Camp Westmoreland
From The Scout History Wiki
Camp Westmoreland is located on the banks of Shoals Creek about eight miles northeast of Florence, Alabama. Founded in 1929 as part of the Andrew Jackson Council based out of Florence, it is the oldest continuously operating Boy Scout Camp in Alabama. It is one of the oldest in the United States and has served over 60,000 Scouts in its 80 year history.
The Camp came to fruition after Scout Executive Barney Norris had searched for a permanent Camp location since 1924. Starting in 1924 to 1927, the Andrew Jackson Council hosted Summer Camp at Camp Rotex in Wildwood Park at Florence. In 1928, Camp was moved to the Shoals Creek area but not the present site. Mr. J.E.F. Westmoreland a loacl philanthropist had seen the Scouts in action over the years and had attempted to give them land near Shoals Creek. However the Council was not financially able to support the Camp at the time and had to pass on the offer. Finally in June of 1929 at the 4th Annual Andrew Jackson Jamboree at the Coffee High School athletic field, Mr. Westmoreland again approached Mr. Norris on his dream of a Camp. He offered 18 acres to start the Camp. This time the offer was accepted and Summer Camp started at Westmoreland one month later.
The Tennessee Valley Council operated their own Camp called Camp Quick on the shores of the Flint River near New Market, Alabama. But they quickly realized that Westmoreland offered superior facilities and outdoor activities for the Scouts. As early as 1929 Scouts from the Tennessee Valley Council were utilizing Westmoreland. In 1934 Mr. Westmoreland offered an additional 26 acres of land bringing the total to 44. His only request for donating the additional land was to have the Camp called the "Tennessee Valley Boy Scout Camp". The Council Executive Board turned down his request and officially named it in his honor. By this time the Tennessee Valley Council had absorbed the Andrew Jackson Council due to the Great Depression. The Tennessee Valley Council was still headquartered in Florence and Camp Westmoreland became the permanent Camp for the Council.
From 1929 to 1979 Camp Westmoreland served as the Summer Camp for the Tennessee Valley Council area. Camp Jackson in Scottsboro, Alabama came into existence in 1970 and shared some of the Summer Camp load. However, due to the issues related to the public waterway of Shoals Creek and for the safety of the Scouts, the Tennessee Valley Council decided to permanently move Summer Camp to Camp Jackson. Westmoreland became a primitive Camp & Training Center.
Today she boasts of over 290 acres and has many facilities for Scouts to utilize. The Training Center or Old Dining Hall was refurbished in the late 1990's and on Veterans Day Weekend 2007, the Camp Westmoreland Camping Committee voted to name the Training Center in honor of Mr. Barney Norris - the first Scout Executive and Founder of Camp Westmoreland along with longtime Volunteer Scouter and Educator Dr. Henry Grady Richards. Dr. Richards was the founder of Troop 3 in Florence, Alabama and was the original Scoutmaster for the canceled 1935 National Jamboree and the 1937 Washington, D.C. National Jamboree. The Training Center would be officially known as the "Norris-Richards Lodge".
Other points of interest at Camp Westmoreland include the Morgan Weed O.A. Lodge; Rock Amphitheater; Iroqouis Adirondacks; Norwood Check In Hut; Trading Post; Craft Hut; Swimming Pool; Redstone Rocket Warehouse (so named because it is made from the boxcars of two Redstone Rocket Thruster Carriers donated in the early 1960's by NASA in Huntsville); Macey Allen & Jimmie E. DiRago, Jr. World War II Monuments; Bailey Springs War of 1812 Historic Cemetery; Red Brick Gates (also known as the Vigil Triangle where a subdivision was to be built in the late 1920's but suspended with the Stock Market Crash - the Gates are the only reminder of what was going to be); Rifle Range; Old Chapel and Troop 3 Pavilion overlooking Shoals Creek.
In June 2006 the Bailey Springs Historic Cemetery was placed on the Alabama Historical Commissions Register of Historic Cemeteries - the first in Lauderdale County and the 66th overall. The Cemetery contains the graves of three War of 1812 veterans whose Graves have been officially marked and the Cmetery gated in with a Historical Marker. The Veterans are Captain David Wasden; Corporal Rawley Madding and Corporal William Duncan. The area around the Cemetery was once owned by the Interstate Club in the early 1900's. One of the main partners was President Theodore Roosevelt, an early proponent of Boy Scouting and the only person given the title of Chief Scout Citizen. In October 2007, Camp Westmoreland was placed on the Alabama Historic Commissions Register of Historic Sites & Places - the only one in Alabama and one of the few recognized Historic Scout Camps in the United States (others include Camp Miakonda, OH; Camp Owasippe, MI; Treasure Island Scout Camp, Phila.).
The Camp allows campers to earn their "Westmoreland Wings" for eight hours or more of Service to the Camp. The Wings have been a Camp tradition dating back to the early 1930's. In addition Scouts can earn the "Chief Award" by completing a series of Service Projects and hiking the Camp Westmoreland Historical Trail developed in 2006 by Scouter Ricky Pounders. The Trail is roughly three miles and allows the Scouts to venture to all parts of the Camp answering questions as they go. Historical Markers are at each point and require the Scouts to answer questions at each point. The levels of the Award are based on the old Wings concept in addition to the "Good Camper Medal Set" that was used at Camp from 1948 to 1972. The levels include: 1) Woodsman; 2) Brave; 3) Warrior; 4) Chief. Earning all four creates a seven inch Backpatch when complete.
The Camp has also had several famous visitors including the "Singing Cowboy" Mr. Gene Autry. He visited Camp Westmoreland on July 19, 1939 as part of a promotional tour for the Flagg Knitting Mill in East Florence who produced his Gene Autry Shirts and Sweatshirts. During his visit every Scout received a free Shirt and the photo of Mr. Autry and the Scouts in front of the old Dining Hall is displayed at the Norris-Richards Lodge. World Famous Photographer Mr. Jack Delano of the Office of War Information visited camp in July 1942 and documented life at the Camp. His photographs of the Waterfront, Old Parade Field and Craft Hut were displayed at the Smithsonian Institute and the New York Museum of Modern Art. Today they are part of the Library of Congress Archives. Local Photogaphers Mr. George Lee Bracey documented the first year of Camp in 1929 and Mr. G.W. "Jerry" Landrum (famous for his anamorphic photos of Wilson Dam) also documented various events including Mr. Autry's visit.
A detailed history of the Camp by Larry Faulkner called "Wings - The Story of Camp Westmoreland" is to be published in 2008 which documents nearly 200 pages of all things "Westmoreland".
