How to Use This Guide
To begin your Centennial Trail adventure, you can visit the W.C. Moorhead Museum (next to the camp parking lot) and pick up a copy of the Centennial Trail Guide and a Centennial Trail Map. The guide and map are also posted on our website in PDF format at http://tuscazoar.org/centtrail/.
Centennial Trail Map
To celebrate 100 years of memories, we have posted signs at 100 sites throughout camp, and these sites are marked on our Centennial Trail Map. The map will help guide you to each site, where you will find a sign with a brief description.
Key Words
In the description on each sign, one key word is underlined. Write the underlined word next to the corresponding sign number on the “Centennial Trail Key Words” pages at the back of this guide. This guide also contains more detailed information about each site.
Awards
Those who reach 50 or more sites will be eligible to obtain a commemorative centennial coin ($5 donation).
Redemption
Once you have reached one of these levels, stop by the W.C. Moorhead Museum. We will verify the list of key words and will have the commemorative coins available.
More Information
We will post any additional information regarding the Centennial Trail, including areas that may be inaccessible due to flooding, on our website at http://tuscazoar.org/centtrail/.
Welcome
Welcome to Camp Tuscazoar and our centennial celebration!
In 1920, Canton’s Troop 5 began building a cabin downriver from Zoarville. A year later, the newly-formed Canton Scout Council chose a nearby meadow for its summer camp. Known as the Wilderness Camp, it was renamed Camp Tuscazoar in 1925. The name blends the area’s Native American heritage with the legacy of the German separatists who founded the town of Zoar and once owned a portion of the camp property. Enjoy your hike. As the stockade sign reads, “You are a stranger here but once.”
Centennial Trail Site Descriptions
1. Zoarville Station Bridge Historical Marker
This Ohio Historical Marker was created in 2000 to recognize the unique design of the Zoarville Station Bridge. The marker was installed along State Route 800 in 2007 prior to the re-opening of the newly-restored bridge later that year. Acquired by the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation in 1996, the bridge is an interesting architectural treasure that has become another important camp landmark. Restoration efforts began shortly after the bridge was acquired; it was then re-assembled and re-opened for use by hikers and bicyclists.
2. Zoarville Station Bridge
The Zoarville Station (Fink Truss) Bridge is the only existing bridge that used the “through truss” design of German designer Albert Fink. Located where Route 212 once crossed One Leg Creek (now Conotton Creek), the bridge is listed on National Register of Historic Places, the Ohio Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Engineering Record. The bridge was constructed in the late 1860s near Dover and was moved to this location, near the old Zoarville railroad station, in 1905. The design is called a “through” truss because traffic passed through the structure of the bridge. This bridge design also used distinctive “Phoenix” columns – hollow wrought-iron tubes known for their strength.
3. Zoarville Station site
Until the mid-1920s, the chief mode of transportation to camp was by train. The closest station to camp was Zoarville, formerly known as Zoar Station. Scouts would arrive at this station, unload their gear and then hike the rest of the way to camp. It was a tradition on Sunday night to arrive tired and hungry! This station was closed and demolished in the mid-1930s when the railroad was relocated due to the construction of Dover Dam. Another station that sat further north, known as Valley Junction, was also demolished around that time.
4. Lower railroad bed
The first railroad to operate in Tuscarawas County was the Bayard (Columbiana County) branch of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh line, which ran its first trains to Dover and New Philadelphia in December of 1854. The original railroad bed lies at a lower elevation along the river, and is now a trail of road cinders. The railroad bed was elevated in the 1930s to keep the railroad above the possible flood line behind the newly-constructed Dover Dam.
5. Upper railroad bed
The upper railroad bed was created in the 1930s because Roosevelt’s New Deal W.P.A. planned to build a dam on the Tuscarawas River immediately below camp for flood control. Construction of the elevated railroad bed forced the relocation of many of Tuscazoar’s buildings, which created the present central camp area. The current railroad bed runs through portions of the original central camp and is the easy trail to Dover Dam and Buzzards Roost. The Zoar Valley Trail (ZVT) runs along this railroad bed.
6. Train carving
A keen-eyed observer may spot the carving of a railroad locomotive here in the sandstone. The origins of this carving are unknown, but we can surmise that it dates back to the 1920s, when trains still ran along this now-abandoned railroad bed. In those days, scouts would hike to camp along this section of track from the Zoarville Station or Valley Junction Station.
7. OA rock
This fading red and white arrow logo was used during scout Order of the Arrow ceremonies. The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded in 1915 as a national brotherhood of honor campers and emphasizes the ideals of Brotherhood, Cheerfulness and Service. In 1948 the local Order chapter, Sipp-O Lodge, was chartered. The emblem on this rock was incorporated into ceremonies held during Ordeal weekends, when candidates for the OA would seal their membership. Scouts would emerge from the nearby tunnel and assemble before this rock face, which was illuminated by smudge pots or torches.
8. Rex Farrall carving
Along the lower abandoned railroad bed, near a tunnel under the old railroad grades, is the carving of an Indian chief. Camp Tuscazoar staff member Rex Farrall carved the figure in the late 1920s. A scout in Troop 4, Rex Farrall served as the camp’s bugler and was editor of the camp newspaper, “The Trailblazer.” When he died, his ashes were spread on the camp property.
9. Tunnel
When the railroad tracks had to be moved during the construction of Dover Dam, the Netawatwes Brook valley was filled in. The camp buildings in this area were demolished or flooded, and a tunnel was installed. The tunnel provided access to the river for scouts and allowed the brook to empty into the Tuscarawas River under the new railroad tracks. Many a young Scout felt a shiver of terror creep down his back as he slowly made his way through its darkness.
