Camp Campbell Gard is a

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

camp located on along the

Great Miami River The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) (Shawnee: ''Msimiyamithiipi'') is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accesse ...

six miles (10 km) northeast of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The camp is on Augspurger Road in St. Clair Township. The camp was dedicated to the memory of a

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

airman, Charles Campbell Gard, by his father Homer Gard in 1926, six years after Charles Campbell Gard's death. The dedication on Friday, July 1, 1926, featured remarks by former Ohio governors,

James M. Cox James Middleton Cox (March 31, 1870 July 15, 1957) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio, and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio. As the Democratic nominee for President of the United St ...

and Charles P. Taft II, son of

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

. When it opened in 1926, the new camp had 20 buildings, including a by dining hall with electric stoves and refrigeration; five cabins (quickly expanded to ten) that housed 12 people each; a recreational building "for rainy days"; an informal playground for games; and a guest house "equipped with hot and cold shower baths." As specified by Homer Gard, the camp also featured facilities for “crippled children” to make the facility accessible to the handicapped.Jim Blount, Hamilton Journal-News, Sunday, June 16, 1991 Today the camp has expanded to and features heating and air conditioning.

Noted Attendees

Robert McCloskey John Robert McCloskey (September 15, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for th ...

, who carved the camp

totem pole Totem poles ( hai, gyáaʼaang) are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually m ...

was a famous author of children's book including ''

Make Way for Ducklings ''Make Way for Ducklings'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book tells the story of a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island in t ...

'' and Lentil. David P. Smith and his brother Tony Smith are Camp Campbell Gard Alums. David P. Smith's name still is proudly displayed on Errol's Archer's #11. The plaque is still displayed today. Star women's basketball player Willa McKee has also attended several times.

References

{{Summer camps in Ohio Campbell Gard Campbell Gard Buildings and structures in Butler County, Ohio