Rock Island History

Obviously, as individuals interested in the history of Boxwell, we are interested in, odd as this sounds, the history of Boxwell. Since at least the 1950s, Boxwell has presented a history of itself in its Leaders’ Guides. This history has changed as the camp has changed.

This week we look at Rock Island’s history. There a couple of things to note here. First, note that even though this is the third Boxwell, there is no mention of the other two. The first 30 years of Boxwell might as well not have happened.

Second, note the efforts to create its own history. There are several items here: a buried Confederate treasure, a lodge that Andrew Jackson visited, a battle between white Tennesseans and Native Americans, part of the Trail of Tears, and a hanged horse theif. Some of this can be easily dismissed (the Trail of Tears was MILES from this site), but others are less clear. The Fielding Yost material is true.

Nevertheless, we see Boxwell trying to write a history for itself. It is a tradition that continues to this day…

History of Boxwell, or, more specifically, legends of Rock Island!

Scenes from 1960s Boxwell

We thought we would revisit some old promotional films in the future. Promotional films put a great face on Boxwell, but the film itself doesn’t always stand the test of time. Color film in particular doesn’t always do so well.

Nevertheless, this week we’re looking at what we believe is probably the first promotional film of the Old Hickory Boxwell. The film was professionally done and gives a really superb view of camp in the mid-1960s. We’ve picked several frames to show you how Boxwell looked in earlier days!

Top Row, left: This is the view coming into camp. Today, you woudl recognize this stretch of road by the Grizzard Gateway on the right.
Top Row, right: Approaching the Cripple Crab.
Middle Row, left: Staff Member leaves the Crab to greet arriving Scouts. Yes, this is the Crab.
Middle Row, right: Looking down the hill toward the Pump House with Explorer Island in the background. Essentially behind the trees at the amphitheatre.
Bottom Row, left: From Stahlman parking lot, looking back up the road into camp. Road to kitchen on the left.
Bottom Row, right: Unloading gear at the site stakes at Stahlman; same location as today.

Some frames from the the ca. 1967 Promotional film.

Council Professionals at the Crab

Seen here is one of those rare jewels that you run across every now and then. Not a whole lot of history to give here except that this is the Middle Tennessee Council Professional staff in the early 1960s.

If the photo looks familiar, it might be because you’ve seen a smaller version of it in Wilbur Creighton’s _Boys Will Be Men_. Creighton claims the photo was the 1963 staff, while the owner, Archie Crain, says 1960. We’re fairly certain the Crab wasn’t completed in 1960, so it is conceivably possible both men are wrong!

Nevertheless, according to Creighton, here are the names of the staff. Some should sound quite familar!

Kneeling, left to right: James Wright, Charles Biederman, Jim Johnson, Joe Gafford, Ward Akers, Richard Parks, Bill Jennings, Frank Lwrence, Bobby Chaffin, Ronnie Oakes.
Standing, left to right: Tom Atkinson, Cal Oravetz, Ralph Manus, All Wood, Bob HOlt, Ken Young, Archie Crain, Bruce Atkins, Bob Nash, unidentified, Don Coleman, John Scoble, Gene Hensley.

Middle Tennessee Council Professionals at the Cripple Crab, ca. 1963

Boxwell Weddings: The McWilliams

We conclude our look at Boxwell weddings this week. Every one of the weddings we have reviewed have happened in the last twenty years. There were wedding before this time, though they were fewer and further between. This week we look at the first.

To our knowledge, the earliest wedding at Boxwell Reservation happened on May 21, 1971. The happy couple was Stahlman staff member David McWilliams and his bride to be Doris. Doris’ parents lived on Woods Ferry, so she fixed her hair and got dressed there. They then held the wedding at Don Stanford Chapel.

Unlike modern Boxwell weddings, there was no charge to David for the chapel. Very much like every wedding that ever was, not everything went quite right. David’s great aunt’s nephew was the photographer and he left the lens cap on for the reception and the beginning of the service. Fortunately, he did capture a few shots and we present you this week with the photos of the first known Boxwell Wedding: The McWilliams in 1971.

The Wedding of Doris and David McWilliams at the Chapel, May 1971

The wedding of Doris and David McWilliams, 1971

Boxwell Weddings: The Zumbros

The wedding march continues! See what we did there? It was a play on both the march of wedding photos and the song played at weddings. Get it? Yeah, sorry.

This week we look at the wedding of assistant ranger John Zumbro. Zumbro was a member of Stahlman staff in 1989 and 1990, joining the ranger staff in 2015. He and Paula Ann were married in October of that year.

For their wedding photos, John and Paula were all over. Their vows were taken on the veranda at Camp Craig, but they had photos taken together at the Boat Harbor as well as the Bandy-Tyree cemetery.

Finally, as an interesting footnote, John and Paula Ann’s wedding was officiated by Tanner Shackelford, staff member and COPE director. Seen here are Paula and John with Tanner.

Wedding of John and Paula Ann Zumbro, October 31, 2018. Tanner Shackelford officiating.