10. Tuscarawas River
The Tuscarawas River begins southwest of Hartville in northern Stark County. From there, the river flows south through Stark and Tuscarawas counties and through the communities of Clinton, Canal Fulton, Massillon, Navarre, Bolivar, Zoar, and on into Dover and New Philadelphia. In Coshocton, it joins the Walhonding River to form the Muskingum River. Alongside Camp Tuscazoar, the Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed on the opposite side of the river. The river’s name is derived from a Native American word meaning “open mouth.”
11. La Salle Island
This island in the Tuscarawas River was called La Salle Island and was flooded by the construction of Dover Dam. La Salle Island was named for intrepid French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who may have made his way down the Tuscarawas with Native American guides at the age of 24. At one time Scouts camped overnight on this island. It was the site of one of the campfires held every night of the summer camp week. The “island campfire” was presided over by I. W. Delp who would tell many of the tales that became a part of his 1932 book, “Tuscazoar and Tales of the Tuscarawas”.
12. Pioneer Point
Pioneer Point, one of two authentic Native American lookouts at Camp Tuscazoar, offers a panoramic view of the northern Tuscarawas River valley, where the river flows south from Zoar past the camp. Here, since 1925, first-time campers have placed stones upon a stone cairn. The pile was started by former Camp Director I.W.Delp as a memorial to Revolutionary War soldiers who built and defended nearby Ft. Laurens in 1778-1779. Through the years, the stone cairn has also come to symbolize the spirit of Tuscazoar.
13. Chief Deaver statue base
George M. “Chief” Deaver was instrumental in the founding of Camp Tuscazoar and the Pipestone Camp Honors Program. In fact, campers in the Buckeye Council still sing “The Chief’s Song” on Sunday night at summer camp as a tribute to George Deaver and those who helped found summer camping for scouts in our area. Plans for a permanent memorial for Chief Deaver to be constructed here at Pioneer Point were never completed and efforts ceased in 1972.
14. Old stockade location
In 1926, a pole tower was constructed here, not far from Pioneer Point, over the main entrance to camp at that time. The pole tower was replaced two years later with a replica of a fort palisades gate. That first stockade stood farther down the lane toward Pioneer Point. This was because someone kept burning down the pole tower entrances of previous years. The problem eventually stopped and the second stockade was moved back near the road to give Camp Tuscazoar a proper entrance.
15. Washington rock
Washington Rock sits just below the rock pile at Pioneer Point. In the 1920s and ‘30s every camper had his photo taken while sitting on Washington Rock and looking down on Tuscazoar’s old camp commons. At that time Pioneer Point was known as “Stoney Point” and was a barren, treeless hilltop. This rock was named in honor of George Washington, the “father of our country,” as a reminder of his role in directing the construction of Fort Laurens.
16. Camp Tuscazoar words at Pioneer Point
In 1930 a group of boys led by Ralph Reichenbach spelled “Camp Tuscazoar” in white stones on the face of Pioneer Point. Several Eagle projects and troop service projects have maintained the lettering through the years. The letters can still be seen from more than a mile away.
17. Chief Deaver’s cabin
This site was the home of a cabin used by George M. Deaver. George Deaver chanced upon a Scouting career when he came to Canton in 1914 to visit relatives. He accepted a position as Scouting Commissioner with the YMCA’s new Scouting program, and in 1923 he replaced Seldon Adams as Council Executive with the McKinley Area Council. Thus began a relationship between George Deaver and Camp Tuscazoar that extended more than 30 years. He also led the committee that developed the Pipestone Camp Honors Program in 1926. Because of his dual role as Scout Executive and leader of the Pipestone Program, he became known as “Chief” Deaver, or simply as “Chief”. Chief Deaver stayed in Scouting until 1953, helping thousands of boys along the road from boyhood to young manhood. His name will always be linked with this camp.
18. Old dining hall site
In April, 1924, through the generosity of Frank G. Hoover, the plot of land upon which Troop 5 had built its cabin was purchased and placed in trust for the use of scouts. In just a few years, Mr. Hoover’s gifts of land extended to Pioneer Point and included more than 150 acres. Plans were immediately made to erect permanent buildings. The first was a mess hall that the Canton Lions Club built at this site below Pioneer Point. Known as An-gam-mu-in Lodge, and named for one of the great feasts of the Lenape, the mess hall stood here until the relocation of the railroad in the mid-1930s. In 1929, Hilma “Ma” Chindgren, became the camp cook and, for the next 14 years, became legendary for her berry pies.
19. Bouquet Bluff
This bluff, which was created when the railroad was relocated in the 1930s, was used for rappelling during Scout summer camp periods. A wooden platform was extended over the edge. The bluff is named for British Col. Henry Bouquet. In the autumn of 1764, Colonel Bouquet, the commander of Fort Pitt, led a force of nearly 1,500 militiamen and regular soldiers from the fort into the heart of the Ohio Country. His 13th Encampment sat on a bluff just outside of present-day Bolivar. Nearby, the white prisoners who had been captured by the Native Americans during Pontiac’s War began to be released. Eventually more than two hundred prisoners were returned.
20. Order of the Arrow ceremony circle
On Wednesday evenings during summer camp, the Order of the Arrow lodge held its distinctive “calling out” ceremony, typically in Hoover Field or near the stockade. Once called out, candidates would return for an induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, the following fall or spring. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects and sleep apart from other campers. After serving as an Ordeal member and fulfilling certain requirements, a member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. After two years of exceptional service as a Brotherhood member, a Scout or Scouter may be recognized with the Vigil Honor for their distinguished contributions to their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout camp.
21. Old swimming pool site
The first pool constructed at Camp Tuscazoar was in the valley of the Netawatwes Brook. On the hillside above this spot, below Pioneer Point, was the first dining hall and across the pool was a commons area where army tents were lined up for the Scouts’ use. The Netawatwes Brook was dammed and a cement pool was constructed in 1924. A well was put in to provide water for drinking and swimming. A long, wooden slide and several watch towers overlooked scouts as they took their first strokes or learned life saving techniques in this pool.
