Camp Taconic History

Lake Ashmere was formed by a dam built by two brothers, Charles and Ezra Tracy, of Hinsdale. The Ashmere Lake Association commissioned the project in 1876. The purpose was to make a water reservoir for the mills in the village. It was named "Ashmere" by the poet William Cullen Bryant when he saw the new lake en route from the Hinsdale railroad station to his summer home in Cummington.

In 1928, Major F.M. Terry and Major R.L. Purcell, both of New York City, decided to found a camp for boys. Major Purcell had ten years of experience working at a military camp. They liked a site in Hinsdale and bought it from Peter Selkowitz of Pittsfield. The property was 45 acres, including lake frontage on the northeast side of Lake Ashmere. The property was originally a part of the Black Fox Farm. In future years, the camp extended to 250 acres. Camp Penomoket was to be ready for the next summer (1929).

Major Terry and Major Purcell hired a number of men to build the camp. The head carpenter, Joe Fischer, and his men built a dining room, a kitchen, buildings in the Central Area, and a dozen bunks. Also constructed were a tennis backboard, two clay tennis courts, a dirt basketball court, and a baseball diamond.

After 1929, the finances of the camp were mishandled by Major Purcell. The property reverted to Peter Selkowitz, the mortgage holder.

In June 1934, 66 children and seven staff from The Little Red School House, in New York City, came to camp. Bob Kinoy was among them. Each year the school finished with a summer camp experience. These campers and counselors renamed the camp "Camp Taconic." In 1934, Taconic's physical appearance was far different from what it is today. The dining room was only a small part of a multi-purposed building including the camp offices, the Rec Hall, and the meeting room. The camp was slowly expanded. 1934 saw the construction of two new bunks and a new Arts & Crafts bunk.

More significantly, Bob Kinoy became the new Head Counselor in 1934. Bob maintained the same progressive philosophy of The Little Red School House at Taconic. As a non-traditional camp, Taconic had no uniforms, no color war, and no awards for "best camper" or similar categories. One goal was to have each camper become an active participant in life, not just a spectator.

Bob instituted several new programs. Most importantly, individual activity programs were established for the older campers. Though current campers take their individual activity programs for granted, the idea was quite radical in those days.

Sarah Takson, from The Little Red School House and director of the 1935 season, bought Taconic from Milton Selkowitz of Pittsfield.

In 1936, the big excitement for the summer was over a farm project. A wooded area was cleared, and campers planted radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes. By the summer of 1937, Taconic was a co-ed camp with 100 campers ranging in age from seven to fifteen.

In 1938, Sarah Takson still owned Camp Taconic, but she made Bob Kinoy the director. Other changes included the first freestanding Rec Hall and more bunks were built. And greater numbers of campers came to a spot in the Berkshires that, ten years earlier, had been little more than a pasture.

The country went to war in December of 1941. The summer of 1942 saw the effects of the war at Taconic. The farm project, initiated in 1936, turned into the Victory Garden. The Camper Council ran a scrap-metal salvage drive to help the war effort. Campers and counselors turned in their food ration coupons at the beginning of the season, so that the kitchen staff could secure the food needed. (One summer, sugar rations ran out in mid-August.)

In 1942, a woman named Alex Khinoy came to camp as an Arts and Crafts counselor and a Teenage Girls' bunk

counselor. Bob and Alex were distant cousins and had known each other for sometime. On July 29, 1942 they went to New York City and were married on their day off.

In 1944, Bob joined the army. On August 14, 1945, the bell pealed at 7 AM. The war had ended, and there was great celebration at Taconic.

In 1945 the play "Oklahoma!" was put on in the Dining Room. The show was a great success. Since then, dramatics have played a very important part in the camp program.

The February 16, 1946, headline in the Springfield Republican reads: "Camp Taconic Sold to New York Man. Lake Ashmere Summer Resort in Hinsdale bought by Robert Kinoy, Director, from Sarah Takson." The Taconic Winter Tattler (the camp newspaper) had already announced the purchase of Taconic by Bob and Alex; they were the new owners and directors.

In 1946, 116 campers at Taconic saw the beginning of a new era. And the Kinoy family was increased by one, with the birth of Diana in September, 1945. More facilities were added to camp, and the activity program was reshaped. Wednesdays became Hike Day for the entire camp. One of the most popular destinations was Hinsdale—in particular, Bernie’s Hinsdale Pharmacy, where the campers bought candy bars and comic books. Another popular Hike Day spot was the snack bar at the state road. Taconicites called it Sloppy Louie's.

Under Bob and Alex's direction, Taconic changed rapidly. A few of these changes included the revival of the Camper Council (the camper governing body), the construction of a new Administration Building, and, in the 50s, the Teenage group was often paid to work on a large project. One such building was the Music Bunk.

Taconic's first Carnival was in 1947. The goal then was the same as it is now: to raise some money for a good cause while providing the camp with an exciting activity. The Camper Council determines what organization should receive the money.

