Sailstad’s size. Three years later, Sailstad and his mistress were arrested in Eureka, California. Sailstad was charged with grave robbery, desertion of his family, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

HISTORIC: The Lake Nebagamon Village Auditorium, constructed in 1936, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its unique log construction.

1930: “Thirty barrels of mash and other paraphernalia for manufacture of moonshine were seized Tuesday by Federal Agents in the woods near Lake Nebagamon. No one was on the premises and no arrests were made.”

RARE AIR: There is a Noel Wien Public Library in Fairbanks, Alaska. Wien, a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, founded Alaska’s first airline and made the first flight over the Arctic Circle. He was born in Lake Nebagamon in 1899.

SONG AND DANCE: The Tamburitzans, the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States, originated at Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University in 1937. But they first began summering (and rehearsing) in Lake Nebagamon in 1947. The “Tammies” take their name from the Tamburitza family of stringed instruments in the folk cultures of southeastern Europe.

BOLOGNESI CHEESE: In 1917, a fellow named Count Guilio Bolognesi, the Italian Counsel General in Chicago, purchased one thousand acres in Lake Nebagamon and established the Stella Cheese Company. The factory was located at a site that later became the Lake Nebagamon Laundromat. In 1983, the Bolognesi home was sold to the Friends of the Tamburitzans.

1933: “Russell Creamery of Superior has arranged a regular route for Lake Nebagamon and milk will be delivered twice a week by Carl Carlson, George Dippy and E.G. Holmquist. Until now, consumers who wanted fresh milk had raw milk delivered by local farmers. Everyone could tell when the cows started eating fresh grass. The milk was yellow in color and all who drank it got sick! The pasteurized product was very welcome!”

GOOD GRIEF: The town constable in 1899 was named… Charlie Brown.

Want an inspiring way to experience CN year-round? Leave it on your coffee table. There are still copies of THANKS FOR THE PINES: A Celebration of Camp Nebagamon available here. Hundreds of photos, dozens of essays, countless memories. Open it any time your feeling wistful.

It’s difficult for most anyone to think of the Village of Lake Nebagamon without conjuring up thoughts of the Dairy Queen — a community staple for nearly seven decades. According to the Lake Nebagamon history book, printed in 1986: “Eric and Evelyn (Kangas) Johnson were operating a store in Chicago but the call of the Northland was too tempting so they came to Lake Nebagamon in 1953 and opened the popular Dairy Queen drive-in just up the hill from the public beach.” Evelyn had returned to her Lake Nebagamon roots to care for her ailing mother, who was the daughter of one of the village’s early settlers.

Ownership has changed hands on occasion over the years, but one thing that hasn’t changed much is the appearance of the building. In fact, a story from a decade ago in the Superior Telegram suggested that Lake Nebagamon’s DQ just might be the oldest in the state: “When the national DQ organization changed the appearance of its franchisee buildings, it recognized the historic significance of the Lake Nebagamon DQ and decided it should retain its original character.”

So the building has hardly changed — and neither has the trip into town. Well, not much. Here are some photos and captions about one cabin’s Cruiser Day DQ adventure:

Change is inevitable. Even at Nebagamon. Mother Nature sees to that. In the last issue of The Keylog, we highlighted a handful of iconic trees on camp’s property. One of the trees receiving an homage was the grand basswood between the Lower Diamond and the tennis courts. Alas, in the early morning hours at the end of June, a storm put an end to the icon.

But there is always hope. That very evening, a camper used a slice of a fallen branch as a keylog to Keep the Fires Burning. And plans are afoot to replant a tree at the same spot. Icons have to start somewhere. With that in mind, here are a couple of letters from the mailbag:

All the way from Denmark, the Jorgensen family sent in a photo of three generations of Nebagamon campers and staff (alongside a KTFB cake). From left to right below, we have Niels (who was a staff member in 1958 and from 1960-64), Thomas (a camper in 1980 and 1982) and Kasper (a camper this past summer). During Thomas’s first summer at camp, Niels (who went on to make his home in Nairobi) contributed the Swahili version of the “THIS SHALL BE A PLACE OF WELCOME FOR ALL” sign.

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Alex Gordon, the Logger push for the past decade, wrote in with a sports update of sorts: “In mid-September, about 15 Chicago-area alums played in the The Keystone Group’s Ninth Annual Charity Softball Tournament to Benefit Camperships for Nebagamon, which is held every fall in honor of former Nebagamon camper and counselor Michael N. Rolfe (1948-54), who was the father of alums Andy Rolfe and Jim Rolfe and grandfather of current camper Jacob Rolfe, The Nebagamon team was 0-2 for the day, but a great time was had by all. And, given the team’s median age, there were luckily no injuries to report. The Nebag-alums in attendance (as seen in these photos taken by Jim Koretz) included Ryan Marks, Joel Sachanoff. Judy Wallenstein, Roger Wallenstein, Jesse Weinberg, Andy Rolfe, Julie Gordon, Alex Gordon, Jon Gerstein, Josh Gray,  Sam Quiat, Dan Quiat, Reid Kahn, Jeremy Bloom, and Larry Rivkin. If you are a Chicago-area alum and would like to play next fall or cheer us on, please contact me (alexgor23@gmail.com).”