22. Old Campsite
From the mid-1920s until the late 1930s, Camp Tuscazoar’s central camp area sat in this valley, on either side of the Netawatwes Brook. When Frank Hoover purchased land for the Scouts in the 1920s, plans were made for a permanent camp and a commons was added on this hillside opposite the new mess hall. We know this area today as Old Campsite. In the early 1920s, Scouts slept here in a row of large army tents. Other structures, such as a trading post and craft houses, were added as well. However, plans in the 1930s for the construction of Dover Dam and the relocation of the railroad forced the Council to move central camp to the area it occupies today. A sharp eye can spot foundations and other remnants of this bygone era.
23. First Troop 5 Cabin site
In the winter of 1920, Canton’s Troop 5 received permission from W. P. English to build a log cabin on his land near the present-day Old Campsite. Construction of the original cabin led directly to the establishment of Tuscazoar as a Boy Scout camp. Lumber for the floor and roof, and cement for the fireplace were brought down the railroad on a hand-car. Mud was carried from the river bank for chinking the cracks. By the winter of 1921, the cabin was ready to use. Seeking a more remote location, Troop 5 moved the cabin to its present location. A new cabin, known as the Council House, was then built at this site.
24. Long Lodge site
In the 1920s, the Mohican Trail ran from the original stockade entrance along a Zoarite charcoal hauling road and ended at an administrative building at this site. Known as the Long Lodge, this building was funded through a donation from Frank Hoover. The lodge sat at the far end of the commons and served a variety of functions. In the 1930’s, it was expanded and became the camp’s dining hall when the An-gam-mu-in Lodge near Pioneer Point was razed.
25. Old trading post site
Above Old Campsite, which served as the camp’s parade grounds in the 1920s and 1930s, sat one of Camp Tuscazoar’s first trading posts. A postcard printed in the 1930s shows a log cabin with sets of steps and railings leading down to the commons on each side. The trading post was known as Gay’s Emporium, in honor of Donald Gay, the staff trading post manager for several years. When this building was constructed, an old trading post that sat below the parade grounds was repurposed for merit badges.
26. Turkey Campsite
Turkey campsite lies along the trail from Troop 5 Cabin to Shawnee campsite. Turkey Village was one of three original troop villages created when Tuscazoar switched from the centralized camp plan to troop villages in 1927 and was named for one of the three tribes of the Delaware Indian nation. The area around Turkey campsite was the site of Camp Tuscazoar’s tree nursery used to reforest the camp in the late 1920s.
27. Troop 5 Cabin
The original Troop 5 cabin was built in 1920 near a small spring known as Gist’s Spring. The cabin was disassembled and moved to its present site in 1933. The cabin is constructed almost entirely of wood from Camp Tuscazoar and resembles the log cabins at nearby Schoenbrunn. It is the oldest cabin at Camp Tuscazoar. In the fall of 1993, the cabin underwent a major renovation thanks to contributions from the Donald W. Frease Foundation and the Troop 5 Foundation. The cabin stands among some of Tuscazoar’s tallest timber, providing the ideal rustic setting for backwoods camping.
28. Bridge below Troop 5 Cabin
Below Troop 5 Cabin stood a large bridge across the Netawatwes Brook. This bridge enabled participants in the Pipestone ceremonies to safely cross the brook as they returned to their campsites on Friday nights during summer camp. A smaller bridge now stands at this location.
29. Troop 5 Cabin amphitheater
In this spot above Troop 5 Cabin once sat a small amphitheater for campfire programs. The log benches have long since rotted away as the forest has begun to reclaim this area.
30. Shawnee 1-2-3 campsites
A 1950 map of Camp Tuscazoar labels this area as Shawnee Village, with several small cabins or adirondacks. Later, it was converted into summer camp sites known as Shawnee 1-2-3. The forest has so overgrown this area that it is hard to imagine that it was once a well-used section of camp.
31. Maple syrup tanks
Each February, nearly 1,000 taps are installed in maple trees throughout the northern end of the camp. The camp’s “sugar bush” includes an area stretching from the service road to the northern camp boundary. With the aid of a vacuum pump, several miles of plastic lines transport the maple sap to these holding tanks. The sap is then pumped uphill to the camp sugar house for processing.
32. Duryee Lodge
When longtime volunteer Scouter Gerald Duryee passed away, his family and estate provided funds to construct Duryee Lodge near the present-day dining hall. Completed in 1957, Duryee Lodge has served as the camp Trading Post and as the Campmaster/First Aid Office. Today, the building is used as quarters for weekend Campmasters and the lower level can be rented to groups for camping.
33. Duryee Corral
When Duryee Lodge served as a trading post during Scout summer camps, this corral was a popular gathering place for campers. Whether they were guzzling a Mountain Dew, Patio or other soda, eating a candy bar or an ice cream bar, or purchasing the latest neckerchief slide, pocket knife or patch, this was a place for Scouts to relax after a day of merit badges, hiking, service projects and other camp activities. In 1994, the first 80 bricks sold in the camp’s Buy-A-Brick Campaign were installed in a patio outside of Duryee Lodge. The Jackson Township Lions Club donated their time and effort to construct this patio.
34. Hershey Adirondack\Rex Farrall campsite
This site first served as a Commissioner’s area, and then as an Outdoor Skills area, for summer camp. In the early 1990s it was named Rex Farrall campsite and was opened to camping. The Hershey Adirondack was added in 1994, thanks to a generous grant offered by the Hershey Foundation. Two days of digging, hammering, sawing, nailing and painting over Labor Day weekend by Foundation volunteers produced a shelter that would sleep eight campers.
35. Belcher Lodge
The Richard W. Belcher Memorial Lodge was built in 2005 with funds provided by family and friends of Dr. Belcher, a Canton native who served as a dermatologist in the area for many years. The lodge was designed to serve the needs of campers with disabilities and was built on the site of the camp’s tool shed, which was destroyed by fire in 2005.
