The Lodge at Camp Ernst		Cabins and Lodge From a Facebook post by Boone County Library Local History

 

The Lodge
A painting by Marianna Lutes Briner

 

Lodge Construction, 1930	Suppertime?	Cabin Construction, 1950
from the Camp Ernst Facebook Page

 

A 1940 announcement of the camp's summer opening noted “various crafts will be taught, such as leather, clay modeling, woodworking and arts. Swimming, boating, baseball, tennis and dramatics and a number of other activities have been arranged.” Boone County Recorder, June 27, 1940

 

Craft Cabin, 1950	Trampoline, 1960's
from the Camp Ernst Facebook Page

 

Unknown year from the Camp Ernst Facebook Page		Aerial View, 1960

 

For many years, cooking at Camp Ernst was done by Alonzo and Louise Ballard. They cooked at Camp Ernst summers, and Berea College the rest of the year. from the Camp Ernst Facebook Page

 

 

The 1947 counselors. Name key.
From a Facebook post by Stuart Ferguson

Scenes from Camp Ernst

 

The high board at Camp Ernst
From Facebook posts by Bryan McIntyre

 

From Facebook posts by Bryan McIntyre

On Wednesday, June 27, 1928, 40 boys from the Covington YMCA arrived at Camp Big Bone (in the area which later became Big Bone Lick State Park) to begin their summer adventure. Three groups spent a total of five weeks there under the leadership of Willard L. Wade and his staff. After two summers, former Senator Richard P. Ernst purchased 80 acres near Burlington, Kentucky so the Covington YMCA could have a permanent home for its camp. Renamed Camp Ernst, it welcomed the first campers to the new site on June 25, 1930.

 

Obviously not the Camp, but if you've come this far,
 we thought you might want to see Mr. Ernst, himself.

A biography of Mr. Ernst is here.

To learn a little more about Camp Ernst, go to the YMCA's site,  here.

There's a nice history of the camp by Steve Flairty at here.

Mangey Moose. Why isn't there a YouTube video of the campers singing Mangey Moose?
image from the Camp Ernst Facebook Page