tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post3397323551555868968..comments2024-03-15T20:16:28.011-04:00Comments on The Mill Creek Hundred History Blog: Camp MattahoonScott Palmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850758840846585533noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-28115552970171722482023-11-27T10:59:59.291-05:002023-11-27T10:59:59.291-05:00Thanks for sharing your memories! Definitely sound...Thanks for sharing your memories! Definitely sounds like it was a great place for a kid to be a kid. Especially for ones who didn't normally have access to that type of fun!Scott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-76233766458590276162023-11-19T21:16:12.946-05:002023-11-19T21:16:12.946-05:00Went to camp in late 50s, best time ever. Belonged...Went to camp in late 50s, best time ever. Belonged to the polar club getting up early and swimming several laps. It was the best of times. Still have post cards that I sent home 2 or 3 times a week. I remember making lamps out of popsicle sticks and brought that idea back to my school in Harrington Delaware where they taught it in art class. Oh the good old days miss themAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-10441702167489761772023-09-21T18:53:40.276-04:002023-09-21T18:53:40.276-04:00Wow! I just saw this and remember it well. I went ...Wow! I just saw this and remember it well. I went there in 1967, 68 and 69. Some of the best memories of my life. I learned how to shoot a rifle and caught alot of trout in the creek.<br />It was the best of times!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-55728010118131529192023-08-08T14:15:06.055-04:002023-08-08T14:15:06.055-04:00This is a great article! I have nostalgic memorabi...This is a great article! I have nostalgic memorabilia of the camp from the 1960s on E-Bay. Check it out! https://www.ebay.com/itm/266364371952Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-60269239559733538502023-02-24T20:51:00.973-05:002023-02-24T20:51:00.973-05:00Thanks, Scott! It's sad that all these cool ca...Thanks, Scott! It's sad that all these cool camps for kids are becoming obsolete...sluggerbabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14627187110318700803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-76356530494246001062023-02-07T09:22:49.295-05:002023-02-07T09:22:49.295-05:00What you're describing is Camp Wright, a simil...What you're describing is Camp Wright, a similar but different camp for children. I may write up more about that soon. Mattahoon was on the east side of Limestone Road just north of Milltown. If you're coming up Limestone from Kirkwood Highway, cross Milltown Road and past Total Wine (not that I always use liquor stores as landmarks...), it was back in the woods on the right, behind where Arundel is now.Scott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-28053480823973803322023-02-02T13:43:36.707-05:002023-02-02T13:43:36.707-05:00Right at the bottom of Graves Road, where it "...Right at the bottom of Graves Road, where it "T"s, there are a bunch of decrepit cabins which are currently being torn down. Is this part of the campgrounds of Camp Mattahoon? One of my brothers went there several in the 1960s and LOVED it. I showed him video of this area but he doesn't really recognize it. Can't figure out from the description exactly where the campsite was... Thanks.sluggerbabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14627187110318700803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-65837820195804547922022-08-09T16:36:36.254-04:002022-08-09T16:36:36.254-04:00Vandever Ave? Must be some sort of weird auto-corr...Vandever Ave? Must be some sort of weird auto-correct thing. I'm sure it did feel like another world compared to the city. Not many folks along Limestone Road there would consider the area "out in the country" any more. Glad you have good memories of it, thanks for sharing.Scott Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10850758840846585533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-24335300621673426842022-08-09T09:41:16.945-04:002022-08-09T09:41:16.945-04:00Not Vancouver ave. It won't print the real ave...Not Vancouver ave. It won't print the real avenue one block over. Why is thatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-37297894388833858562022-08-09T09:36:49.117-04:002022-08-09T09:36:49.117-04:00Grew up on Vancouver ave and attended Fletcher bro...Grew up on Vancouver ave and attended Fletcher brown boys club went once to camp Matt a noon somewhere between 1955_1957. As a kid it felt like you were travelling out of state. They were better timesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-15297982431382276372022-05-31T14:23:09.283-04:002022-05-31T14:23:09.283-04:00I haven't wandered through that area yet, but ...I haven't wandered through that area yet, but I'll definitely have to get back there some timeScott Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10850758840846585533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-84390094457512103212022-05-28T11:28:00.227-04:002022-05-28T11:28:00.227-04:00I recall ICI, the company I worked for, had there ...I recall ICI, the company I worked for, had there company picnic there at least one time. A few years back I walked the area but missed seeing some of the remains shown in the post. Denisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-71319921448638907752022-05-26T16:06:16.710-04:002022-05-26T16:06:16.710-04:00Very informative. I lived in the farmhouse at entr...Very informative. I lived in the farmhouse at entrance to Arundel Apartments back in ‘70. This is before houses were up behind apartments. Before work farm was removed, before golf course, and another farm house torn down at corner of Mill Creek and Pecksniff Dr. Sherwood PK. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-76903068330593716952022-02-23T10:38:37.201-05:002022-02-23T10:38:37.201-05:00Frank Castaldi (spelling?) was the guy, every meal...Frank Castaldi (spelling?) was the guy, every meal time when they played the recorded bugle music to sound meal time he would get on the microphone and sound like it was a race to the outside of the mess hall where you could not go in until<br /> all cabins and campers went through the roll call, Cabin 1 all present etc. His famous mussing was just like a race track where he would get on the "PA" system and say " here they come... there they go...