36. Kimble Dining Hall
Kimble Hall, the present-day Camp Tuscazoar dining hall, was constructed in 1940 and the kitchen was added in 1954. Screens once filled the now-empty window areas, and hand-made troop mementos and crafts once hung from the rafters. However, in the summer of 1975, an electrical fire started in the kitchen area and burned away much of the dining hall roof, causing extensive damage. Most of the pavilion was saved due in part to a bucket brigade of Scouts that stretched from the dining hall to the swimming pool. The building has been renamed Kimble Hall, in honor of the Kimble family who donated 110 acres to the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation in 1989 and subsequently sold most of the remaining camp property to the Foundation.
37. Dan Beard Lodge site
Dan Beard Lodge was the centerpiece of the new central camp when it was completed in 1941. The building was originally named Hoover Lodge, but was given a new name when the present Hoover Lodge was constructed in 1949. The lodge was renamed in honor of Daniel Carter Beard, one of the founders of Scouting in the U.S., who died in 1941. During summer camp periods, the lodge served as the camp office, as the handicraft lodge, and as the camp’s first aid station. During the remainder of the year, it was used for troop camping. Dan Beard Lodge was razed in 1991 because of its deteriorated condition.
38. Cuyahoga Campsite amphitheater
Songs, skits, cheers and stories have been a part of the experience at Camp Tuscazoar since the camp was founded. Amphitheaters like this one at Cuyahoga campsite offer groups the opportunity to join together for singing, laughter and camaraderie at the end of a long day. A camp brochure from 1930 contained this quote: “Again we return to Tuscazoar. And the gang will be there, the eats, the hikes, the swimming and the camp fire at night…all for you.”
39. Cannon and flagpole
Camp Tuscazoar’s terraced cannon and flag pole areas are the result of several scout good turn projects and Eagle projects. From 1927 to 1986, the McKinley Cannon provided a deafening report for evening retreat ceremonies. This cannon, which once heralded speeches by presidential candidate William McKinley, was apparently removed from the Dueber-Hampden Watch Company in Canton and brought to Camp Tuscazoar by George Deaver. A company employee had heard about the pending sale of the factory to the Soviet Union and had known of Mr. Deaver’s desire to have a cannon for the new camp. The McKinley Cannon now resides at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation. The current camp cannon was donated in 2011 by Troop 90. The flagpole was donated in 1988 through the generosity of American Legion Post #44, Bill Hannon and Union Metal Corp.
40. Pipestone building
In the 1950’s, a building was constructed at this secluded site for use with the Pipestone camp honors program. Ceremonies were held on Friday nights during Boy Scout summer camps, and many volunteers would travel to camp on Friday to assist. Through the years, the building was expanded several times as the Pipestone program grew in popularity. However, in the summer of 1986 the camp honors program was transferred to the new Scout camp and the building subsequently sat empty. In 2019, the building was removed due to ongoing safety and security concerns.
41. Pipestone pick-up circle (alternate trail)
The Pipestone Camp Honor Program began at Camp Tuscazoar in the summer of 1926. The program’s intent is to reward Scouts who excel in advancement and Scouting spirit during their week in camp with an experience, and a token of that experience, that would capture their imaginations. A Native American ceremony was a natural choice to convey this message and token. The valley of the Tuscarawas was a prime area of Native American activity. In some cases, special care had to be taken with participants who might be injured, have medical issues or other physical concerns. Those “alternate trail” participants would begin their evening at this site, preparing to be honored in an unforgettable ceremony.
42. Hoover field
The large grass area behind Hoover Lodge is known as Hoover Field. Camp Tuscazoar’s steep terrain and wooded hillsides offer few open areas. This field was frequently used for star study during Scout summer camp, for games and activities, and for Order of the Arrow “call out” ceremonies. During one memorable Dover Dam Weekend, a hot-air balloon took flight from this field. Today, large groups can rent Hoover Lodge for their camping trip, and use the field for tent camping for those who prefer to sleep outdoors.
43. Knot board location
One of the many traditions established at Camp Tuscazoar was the requirement that a Scout had to tie a knot to enter the dining hall for meals at summer camp. A large display board stood here at the corner of the dining hall with examples of how to tie the individual knots. Scouts never went hungry, however. If a Scout did not successfully tie the required knot, camp staffers would teach the proper skill before the meal began.
44. Sugar House
In the winter of 2004, Camp Tuscazoar Foundation volunteers constructed this sugar house behind the dining hall, installed an evaporator and other equipment, collected sap from roughly 1,000 taps in maple trees and began producing pure, old-fashioned maple syrup. Once the water has been evaporated out of the sap (40 gallons of sap are needed to produce one gallon of syrup), the maple syrup is poured into bottles and plastic jugs for sale to the public. The camp held its first Maple Days Festival in March 2004 and was named the Best New Sugarmaker in Ohio later that year. The camp continues to host a Maple Days Breakfast each spring.
45. Pool site
The pool that once occupied this site was Camp Tuscazoar’s second pool. When this hillside pool was completed in 1947 it was considered an engineering feat. The pool had a chlorinating system installed in the 1960s. The lights around the pool enabled it to be used at night. These lights were donated by Frank Hoover in 1952. Scouts over the years took their first strokes or learned life saving techniques in this pool. Hot afternoons at camp were quenched by swimmers diving into its deep cool water and many a greased watermelon was chased in its shallow end by beginners. Because of its deteriorated condition, the pool was collapsed and buried in 2000.
46. Parade grounds
These two stone pedestals serve as a gateway to the camp’s parade grounds. The pedestals were designed to hold railroad lanterns that were displayed during special events in camp, such as visitor’s night on Wednesday evenings. Here, at the parade grounds, is where flag-raising and retreat ceremonies occur for most Camp Tuscazoar events. During summer camp, scouts assembled and watched as the color guard raised or lowered the U.S. flag and other flags associated with camp. Troops stood in formation on the road area below, facing the flag pole area as the flag ceremonies and announcements were presented.
