CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Camp Hitaga’s 83-year history came to a close when it was sold to new owners in November, but now camp alumni are working to preserve its story.
KCRG-TV (https://bit.ly/1DHZlDF ) reports that former camp leaders are working with the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University of Iowa Library to collect memorabilia from alumni. Some donations are already on display for visitors, but organizers hope the collection continues to grow.
Joyce Moore, president of the Board for Camp Fire Iowana, also attended the camp in the 50s. She has one of the most memorable pieces for the collection.
“This is probably what I think many alums think of as the heart of Camp Hitaga. This is the logo, it means pitch a tent high on a hill, overlooking a river,” Moore said. “I know that there are a lot of alums, and myself, who think that the basis for who we’ve become, and particularly for me, the leadership skills I developed over the years and the feeling of confidence in myself, all of that started at camp.”
Camp leaders said Hitaga, which was operated by Camp Fire Iowana, started as a camp for girls decades ago, but changed to a co-ed camp about 30 years ago. During the 1960s, more than 200 campers attended each week. During the 2014 season, attendance had fallen to about 150 children for the entire summer.
The council overseeing operations at the camp made the decision to close last September when they could no longer meet financial obligations.
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Information from: KCRG-TV, https://www.kcrg.com
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