In 1952, the Camper Council unanimously voted to give the Carnival funds to the Hinsdale Fire Department. The money would be used to purchase a new, smaller, portable resuscitator to complement the department's big one. Fire Chief Allyn Smith came to camp and demonstrated a similar portable resuscitator. He also explained how a volunteer and junior volunteer fire department works.

About 300 parents and friends of the campers attended the Carnival as well as many Hinsdale people. Over the years, the Taconic Camper Council voted many times to donate the Carnival proceeds to the Hinsdale Fire Department.

The 50s also saw the end of an old tradition. The trip to camp had always started at Grand Central Station and ended in Hinsdale where, as the old Tattler says," "[T]he whole population came out to greet us." Buses to camp replaced the train ride.

The summer of 1954 was Hinsdale's celebration of its 150th anniversary year. From August 7 – August 15, events included a parade, a firemen's muster, and evening programs including a skit by Camp Fernwood and one by Camp Taconic called ‘The Hinsdale Story.’

‘The Hinsdale Story' was a major camp production. Portable stage platforms were placed in front of the Town Hall. Through narration, choral speaking, choral singing, solos, and dance, the presentation covered the early years of Hinsdale's founding. Included were such popular folk songs as "Now the Day is Over," "Jacob's Ladder," and "Drill Ye Tarriers Drill." The entire Taconic community came to perform or watch, and there were masses of townspeople who also enjoyed the ‘The Hinsdale Story.'

The greatest change came in 1959. The Tattler called it "the most gigantic undertaking since the original conception of camp." It was—and is—The Playhouse. The Taconic stage was now a permanent facility which included two dressing rooms and new sound and video equipment. Morning sing, evening activities, dancing, and rainy day

programs all flourished with this new facility.

In 1961, following the tradition of Taconic’s community service work, a group of older campers worked many hours on pointing up, cleaning, and polishing Hinsdale's Library cannon and the bronze name plaque on its base. And in the early 1970s, older campers helped tear down the inner brick dividing walls of the Town Hall in its conversion to the current Community Youth Center.

In 1978, the Hinsdale Fire Department received money from Taconic toward a new ambulance. The size and format of the Carnival have changed over the years, but the spirit of giving to others has been constant.

The close ties between Hinsdale and Taconic were also reflected in the wonderful, annual softball games matching the fire department against an all star camper/counselor Taconic team. Those were days of great fun and laughter. And post season, the Fire Department held their annual gathering at camp.

By the summer of 1981, Taconic had more than 300 campers, 130 camp employees and 32 different activities ranging from jewelry-making to sailing. 1981 was also Taconic’s 50th Anniversary summer. A weekend reunion was organized for the first weekend in June. Close to 350 alumni and their families shared great fun and many emotional moments. On Saturday, at "Milk and Cookies," two Hinsdale fire trucks pulled into the Central Area. The entire local volunteer fire department jumped off the vehicles and paraded down the lawn. Chief Dave Olds presented Bob and Alex with a plaque commemorating their 50 years of service to the Hinsdale community.

The Berkshire Eagle wrote a wonderful article about Bob Kinoy that summer of 1981. The article was entitled: "Career Camper Strikes His Tent." In it, Bob talks about allowing the campers to explore a variety of activities in the “hope of instilling interests that the children will take home and live with for many years. What counts the most is the personal effort that they put into their activities." One goal was to have each camper become an active participant in life—not just a spectator. Other objectives were to help the individual gain a sense of responsibility and to foster creativity, "but above all, it's the group living skills which campers learn that are the most important,’ said Bob Kinoy. ‘The kids learn to live with other people—all kinds of people—and to appreciate and value the individual differences among their friends.’"

During the summer of 1981, Bob Kinoy wrote a letter to the camp parents announcing his and Alex's retirement. He introduced Bob and Barbara Ezrol as the new owners; the Ezrol's had been at Taconic since 1963, first as counselors and then as administrators. In the letter, Bob Kinoy wrote the following passage: "Under the direction of Bob and Barbara, Taconic will always remain a place where individual differences are recognized and respected and where human relationships are stressed and valued. We feel, as they do, that Camp Taconic is a very special place and that a meaningful, unique and memorable experience is provided each summer for every member of our camp community."

A testimony to Bob's words are the number of former campers, counselors, and former parents who have either chosen to live in the Berkshires year-round, or who have second homes here. And groups of ex-campers return for get-togethers. Hank, Freddy, and Rich, who return each year, have known each other for over 50 years. As Steve Price, former camper and counselor, says, "The Berkshires continue to draw us back or otherwise live in our hearts."

On Thursday, March 25, 2004, The Berkshire Eagle published an article indicating that Robert and Barbara Ezrol sold Camp Taconic to Shadow Lake Associates. Shadow Lake Associates consists of three couples who live in the New York City area. They have directed an overnight camp in Torrington, CT for 11 years. The corporation bought 100 acres and will continue to run Camp Taconic with the same philosophy and tradition it has sustained for 58 years. The remaining 172 acres still belong to Robert and Barbara Ezrol.

We wish the new owners the best of luck, and look forward to seeing the spirit and soul of Camp Taconic live on in all it has embraced.

Diana Kinoy, May 2003