47. Jamboree Lodge
First used as a nature lodge and then as the camp handicraft lodge and trading post, Jamboree Lodge was constructed in 1951 with seed money from the 1950 National Scout Jamboree. The McKinley Scout Council (later known as the Buckeye Council) had 184 participants attending the Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pa. The Jamboree was financed so successfully on a national level that the Jamboree was accomplished well under budget. A significant refund was sent to all participating councils. Other Tuscazoar buildings also benefited from the refund.
48. Buffalo Campsite
Buffalo campsite was designed and constructed in the 1970s to give campers with physical disabilities easier access to the central camp area. A cement walkway was constructed to the nearby pool, which was removed in 2000, and the trading post was eventually relocated to nearby Jamboree Lodge.
49. First aid site
For several years, a tent or canopy was erected at this location during summer camp to provide ready access to first aid for campers. This site could also be used for teaching First Aid Merit Badge.
50. Eagle’s Nest Campsite
A 1967 map of Camp Tuscazoar shows nine tent campsites, including Eagle’s Nest. An Eagle’s Nest campsite also exists at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation, one of only two sites with duplicate names at both camps.
51. Shawnee Lodge site
Shawnee Lodge was the closest lodge to the swimming pool and sat just below the Dining Hall. Shawnee, like Jamboree Lodge, was built in 1951 with seed money refunded from the 1950 National Scout Jamboree. Shawnee Lodge was destroyed by fire in 1989. Presumably Shawnee Lodge received its name from the Native American tribe which lived in the valley of the Scioto River.
52. Arrowhead Campsite
In July 1945, the Massillon Area Boy Scout Council purchased the F. C. Nydegger property near Beach City, Ohio for $3,000 and in 1946 the property was dedicated and formally named Camp Buckeye. In 1958, the camp became the property of the newly-formed Buckeye Council, when the Massillon Area Council and the McKinley Area Council merged. From 1959 to 1978, the Buckeye Council operated separate summer camp operations at the sister camps of Camp Buckeye and Camp Tuscazoar. When Camp Buckeye was closed in 1978 after its 33rd season, summer camp operations were consolidated at Camp Tuscazoar. Several new campsites including Arrowhead were added at Camp Tuscazoar to accommodate the increased attendance for the 1979 summer camping season.
53. Blackhawk Campsite
A popular campsite due to its proximity to Central Camp, this site appears to have once been known as Eagle’s Nest Village. A 1950 camp map shows a number of adirondacks at this site, with names such as Shrike, Falcon, Merlin, Hawk, Condor and Albatross.
54. Cricket Campsite
During summer camp, this small site held tents for camp Commissioners. In 1996, the site was given the name Cricket and was opened to camping.
55. Cuyahoga Campsite
One of nine tent sites at Camp Tuscazoar in the 1960s, Cuyahoga has always been difficult to reach due to the steep hillside. This long, narrow ridge stands somewhat secluded from the other campsites. The name Cuyahoga is taken from the Cuyahoga River and is believed to mean “crooked river” from the Mohawk Indian name Cayagaga, although the Senecas called it Cuyohaga, or “place of the jawbone”.
56. Delaware Campsite
This campsite is named for the “Delaware” or “Lenni Lenape”, who were several bands of Native Americans from the Delaware River valley of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During the 1600s, Europeans pushed the Delaware westward. They eventually settled around the Muskingum River valley in eastern Ohio, with important towns at Coshocton, Gnadenhutten and Newcomerstown. Moravian missionaries converted groups of Delaware at missions such as Schoenbrunn in Tuscarawas County.
57. Acorn Campsite
One of the smallest campsites at Camp Tuscazoar, Acorn was added in 1979 to help accommodate the increased summer camp attendance after Camp Buckeye was closed.
58. Keppler Lodge
Scouts from across the Netawotwes District banded together to build the Keppler Memorial Lodge in 1953. This lodge was erected as a memorial to Homer Keppler, who was a summer camp staffer, served two terms on the McKinley Council Executive Board and received the Silver Beaver Award in 1938. This cabin is a favorite among many groups that stay in camp. The grass area above the lodge is referred to as Keppler Field and once held a number of adirondacks.
59. Turtle pit site
For many years Keppler Lodge served as the Nature Lodge during Scout summer camp. The ecology staff developed a petting zoo which allowed Scouts to handle snakes, raccoons, groundhogs and even a vulture. An artificial pond was made out of duct tape and velcro for the fish and ducks. This round depression was once lined with brick and served as a turtle pit.
60. Keppler amphitheater
Located just below Keppler Lodge, this amphitheater was typically the site for a Friday night campfire program at Scout summer camp. Campers would sing songs and watch skits as, one by one, groups of camp honors candidates would be called away to prepare for the Pipestone ceremonies later that evening.
61. Showerhouse
In Camp Tuscazoar’s early years, swimming in the Tuscarawas River served two functions, since there were no shower facilities in camp. Later, as latrines and washstands were constructed at each campsite, scouts could wash off with a rag and soap, or construct a homemade shower with a hose. At last, in 1979, this shower facility was added, offering scouts and leaders the opportunity to wash off the dirt and grime of days spent in camp.