Keep us posted! You can send life updates to Louis Levin in the Camp Nebagamon office (louis@campnebagamon.com) or directly to Keylog editor Brad Herzog (brad@bradherzog.com).

Bill Guthman (Atlanta/Hixson, TN 70-75) has been retired for about a year after being an independent sales representative for the convenience store industry. He and his wife Cheryl are raising their four-year-old great-granddaughter… Dana Gustafson Regan (Lake Nebagamon/Kansas City, MO 77-82) recently finished designing and illustrating this season’s official mug for ABC’s “The View” with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Meghan McCain, etc. She is also working on a series of books for beginning readers that will be published by Simon & Schuster… Jon Fisher (St. Louis/Pittsburgh 79-83) is still involved in the scrap metal industry, living In Pittsburgh and working as the VP of Sales for Axiom Metals. He was recently certified as a running coach by the Road Runner Club of America, for whom he is coaching mostly for fun while training for yet another marathon… Eli Rothenberg-Lehrer (Herndon, VA 86-91) is President of the R Street Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. He co-founded R Street in 2012 and has grown it to about 70 full-time staff.

Dan Gorenstein (Chicago/Philadelphia 91-92, 96-99, 00) left Marketplace on NPR to start “Tradeoffs,” a podcast on healthcare and its policy challenges… David Greenhouse (Richmond, UK/Berlin 94-00, 02) lives in Berlin and recently started up a local office for Xandr, the advertising division of AT&T… John Nevins (Chicago 00-06, 08-12, 14), a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corp., is flying the AH-1W Super Cobra for HMLA-167… Ben Kersten (Chicago 03-08, 10-12) has started a post doc in Art History at UCLA…  Spencer Brown (Phoenix 96-00, 02-07, 09, 13, 16-18) is the assistant principal at Legacy Traditional School in Casa Grande, AZ…  After her experience working at the South Pole the last couple years — see the spring 2019 Keylog — Jaime Hensel (Atlanta 05-09, 11-13, 17-18) received some publicity beyond the Nebagamon alumni newsletter. She was featured in the alumni magazines of Williams College and Yale School of Nursing... Michael Deutsch (Atlanta 06-11, 13-14, 16-18) is a data analyst at Ernst & Young in Atlanta…

Andy Cohen (St. Louis/Breckenridge, CO 04-10, 12-15, 17, 19) is the Dual Property Director of Housekeeping for Vail Resorts in Breckenridge… As an instructional assistant at the Joshua School in Denver, Noah Stein (Chicago/Denver 05-10, 12, 14-19) works with students with autism and developmental disabilities… Andrew Meyer (New Paltz, NY/Bahamas 05-10, 17-19) is teaching environmental education at The Island School in Eleuthera, Bahamas… Ben Serwer (Chicago 13-17, 19) is a brilliant pianist who served as a junior counselor in July and August. But in June at the National Museum of Mexican Art, he had the incredible honor of playing a duet of John Lennon’s “Imagine” with a certain cellist. His musical partner? Yo-Yo Ma! You can watch the video here.

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Our productive alumni:

Emily Jodock (Northwood, ND/Denver 05-07, 09-15) and Jason Yale (Denver 94-00, 04-08, 10-15) — Harrison

Ben Gerber (Dallas/Chicago 98-01, 04-06, 08) and Zinman Gerber — Judah

David Greenhouse (Richmond/UK/Berlin 94-00, 02) and Emily Jordan — Elleda

Tucker Slosburg (Kansas City/Seattle 93-99, 02-11) and Krista Nelson — Oriah

Justin Blue (Denver/NYC 87-93, 95-96) and Bonnie Harris Blue — Gabriel

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We are sad to report the deaths of the following alumni:

Alva Moog (St. Louis 41-47)

Bob Milsten (Oklahoma City 47-53)

Once again, a bunch of Nebagamon alumni made their way to the Northwoods in mid-August for a week of family camp. You’ll surely recognize some faces, but the names are below…

Row 1: Danny Slosburg, Hugh Broder, Jaye Hensel, Bill Hensel, Andy Kaplan, Allen Bennett, Jon Rogen, Bud Herzog, Daisy Mack, Andy Mack, Jim Feldman, Jen Daskal. Row 2: Adam Kaplan, Keri Rosenbloom, Steve Apter, Tony Rose, Jon Harris, Tony Blumberg, Bob Kaufman, Jeremy Handel, Jeff Cohen. Row 3: Peter Braude, Gabe Colman, Mark Caro, Jim Koretz, Jack Rogen, Bruce Rogen, Jon Star, Doug Star, David Serwer, Ben Serwer.