In 1933, W.W.
(William Wolcott) Seymour deeded a parcel of land to the Mount Rainier Council, which was located
on the Eastern Shore of Hood Canal. Mr. Seymour was a large land and timber
holder and held the position of Past President of the local Scout Council. He
came to Tacoma in 1889 and started the R.V. Barto Company with his brother
Edmund. This company dealt with mortgages and bonds. In 1895 he was the President of
the Tacoma Gas & Electric Light Company. "Seymour's public spirit, cleanly life
and high ideals led his friends literally to force him into the mayoral fight
and he defeated A.V. Fawcett in the recall fight of 1911." (Credit to Tacoma,
Its History and its Builders A Half Century of Activity by Herbert Hunt).
<William
Wolcott Seymour (1861-1929)
Mr. Seymour passed away and in 1934 his wife deeded another parcel of land on Hood Canal to the local Council. She followed this with another parcel in 1935 in memorial to her late husband who spent the greatest part of his life in serving the Scouting Movement. (Editor has found more information that states Ms. Emily R. Seymour actually donated in 1/17/1933 22 acres, 38.25 acres, 80 acres and an an additional acreage amount not determined. Then Ms. Seymour through the North Pacific Public Service Company donated an additional 80 acres and 40 acres 10/23/1934. The State of WA donated all of the tidelands 11/22/1935).
**
The Hood Canal camping area was known as Camp Hahobas. Scouts
attending Camp Hahobas were transported by the Sea Scout cruiser Occult. The
cruiser departed from the Municipal dock for the 125-mile water journey to Camp
Hahobas. This voyage required some 10 to 11-hours sailing time. Other Scouts not
being able to make the long journey met other Sea Scout ships at Hood Canal and
were transported across the canal to the beach camp.
Camp Hahobas had grown to nearly 400 acres by 1939 and by the
end of 1940 was 520 acres. All camping was on the beach property, with hikes and
daytime activities making use of the upper areas of the reservation.
The year of 1949 marked the, "On Top" camping experience. A
rough-cut road from the beach extended to the top of the hill. Camping was moved
to the present area known as Camp Twana. Gravel and sand were hauled up from the
beach to form a beach type appearance on Robbins Lake. Campsites were assigned
by number, and the cutting of sallal for tentage set up was left to the
individual troops. Also during 1949, travel to camp could be by auto, but
required a long hike to reach the camping area.
Camp Tahoma came into existence around 1955 at which time two
camps (Tahoma and Twana) were being used to support the summer camp program on
Hahobas Scout Reservation.
Troop sites were named by some of the early Camp Staff and
participating Scoutmasters. Camp Twana received its name from the Twana Indians
and Camp Tahoma was named after our Mount Rainier, which in those days was known
as Mount Tacoma and Mount Tahoma.
In 1980 Camp Twana and Camp Tahoma which were two separate
summer camps operating on The Hahobas Scout Reservation were joined into one
summer camp that we know today as Camp Hahobas.
In 1993 the Mount Rainier Council merged with Twin Harbors
Council and Tumwater Area Council to form The Pacific Harbors Council. The
following year new leadership brought in the scout-friendly concept of the Open
Program.
In 1998 Camp Hahobas pioneered it's own High Adventure
Program across the Hood Canal into the Olympic Mountains.
Now Camp Hahobas has grown from it's humble past to offer
fifty merit badges, a high C.O.P.E. course, the advantages of the open program,
and the best summer camp staff in the Northwest.
In the past sixty-six years Camp Hahobas has seen many changes, but one thing remains the same; Camp Hahobas is still the jewel of the Hood Canal at the base of the Olympic Mountains.
**
Camp specific events: G.W.N. Regatta, Race for Washkanaba. Hahobas is divided into two different loops of campsites located on different sides of the camp called the Tahoma loop and the Twana loop.
**
Directions: From Tacoma: Camp Hahobas is located about one hour West of Tacoma. This is the easiest way to get to Camp Hahobas. From I-5 take Highway 16 West until the Highway comes to an end. From there follow Highway 3 South towards Belfair. When you come into Belfair turn right off of Highway 3 onto Highway 300 West.
From Olympia/Aberdeen: Camp Hahobas is located about an hour and a half North of Olympia. If you are coming from Aberdeen or Olympia, follow Highway 101 North to the intersection of Highway 3 North at Shelton. Follow Highway 3 North to Belfair. Once in Belfair turn left on Highway 300 West.
From Belfair: Follow Highway 300 West for 3.1 miles to Belfair State Park. Just past Belfair State Park Highway 300 ends and turns into North Shore Road. Continue on North Shore Road for about 0.2 miles. Turn right (up the hill) onto NE Belfair–Tahuya Road. After about 7.8 miles turn right onto NE Dewatto Road. 2.3 miles later turn left onto Hahobas Way (a dirt road). On Hahobas Way follow the signs to Camp Hahobas. The front gate of camp is 1.4 miles from the paved road.