62. Turtle Campsite
Turtle campsite was once the home of Camp Tuscazoar’s sawmill. In the 1950s, three groups of adirondack shelters were constructed at Tuscazoar. One group of adirondacks sat in Keppler Field. Known as Pioneer Village, the adirondacks ringed the south end of Keppler Field. Much of the wood for these structures came from Camp Tuscazoar. The sawmill that sat at this site was used to provide lumber for many of Camp Tuscazoar’s adirondacks and buildings
63. Three Legs Campsite
In the 1950s, three groups of adirondack shelters were constructed at Tuscazoar. Two of these groups, One Leg campsite and Three Legs campsite, still stand today. Three Legs Town was thought to have been an Indian village in Tuscarawas County, located near the mouth of a creek known as Stillwater by white settlers, or Gekelemukpechunk by the Indians. However, in his book “The Tuscarawas Valley in Indian Days”, author Russell Booth argues that Three Legs Town never existed, and that it was in fact an area marked on an early map as The Ledges or Three Ledges.
64. Hoover Lodge
Originally designed to serve as a training center, Hoover Lodge and its adjacent amphitheater were dedicated in June of 1949. The building was named after Frank G. Hoover, a North Canton industrialist who donated the funds for the lodge and whose contributions to Camp Tuscazoar and area scouting are unequaled. The lodge was renovated in 2016 thanks in part to grants received from The Stark Community Foundation, The Timken Foundation, and The Haman Family Foundation. Hoover Lodge also stands on the site of the first Pipestone Camp Honors ceremony.
65. Hoover amphitheater
Since 1949, this amphitheater has hosted a wide variety of campfire programs, concerts, Webelo crossovers, Eagle Scout courts of honor and even weddings. The rousing campfire songs sung here could often be heard down along the Tuscarawas River. One well-known Scout skit had a character fly in from the treetops on a cable to land near the stage. In 2000, the amphitheater risers were repaired and 72 plastic lumber benches were installed. The current lighting was added in 2017.
66. Stockade
The first entrance to Camp Tuscazoar was a pole tower constructed in 1926 near Pioneer Point, the main entrance to camp at that time. The pole tower was replaced two years later with a replica of a fort palisades gate. In 1965 members of the Pipestone program built a stockade entrance on this site that strongly resembled its predecessor. The stockade was built as a memorial to Dudley Unkefer, who served as Scout Executive from 1949 to 1957. In 1998, the stockade had to be torn down and rebuilt once again. Today, hundreds of youth and adults pass through these gates each year to explore the riches of Tuscazoar, just as their predecessors did over the past 100 years.
67. W.C. Moorhead Museum
The W. C. Moorhead Museum collects and exhibits photographs, books, uniforms, artifacts and other objects depicting the history of Camp Tuscazoar and area scouting. The museum was built in 1995 as part of Camp Tuscazoar’s 75th Anniversary celebration. Years ago, William C. (Cece) Moorhead, established a fund to finance the construction of such a museum. Cece Moorhead served on the Camp Tuscazoar staff from 1927 to 1946, was the camp’s ranger from 1929 to 1938 and was camp director from 1938 to 1945. He retired from his professional scouting career in 1970, but remained active in scouting. He was elected a trustee with the Foundation in 1992, and was named the organization’s first trustee emeritus in 1993. When he passed away in 1993, the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation began planning for the museum’s development.
68. Parking lot
Cars have been parking in this area since the camp was relocated to its present location in the late 1930s. For many years, the only entrance to camp was through a gate with teepees on either side, where the stockade now stands. The lower service road to central camp was added in the mid-1950s. The Ranger’s residence was completed in 1965, the same year a new stockade entrance was added. The maintenance building followed in 1979 and the W. C. Moorhead Museum was built in 1995.
69. Camp entrance
From the moment you enter Camp Tuscazoar, you are reminded of its scouting heritage. The 12 points of the Scout Law line the entrance road, as they have for decades. The stone entranceway was constructed in 1949, thanks to a donation from the Stone family of Zoar. Leaving camp, a sign would read, “Have I done my best?” The road coming up the hill to the camp and continuing on south was once an old stagecoach road from Massillon to New Philadelphia. It was known as the Wo-a-pan-ach-ke trail. This was an Indian word meaning, “The people living toward the rising of the sun”.
70. Stone Lodge
The Stone Memorial Lodge was built in 1978 with funds donated by the Stone Family of Zoarville who are descendants of the original Zoar Separatists. Located across Boy Scout Road near the camp entrance, the lodge contains a furnace, kitchen and a large fireplace. This area of camp was called Starvation Gulch. The barn located nearby was constructed in 1971 using lumber from a razed storage building. The Horsemanship Merit Badge was held in the barn and corral area for several years during summer camp in the 1970s. This area was reacquired by the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation in 2006.
71. Pipestone pick-up circle (regular trail)
The original summer camp honors program introduced in 1924 by C. L. Riley, Charles Mills and George “Chief” Deaver, was changed in 1926 to award “Indian Pipestone tokens carved with designs and hieroglyphics”. The Pipestone Camp Honors Program is only available in the Buckeye Council summer camps. The honors stone is made of Catlinite, or Pipestone, used by generations of Native Americans for fashioning pipe bowls and various other items. Candidates for camp honors would begin their evening at this site, gazing into a large fire and recalling the events of the past week in camp.
72. Tom’s Chapel
A short distance down the hill from the stockade, nestled among tall oaks, tulips and maples, rests Tom’s Chapel. The chapel was built in 1965 in memory of Tommy Hohn, a Star Scout in Troop 6 at Canton’s First Methodist Church, who died at age 14. Members of the congregation raised a memorial fund in Tommy’s name and, with the help of Troop 6 and their scoutmaster H.P. Whittaker, they constructed the open-air structure. The ashes of Tommy’s cremated body were interred beneath the chapel’s concrete floor.
73. Sippo Ridge Campsite
Sippo Ridge was added as a campsite in 1996. At one time, this site served as the camp’s archery range. The campsite name refers to a tribe of Delaware Indians known to have lived just west of Massillon. Sippo is a Delaware suffix meaning “river”.
74. Sign-In board
The sign-in board is an important stop for day visitors entering camp. All camp guests are required to sign in and follow our posted policies and safety notices. This helps ensure their safety in case they become injured or lost while visiting the camp. Also, the sign-in sheets provide accurate attendance figures when we apply for grants to support camp projects. Fliers promoting upcoming camp events or special alerts are posted here as well.
