“We Got There First”

The 1972 Capital Development Campaign sought to complete Ward Akers’ vision for Boxwell. Several records suggest that he had envision multiple camps on the backside of the Reservation property, but for several reasons, they just didn’t materialize. The 1972 campaign sought to complete that vision from 1959.

From here, Camp Craig emerged, a gift from Mrs. Edwin W. Craig. The campaign concluded in November 1972, having raised $4.3 million, which would fund a variety of projects beyond Craig, including a new service center, Grimes Canoe base, and improvements at Rock Island and the Narrows of the Harpeth. Construction on Craig began in 1973.

And thus, we come to the patch seen here. Many troops were anxious to be the first to use the new facilities, but none more so than Murfreesboro troops. This was the Heart of Tennessee district and they were going to be first. So, in 1973, troops from the district camped at Craig before the camp’s construction was even complete. The troop numbers are listed on the bouy in Craig basement.

All the troops that participated in that first campout at Camp Craig also received the patch seen here. A rarity to be sure…

The patch given to the first troops to camp at Camp Craig.