Gene Woolsey

The name "Gene Woolsey" is one that most people probably have never heard of. Yet, he played a big part in the early years of Camp Lowden. In late 1939 and early 1940 Mr. Woolsey was council commissioner and was involved in the process when the council began to look for a permanent home for its summer camping.

In the spring and summer of 1940 he spent a great deal of time building frameworks for tent platforms and dining flies. In 1942 or 1943 he built the first showerhouse at Camp Lowden (located below the old trading post near where the present lower quartermaster building is located. When the old trading post was reassembled at Camp Lowden, Mr. Woolsey did a good bit of that work. In fact, the Woolsey’s then lived in this building for one year.

In 1944, Mr. Woolsey was the "camp supervisor," while Mrs. Woolsey and her daughter did the cooking after the original lady found the job more than she cared to manage.

In 1946 the Order of the Arrow lodge built a dining shelter, on Highlander campsite, in the shape of an arrow. Mr. Woolsey constructed the shelter almost entirely by himself. Later in the year he was awarded the lodge’s first Distinguished Service Award.