Anyone know what - if anything - is to be seen at Camp Columbus? Is it still in use?
It's located in Lacey Township right on Bamber Lake.
It's located in Lacey Township right on Bamber Lake.
Camp Columbus near Bamber Lake
- Thread starter Ben Ruset
- Start date
Ben,
Ken and I were at Bamber Lake just this weekend. We were on the south side of it and did not see the camp. It must be on the north side. Don't know anything about it though.
Steve
Ken and I were at Bamber Lake just this weekend. We were on the south side of it and did not see the camp. It must be on the north side. Don't know anything about it though.
Steve
B
bach2yoga
Guest
http://geonames.usgs.gov/geonames/stategaz/new_jersey
It's listed on this link, but not much info, though the GPS coordinates are there.
Renee
It's listed on this link, but not much info, though the GPS coordinates are there.
Renee
I have seen something listed on another site about a Bamber Boys camp. I think it's around that location. I don't know the name of the site off hand but if anyone wants it let me know and I'll see if I can find it.
Nicole
Nicole
B
BarryC
Guest
There's another mysterious abandoned camp near Egg Harbor Lake, shown on the USGS topo map simply as "boys camp". It appears that someone may live there, maybe as a caretaker.
Check out the aerial photo of it on page 13 of my gallery, along with a section of the topo map showing where it is. Elsewhere in my gallery there are a couple pictures of the place, taken from the front entrance.
Maybe I can find out some info on it from the Egg Harbor City Historical Society. I'll check into it.
Barry
Check out the aerial photo of it on page 13 of my gallery, along with a section of the topo map showing where it is. Elsewhere in my gallery there are a couple pictures of the place, taken from the front entrance.
Maybe I can find out some info on it from the Egg Harbor City Historical Society. I'll check into it.
Barry
I thought I had a photocopy of the original article, so I'm just going on memory. (Not necessarily a good thing with me.) It was a summer camp for boys during I believe the 1940s and 1950s. At some point the original dam at Bamber broke through and drained the lake. It remained that way for a number of years. One of the main attractions of the camp was, naturally, the lake. So after a few consecutive seasons with nothing more than a mud flat, the camp directors decided to shut it down. The old dam was eventually replaced, but a dollar short, day late, etc. I don't recall hearing it ever being back in use. I'm thinking BobM will probably know more on the subject. 
--Tom
--Tom
If Camp Columbus is indeed the "Bamber Boys Home" then it burnt down a while ago:
http://stuofdoom.myrmid.com/bamberboyshome.html
Bob, what do you know of this place?
http://stuofdoom.myrmid.com/bamberboyshome.html
Bob, what do you know of this place?
bruset said:
The boys home on that web site and Camp Columbus are unrelated. The boys home is closer to Double Trouble.
I will ask some older pineys I know about Columbus. I have been in the area. There are some remnants in the form of small ponds and man-made channels wherein some of the water from the creek feeding the lake was diverted for some reason or another.
I'll post after I talk to them................. :talk:
Ben and Bob,
We were riding around in the woods of Bamber looking for an old deer/hunt club when we found a hunter from Bamber Lake. We asked him a bunch of questions and he told us where the old deer club was and we asked him about Camp Columbus. He said and,not sure if he is right or not but from what he said Camp Columbus sat right on the lake where the Bamber rec sits now. The ball fields and all. He said a few years back, how long I don't know but he said the town bought it because he thinks they may have been going under. Maybe a call to Lacey township would solve the mystery.
Nicole
We were riding around in the woods of Bamber looking for an old deer/hunt club when we found a hunter from Bamber Lake. We asked him a bunch of questions and he told us where the old deer club was and we asked him about Camp Columbus. He said and,not sure if he is right or not but from what he said Camp Columbus sat right on the lake where the Bamber rec sits now. The ball fields and all. He said a few years back, how long I don't know but he said the town bought it because he thinks they may have been going under. Maybe a call to Lacey township would solve the mystery.
Nicole
Location of Camp Columbus
Camp Columbus was a catholic boy's camp located about 1/4 mile down Good Luck Road from the present Bamber Lake Recreation Area. It was run by the Knights of Columbus and was first opened in the 1930's. I was a camper there from 1961 to 1968. I was a staff member in 1970. That year the dam which formed the lake was destroyed by person or persons unknown. I can remember local residents patrolling at night after this happened. (you don't forget a shotgun pointed at your face) The last Director was John Sherry, a former councelor (staff of '65) and the recently retired Superintendant of Schools in Tabernacle.The camp was run throuout the '50's and '60's by a Mr. Callahan. He was a school superintendant from the Trenton area. I worked for his replacement Pat Dolan. The camp closed for good in 1971 or '72. The last time I was there all of the buildings had been torn down and the area is just a wide open field on both sides of Good Luck Road (2005) John McCarty, Staff of 1970, Cabin 13, Cub Village jmccarty@lrhsd.org
Camp Columbus was a catholic boy's camp located about 1/4 mile down Good Luck Road from the present Bamber Lake Recreation Area. It was run by the Knights of Columbus and was first opened in the 1930's. I was a camper there from 1961 to 1968. I was a staff member in 1970. That year the dam which formed the lake was destroyed by person or persons unknown. I can remember local residents patrolling at night after this happened. (you don't forget a shotgun pointed at your face) The last Director was John Sherry, a former councelor (staff of '65) and the recently retired Superintendant of Schools in Tabernacle.The camp was run throuout the '50's and '60's by a Mr. Callahan. He was a school superintendant from the Trenton area. I worked for his replacement Pat Dolan. The camp closed for good in 1971 or '72. The last time I was there all of the buildings had been torn down and the area is just a wide open field on both sides of Good Luck Road (2005) John McCarty, Staff of 1970, Cabin 13, Cub Village jmccarty@lrhsd.org
