May 6 , 2021 The Beacon • 27
Coshocton Campers Club is celebrating 60 years
By Sally Kinkade
The Coshocton Campers Club was formed in 1960 . Because of COVID-19 considerations last year , the club did not celebrate its 60th anniversary during 2020 . A 60th anniversary event was held Saturday evening , May 1 in the conference room of Wiley Organics . Current members , former members and their families were invited .
The doors opened at 4:30 p . m . so guests and members could mingle and enjoy the display of memorabilia . The anniversary event included a dinner and a decorated cake with the club ’ s former logo .
The first meeting was held March 12 , 1960 , in the Lettermen ’ s Club Room on Main Street in Coshocton . Twenty-six people were at that meeting when they decided to call their group the Coshocton Campers Club .
On Jan . 6 , 1962 , at a meeting in the Three Rivers School cafeteria , there were
Submitted
Coshocton Campers Club member Bob Wagner is looking at a club scrapbook made by Kathy Revay .
13 members and 13 guests from the Columbus chapter of National Campers & Hikers Association when a charter was presented to the Coshocton Campers Club . The NCHA had just been formally organized in 1954 .
The club membership number in NCHA was 89 . In 1993 National Campers & Hikers Association ’ s
name was changed to Family Campers & RVers , with the Coshocton Campers Club still keeping its chapter number 89 .
One of the original families to form the Campers Club was Simon and Catherine Stewart . They had two sons who camped with them , Gordon and Bob Wagner . Bob Wagner camped as a child
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The Coshocton Campers Club was formed in 1960 .
with the club , then joined it in 1987 as a family with a tent camper . He still belongs and camps with the club , along with his wife Kathie . They use their horse trailer , which has a well-appointed camper in the front and horse stalls in the back .
The Wagners camp at Barkcamp , Dillon and Salt Fork state parks with their horses . Other campgrounds where they have enjoyed camping are Spring Valley Campground in Byesville and Winklepleck City Park outside Sugarcreek .
Bob Wagner enjoyed eating at nearby Amish restaurants . “ It ’ s all about the food ,” he said .
Wagner remembers the Lake Park campground only had one loop and was “ super primitive ” with electricity strung from tree to tree . He said Joe Ely , Gordon Wagner and Simon Stewart , who furnished a tractor , helped run water and electric lines .
“ Club members were instrumental in finishing the first area of camping , back when it was a city park ,” Wagner said .
At that time there was just a gravel road and pads .
Wagner had another connection with Lake Park . Six or seven different times , he would arrive at Lake Park at 3 a . m . on Jan . 1 when there were already eight or 10 people ahead of him . He was there at that time to be able to reserve 25 sites together for Coshocton Campers Club members when the park office opened at 8 a . m .
“ This was back when we had 40 families as members ,” Wagner said .
Presently , there are about 20 active members of the Coshocton Campers Club with seven honorary members . A new family is applying for membership in May .
The Coshocton Campers Club usually camps from April through October each year , once or twice a month , going to private campgrounds or state parks . For the last few years , members have camped at East Harbor State Park on Lake Erie or Alum Creek State Park in Delaware during the third week of September . Members usually arrive Sunday afternoon , stay five nights and leave Friday afternoon .
Anyone interested in membership in the Coshocton Campers Club should call current President Roberta Underwood at 740- 622-1048 or Larry Murray , secretary-treasurer , at 740- 622-9672 .
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