By Kathleen Marsh
Camp Director

After an unprecedented year of being closed due to the corona virus pandemic, the Holt & Balcom Logging Camp Museum in Lakewood will reopen this summer. With maintenance and cleaning done by volunteer staff, the site is ready for school field trips and regular summer activities. School visits began May 17 with Suring coming for its annual field trip outing.

“Hopefully, other schools will be able to fit us into their year’s end busy schedules,” said Bob Brown, school tours coordinator and camp curator. “It’s always fun to watch the excitement as the children enjoy a hands-on interactive look at their logging heritage.”

As in the past, the Museum will be open on summer Saturdays. A special 2021 program, Lucy Loved Lakewood will be presented at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 17. The program features “Lucy,” played by Kathleen Marsh, who shares fond memories of her first visit to the Logging Camp in 1894 with her future husband, W.A. Holt as well as precious time spent vacationing at the Holt family’s iconic Island Lodge at Archibald Lake.

Lakewood historian Tom Thielke will pick up the story of Lucy’s deep connection with Lakewood, including her use of a movie camera (1920s cutting edge technology) to record local history for posterity. Tom’s presentation will show rare vintage video of the Cathedral Woods, Holt logging crews at work, and Holt’s sawmill operation in Oconto.

The Museum is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Call Bob Brown, 715-276-3505 or Kathleen Marsh, 715-276-6515 to arrange a special tour if needed. Admission is free, but the museum appreciates donations to help keep the community’s logging heritage alive – at the oldest logging camp in America still sitting where it was built.
Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to Kathleen Marsh, Director; Holt & Balcom Logging Camp Museum; 16965 Nicolet Road, Townsend, WI 54175.