75. Troop 1 totem pole site
The tradition of carving totem poles at Camp Tuscazoar began in 1922, when troops attending the Wilderness Camp selected a log and carved upon it the troop’s history, important symbols and the name of each troop camper. As the summer progressed, more and more totem poles were carved by troops and were added to the Council Fire Ring. National Boy Scouts of America literature pictured several of the Wilderness Camp’s finest examples. For many years, a totem pole carved in 1976 by Troop 1 stood near the camp parking lot. This pole, the last totem pole standing at Camp Tuscazoar, blew over during a storm in the late 1980s.
76. Logan Campsite
One of several campsites established in 1979 following the closing of Camp Buckeye, Logan is no longer used on a frequent basis. The campsite is named for Logan, who became chief of the Cayuga tribe, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois. About 1770, Chief Logan moved his family to the Ohio River Valley, eventually settling at Yellow Creek, Ohio. As chief, he initially acted to maintain peace while trying to protect the land north of the Ohio from white settlement. His attitude changed following a deadly raid on members of his family that ultimately led to the Battle of Point Pleasant. The two sides eventually met near Chillicothe to determine peace terms. Logan refused to attend but sent a speech known as “Logan’s Lament.” It became one of the most famous Native American speeches.
77. New Prophetstown campsite
One of several campsites established in 1979 following the closing of Camp Buckeye, New Prophetstown was originally known as White Eyes campsite, in honor of the great Lenni Lenape chief. The site was renamed in 1999 when it was modified to host Webelo crossover ceremonies.
78. One Leg Campsite
One Leg campsite is one of three sites built in the 1950s with adirondacks (three-sided structures). At that time, this site included nine adirondacks. Today, only one of those original adirondacks remains, at the western edge of the campsite. Additional adirondacks were added in the 2000s. Conotton Creek, which empties into the Tuscarawas River, was known in the 1800s as One Leg Creek, and was named for a Native American who lived near its mouth.
79. Tall Trees Campsite
Tall Trees campsite once held canvas tents on two terraces during the summer months. A third terrace was added in 1979 to accommodate larger troops. Presumably named for the large trees that once surrounded it, this campsite is no longer used on a regular basis.
80. Rifle range
In 1975, the camp staff moved the Rifle Range into this valley. Much sweat and labor went into this task, which was helped considerably by the use of a bulldozer. However, the young camp staff got the bulldozer stuck in the creek. All 25 staffers gathered every rope and chain in camp and attempted to pull the dozer out of the mud. An entire afternoon was spent in the effort but the dozer wouldn’t budge. After taking a break for supper, they returned to find the bulldozer gone! Was it swallowed up by the creek? As it turns out, the owner had arrived and unstuck the dozer by himself in a few minutes.
81. Archery range
Beside the rifle range stood the camp’s archery range. An area behind both sites was roped off with flags during the summer months to prevent hikers from unknowingly wandering into the ranges. Across the creek, remnants of an amphitheater may still be seen, where Scouts would receive instruction on the proper use of their firearm or bow and arrow before they were permitted to cross a wooden bridge and enter either range.
82. Icky’s Trail
Icky’s Trail, named after the long-time Camp Tuscazoar mascot, begins near the camp’s showerhouse. The trail passes the rifle range, circles near the remnants of the oldest known tree at Camp Tuscazoar, skirts around the Johnny Appleseed and Big Tulip campsites, drops into the Shingask Brook valley, and climbs Post Hill to Buzzard’s Roost. Although its course has varied through the years, this trail generally follows the path of the Unalochtgos Trail used by Scouts in the 1930s. I. W. Delp said of this trail, “The scenery and the countless objects of nature make this indeed, a trail without peer in this part of the state.”
83. Mingo Campsite
The three campsites located along this service road were all added for the 1979 summer camping season. Mingo is the name of a Native American Indian tribe that settled in what is now the state of Ohio. Mingo Indians were descendants of the Iroquois Indians. After his 1760s move to the Ohio country, Chief Logan became affiliated with the Mingo.
84. Pueblo Campsite
Pueblo campsite is named for the Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material and religious practices. When Spaniards entered the area beginning in the 16th century, they came across complex, multi-story villages built of adobe, stone and other local materials, which they called pueblos, or towns, a term that later came to refer also to the peoples who live in these villages.
85. Blackfoot Campsite
Blackfoot campsite is named for the Blackfoot Indians who were originally a nomadic Native American tribe that migrated from the Great Lakes region to the northwestern United States. They lived in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in Montana and Idaho as well as Alberta Canada. The Blackfoot Indians were skilled hunters. Like many other Plains Indians, they primarily hunted buffalo.
86. Wilderness Campsite
The first Wilderness Camp, held nearby by the Scouts in 1921, was so successful that plans were made for a larger camp in 1922 and the same arrangements for the Wilderness Camp were continued in 1923. In 1924, Frank Hoover purchased more than 65 acres for the scouts from William P. English. Plans were made for permanent buildings and, in 1925, the area was renamed Camp Tuscazoar. This campsite is named in honor of those first Wilderness Camps that were held in this area. The shelter is named for Ray Moore, who spent over 60 years in Scouting and was Scoutmaster of Troop 12 in North Canton. Ray helped to build the shelter.
87. Johnny Appleseed Campsite
In 1921, shortly after Troop 5 built its cabin in the hills of what is now Camp Tuscazoar, the Canton Scout Council chose a nearby area on the Jacob Hildebrandt farm for its summer camp. Now known as the Johnny Appleseed campsite, it was then called the Wilderness Camp. The scouts spent two weeks in camp, slept in 9 x 12 wall tents, and spent their days hiking, canoeing, swimming and exploring. An open 40-foot circus tent served as the mess hall and workshop.