**
<William
Wolcott Seymour (1861-1929)
In the summer of 1903 William
Wolcott Seymour graciously allowed a group of youth from the Tacoma YMCA to camp
on his farm property on Balch's Cove (now known as Glen Cove). The relationship
between the Tacoma YMCA and W.W. Seymour grew, and two summers later, in 1905,
YMCA camping for local Tacoma boys officially began with one tent on the same
part of Seymour's property where Camp Seymour now stands. The following summer,
16 boys enjoyed a two-week camping experience, learning outdoor skills, cooking,
swimming and sleeping under the stars. The first crude cookhouse/dining pavilion
was constructed in 1908 with over 60 boys in ten tents attending camp that
summer. In our first 100 years YMCA Camp Seymour has grown significantly in
facilities and service. During 2003 over 12,500 youth, teens and families
through outdoor and environmental education, summer camping, family camps, and
contracted user groups were served.
In 1918, Claude E. "Pops" Drake joined the Tacoma YMCA. In his new position as
Boys Work Secretary, part of his responsibility was the continuation of the boys
camping program. With Pops' leadership from 1918 until 1938 YMCA Camp Seymour
firmly established itself with improved facilities and program. Pops convinced
W.W. Seymour to deed 125 acres to the Tacoma YMCA for the sole purpose of boys
summer camping, and the following year, an additional 25 acres was added to the
deed. Improvements during Pops tenure included a freshwater well, program that
grew away from militaristic methods toward freedoms and choices for boys, and
the number of buildings grew to total 18.
The Tacoma YMCA officially named the property "Camp Seymour" in 1926, to
recognize W.W. Seymour for his generous gift. In 1929 WW Seymour passed on, "but
not before his part in the dream had become a reality; the camp was emerging as
one of the finest on the West Coast." (from Tacoma Review, 7/25/73)
In 2005, YMCA Camp Seymour celebrated its 100th anniversary with events for the
community, friends, family and alumni. YMCA Camp Seymour is one of only five
YMCA camps in the nation to celebrate 100 years of camping on its original
property.
**
William Wolcott Seymour also donated land for
the at 316 South G St (in Wright Park) Tacoma
for the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, which is still running as
of 2009. This historic glass conservatory, with its distinctive twelve-sided
central dome, is listed on the City of Tacoma, Washington State and National
historic registers. 3,000 panes of glass make up the dome and wings of the
Conservatory.
Seymour Conservatory
I. Jay Knapp, arch.
-3,500 sq. ft.
-conservatory made possible by a
donation from William Wolcott Seymour
-construction started Feb. 1908
-completed July 1908
-grand opening 11/14/1908
**
W. W. Seymour is an interesting figure in the early history of the Metropolitan Park District. He is principally remembered for donating funds to build the Seymour Conservatory in Wright Park, but he also served as one of the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Park Board and was the President of Park Board from 1909 to 1911 before he resigned to fill the remaining term of A.V. Fawcett, the Mayor of Tacoma who had been recalled in a special election.
William Wolcott Seymour, a native of St. Albans, Vermont, was born in 1861. After graduating from Williams College in 1884, he spent 2 years of further study in Germany. Seymour arrived in Tacoma in 1890 and became associated with the investment-banking firm of Seymour, Barto and Co., which later became Seymour Bros. & Co. when his brother Edmund joined him in the business. His company ended up taking over the Tacoma Gas Company and W. W. Seymour became the President. He was involved in a number of local public utility companies as well timber sales. Seymour appears to have been very successful in his many business ventures.
A newspaper article from the Tacoma News Tribune at the time of his death in 1929 paints a picture of a man who was born into wealth but also made a considerable fortune through his own initiative. His political career seems to be limited to serving on the Metropolitan Park Board and the one partial term as mayor. Seymour embodies the ideals and civic mindedness of his time and must have believed in giving back to the community that he prospered in. His donation of $10,000 in 1906 to the city was "to be used as deemed most advisable in beautifying the city" according to an article in the Tacoma Daily Ledger on November 1, 1908. The money was turned over to the Park Board who voted that it be used for building a conservatory.
Seymour was noted for riding to work on a bicycle while he was Mayor, something the movers and shakers of Tacoma at the time just did not do. Current Mayor, Bill Barsma, who has researched past mayors of Tacoma, thinks of Seymour as someone who would be most comfortable with our society today. In addition to the conservatory, Seymour also funded hospitals, nurses and doctors to work with the poor, and a YMCA summer camp that is now known as Camp Seymour.
In 1910 Mr. Seymour married for the first and only time. His wife, the former Emily Wells Risley, was from Connecticut. Mrs. Seymour appears to have had horticultural interests. Minutes from Metropolitan Park Board meetings in the early 1930's indicate that Mrs. Seymour was present on several occasions. A newspaper article from December 28, 1934 states that she was present at a meeting that dealt with funding for repair of the dome and she explained how her husband came to build the conservatory. There is also an undated handwritten note from Mrs. Seymour in Metro Park files (probably dating from the 1940s) stating that she was sending some cymbidiums to the conservatory from her winter home in Santa Barbara, California.
Today the Seymour Conservatory is a lasting monument to a man ahead of his times in many ways and perhaps his wife too, who had a passion for the conservatory built by her husband. " (Metro Parks Tacoma website, 1/2009)