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-28513370262457292492021-10-26T10:43:13.437-04:002021-10-26T10:43:13.437-04:00Just found this nice article. I lived in Arundel a...Just found this nice article. I lived in Arundel apartments when I first moved to Delaware in the fall of 1981, until 1983. As a birder, I surveyed the area around and along Mill Creek for Delaware's first Breeding Bird Census in 1983 - it was a real hotspot for a lot of native birds. I had always wondered about the story of the ruins there. Based on your pictures from 2017, it looks like it might still be worth a visit sometime, even though the new development to the west has encroached, and that the open areas have grown up to woods.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718641253254352588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-58635120308368463662021-08-15T21:19:50.399-04:002021-08-15T21:19:50.399-04:00The playground was associated with the Arundel apt...The playground was associated with the Arundel apts. We have lived in Arundel since 1970 and also ice-skated on that pond. Such good times! felter girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16711033326339890961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-77712375882036536222021-07-12T11:32:42.230-04:002021-07-12T11:32:42.230-04:00I'm glad you found us! Yes, Mattahoon sounds l...I'm glad you found us! Yes, Mattahoon sounds like it was a great place to be. I'm just sorry it was a few years before my time.Scott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-13229226342338685202021-07-04T14:05:56.358-04:002021-07-04T14:05:56.358-04:00Wow! So many great posts. I just saw this for the ...Wow! So many great posts. I just saw this for the first time and it brings back some of the best memories of my life. I was lucky enough to go to Camp Mattahoon in 66, 67 and 68. Some years I went multiple times. I learned so much and had the time of my life! So sorry it had to end.Wayne Hazenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02628415306973184784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-35311418485263176082021-02-10T10:21:28.776-05:002021-02-10T10:21:28.776-05:00As teenagers, we used to hang out at the ruins in ...As teenagers, we used to hang out at the ruins in the late 80's. Sad to see the main hall collapsed. Interesting to hear some if the history though, and see pictures. Anybody have more?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04784465257633544532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-41635486875399992042020-05-21T15:57:56.180-04:002020-05-21T15:57:56.180-04:00Thanks, David. It was a good thing you signed it. ...Thanks, David. It was a good thing you signed it. You were gone so long they might have forgotten who you were. Better not to take the chance. And yes, the director did survive, although now I know why I couldn't find more. His name was actually Clarence K Xander, and he died in December 1977. Funny thing my mom didn't tell me....not only did they live next door in Fairfax, but also about six houses away when they moved to Chatham in the early 60'sScott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-27445216464640808622020-05-20T18:39:06.024-04:002020-05-20T18:39:06.024-04:00evidently, Vander survived. I attended the H. Fle...evidently, Vander survived. I attended the H. Fletcher Brown Boys club at 18th between Church & Pine and also attended camp at Mattahoon in the mid-50's through early-60's. Learned canoeing, marksmanship and bow & arrow among other things. There was a little camp store where your parents deposited a modest sum so you could purchase candy, postcards and 1-cent stamps. We all aspired to stay at Pioneer Camp, which I finally did in the early 60's. We were required to send postcards home at least a couple of times during the week we were at camp. My mother had one framed and hung on her wall for years. It said something like -- Dear Mom & Dad, Having fun at camp. Love, your son, David Eastburn (as if she didn't know). Fun & innocent times.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03557352564023347240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-10087982289789028772019-09-24T09:20:26.721-04:002019-09-24T09:20:26.721-04:00I've never heard that stream called Dublin Cre...I've never heard that stream called Dublin Creek, but then again I don't think I've ever heard any name for it. Many of the families in the area had Irish roots, so it doesn't at all seem improbable. I'll keep an eye out for it. Maybe I'll get lucky and see it referred to in an old deed.Scott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-9268966092939573832019-09-23T18:08:54.786-04:002019-09-23T18:08:54.786-04:00I have been told by numerous sources (all verbal) ...I have been told by numerous sources (all verbal) that the name of the creek that runs through Arundel (behind Duvall Ct., under Elderon Dr. by the playground and then on to the Mill Creek) is "Dublin Creek". What is the origin of that name? Whatever it is, it is beautiful! Erin go Bragh!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-24637609539761169122019-03-28T14:44:47.120-04:002019-03-28T14:44:47.120-04:00Thanks for sharing your memories of Mattahoon, Bob...Thanks for sharing your memories of Mattahoon, Bob. It sure seems like it played a big role in the lives of many Wilmington area boys. I'm glad that there are memories of it, and people like you to share them, still around.Scott Palmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945719747276028760.post-58700180910357950452019-03-28T14:08:37.698-04:002019-03-28T14:08:37.698-04:00Bob B.
My brothers and I had the wonderful opportu...Bob B.<br />My brothers and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Camp Mattahoon in about 1964 and 1965, through the Boys Club on Elm and Jackson Streets. I grew-up on Elm Street about three blocks away. You had to earn points through attendance, participation and good behavior at the Boys Club in order to be eligible to attend for two weeks each summer. I believe my parents had to pay $35, which was a huge amount of money back then. The camp was everything others have written about it, and more. I earned a polar bear award for swimming each morning about 1/2 hour before reveille, when the incredible and dedicated camp director Frank (Castella, Cassella, not sure of the spelling)would wake us up each morning. The canoe races, Indian lure, fishing, archery and much more were awesome. Parents could come visit on the weekend after the first week. I have some of best memories of my boyhood being at Camp Mattahoon.<br /><br />By the way, my wife and I were in an antique store in Northeast, MD, and I came across and purchased original negatives of different scenes at Camp Mattahoon that are the size of postcards. I assume they were for making postcards. I have a postcard I sent to my brother during one of those two-week stays. Seeing this blog and posts, the memories come flooding back. What a great time in the life of a 10 - 11 year old. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com