88. Big Tulip Campsite
Like Johnny Appleseed and Wilderness campsites, Big Tulip was an outpost campsite during the summer camp week. Outpost camping was designed for troops that prefer to run their own summer camp program. Troops staying in these campsites would prepare their own meals, rather than journeying to the dining hall for their meals each day.
89. Big tulip tree remnants
Beyond the old rifle range once stood a towering tulip tree. For more than a century this great tulip grew, witnessing the movements of the Zoarite miners, the first scout encampment, harsh winters, floods and drought. The tree fell during a storm several years ago.
90. Troop 1 Cabin
In the late 1930’s, Frank Hoover and George Deaver decided to make lots available to the troops in Camp Tuscazoar’s outer reservation for cabins. Senior Scouts from North Canton’s Troop 1, under the direction of Scoutmaster Charles Smith, built a cabin in 1939-40. The cabin was doubled in size in the early 1970s. With no electricity or running water, the Troop 1 Cabin still offers campers a small taste of backcountry wilderness.
91. Buzzard’s Roost
Icky’s Trail ends at Buzzard’s Roost, a rocky outcropping that once served as a lookout for area Native Americans. Here, hundreds of feet above the Tuscarawas River, one can view Dover Dam directly below, observe the hillsides far across the river valley, and watch as the Tuscarawas River flows toward New Philadelphia, Gnadenhutten and on to the Muskingum River. This lofty pinnacle received its name from the buzzards that occasionally alight on the rocks. At one time, Buzzard’s Roost was also known as Post’s Point, in honor of Frederick Post, a Moravian missionary who visited this valley.
92. Dover Dam
Constructed in 1936, Dover Dam was one of a series of dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. The dam protects thousands of acres of crop land from flooding. Dover Dam’s construction forced the relocation of many of Camp Tuscazoar’s original buildings because they were in the dam’s flood plain or in the path of the relocated railroad. Each year, during Dover Dam Weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives tours through the dam from our side of the river.
93. Zoarite Iron Mine
After establishing the community of Zoar in 1817-1818, the German separatists began mining iron in the surrounding hills to provide income for the community. This particular mine, which can still be seen along the northern side of the horseshoe trail from Buzzard’s Roost, contained up to 8′ thick stratum of Black Band ore. Black Band ore is black iron carbonate shale, whereas Kidney ore is a shell of red iron oxide surrounding a clay nodule core. A technique known as kidney mining, an early form of strip mining, was used to uncover the raw iron ore. The soil was stripped away to reveal the ore beneath.
94. Iron mine wall
There were four Zoarite iron mines within the Camp Tuscazoar area, of which this one with the massive sandstone retaining wall is believed to be the oldest. This wall at the end of the trail probably was used to load the iron ore into waiting carts. The ore was then hauled to the old stage coach road (now Boy Scout Road) and down to a furnace. The Zoarites purchased the Tuscarawas Steam Furnace along with 1,716 acres of land that includes most of Camp Tuscazoar in 1835 for $20,000. Renamed the Airfield Furnace, it operated until about 1854 and was sold for scrap in 1864.
95. Power line right-of-way
Owned by Ohio Edison, these power lines have crossed camp property for decades. Workers clearing the right-of-away or working on the lines have benefitted Camp Tuscazoar by improving camp roads and drainage ditches to provide suitable access for their equipment. According to legend, a couple of locals tapped into the power lines at one time to provide electricity to their farm. This story may have some basis in fact.
96. Hiker’s Hill Campsite
Established in 2012, Hiker’s Hill is located on one of the highest points in camp, at roughly 1,200 ft. above sea level. Although campers won’t have to worry about altitude sickness here, they will need to bring in water and dig their own toilet, since water and latrines are not available at this backcountry location.
97. Rattlesnake Ridge Campsite
Another backcountry campsite established in 2012, Rattlesnake Ridge was named for a Timber Rattlesnake that was possibly spotted in this area a few years ago. While no additional sightings of the snake have been reported, this site does offer campers a taste of wilderness camping, with no water or latrines in the vicinity.
98. Eagle Hill mine site
Most Tuscazoar campers have long been familiar with the Zoarite Iron Mines located on the hillside just south of Dover Dam. However, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) records indicate that another mine once existed on this property. Known as the Eagle Hill Mine, it produced bituminous coal from a seam along the Tuscarawas River. While the Zoarite mine was known as a kidney mine (because they mined “kidney ore” from it using an early form of strip mining), the Eagle Hill Mine was a deep coal mine with underground shafts and mine carts. It is not known when this mine was opened, but records show it was closed and abandoned in 1902 as oil and natural gas began to replace coal as a fuel for industry. The mine is listed as having been owned and operated by “W.R. Jones.” Almost nothing is known about this person or the company.
99. Road to the Eagle Hill mine
Hikers exploring this gully will find many small lumps of coal scattered in the area. A cart path once led from the railroad bed up to a sorting tipple near the entry points for the Eagle Hill Mine. Since this portion of the railroad bed is below Dover Dam, it has likely remained in almost the same location as when the mine was open. Also, although the mine entries were closed many years ago, probably by dynamiting the hillsides above them, it is possible to find several areas where the mine openings were located by observing the drainage of orange mine water from spots at the base of the hillsides. This deep coal mine stretched from an area south of Buzzard’s Roost to a point several hundred yards south of the power lines.
100. Dessecker coal mine site The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), through its Ohio Abandoned Mine Lands Program, has reclaimed this area that was once used for coal mining. The mine, which was acquired by the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation as part of a land purchase in 2009, has been sealed and the surrounding acreage has been reclaimed. An ODNR video entitled “Ohio’s Hidden Mine” documents the history of the Dessecker Mine – a small scale surface and underground coal mine and tipple – and the story of the two brothers who built and operated the mine for decades. The video can be viewed online.
