A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF PRESBYTERIAN CAMPS AT SAUGATUCK 1894 George Gray becomes a "city missionary" in Chicago. 1896 Forward Movement Association incorporated (4/13). 1897 George Gray visited Saugatuck with Edwin House from Oak Park. 1899 Property for camp purchased in March. Forward Movement Park dedicated July 15 - 16. An "illuminated excursion” of boats on river planned by Gray, but fogged out. Swift Cottage built. 1900 Road to lake built. Road started near Pokagon Inn. 1904 Camp property registered with county. 1906 Kalamazoo River channel cut. Vesta Putnam Summer School buildings built. 1909 Stoughton Hall built. 1911 Rose Cottages, Wodenwild, Social Economics, Pine Crest, Florence and Swift Cottage listed. 1912 Campers came by Graham L Morton or Crawford Lines ships. 1916 Name of camp changed from FMP to "Camp Gray". 1917 Selden Adams becomes new General Superintendent. Village becomes angry at Adams for posting "no trespassing" signs. Newspaper wrote that camp had broken its covenant with the village. Campers come by Pere Marquette RR. 1921 Camp property acquired by the Church Extension Board of Presbytery of Chicago on March 14 for $13,800. 1922 Camp Peniel established. 4th Church Cabin built. 1924 North end of camp called "Gra-Che-Bo" (Camp Gray/Church Extension Board). Kalamazoo Cabin built. 1925 Federation Hall dedicated. 1926 Crerar Cabin and Recreation Hall dedicated. 1927 240 tons of ice "harvested" from Kalamazoo Lake between Christmas and New Years. 1928 Tennis courts enlarged to make two more courts. 1929 Southern Michigan Light & Power bring electricity into camp. Two cabins built - no record of name. 1933 Plans in works to resurface Lincoln Road, make new diagonal road & 400 feet of shoreline in trade with village to shut off road through Camp Gray. 1934 Camp named changed - "Westminster Lodge" for guests/vacationers at south end, "Camp Gray" for neighborhood house campers at north end. 1935 Lincoln Road rerouted northwest out of camp, traded with village for Oval Beach. 1940 Camp hosted E. Stanley Jones' American Christian Ashram. 1948 Jones’ conducted American Ashram a camp. He "tested" his writing for book "Abundant Living" on Westminster Lodge campers. 84 buildings reported with 64 “working toilets” and 14 fireplaces. 1950 4th Church Cabin converted into Long Beach dining hall. 1952 Mr. and Mrs. John Wiler awarded two weeks free at camp for 50 years consecutive attendance. Bronstein Cabin in Peniel built. 1954 Swift Villa burned on April 8. 1956 Tornado damages: Beetha, Wodenwild, sandpiper, Cedarcrest and Stoughton Hall. New bath house in Gray built. 1959 Michigan Cabin in Gray torn down. Tepee and canvas hogans purchased. 1961 5,000 evergreens planted on dunes. 1962 Camp Adahi begun. Hilltop and Hillside cabins built in Camp Gray. 1963 Crerar Cabin torn down. 1964 Kema first used. 1965 Construction on new dining hall begun. 1966 Maple Cabin torn down. 1967 Boy's Hall and Gemac Cabin torn down. 1969 Federation Hall, Elms, Pines & Hawthorn cabins torn down. Work begun on All-Weather cabins on Shorewood Ridge. Renovation begun on Lakefront. 1970 New all-weather cabins dedicated - Ponderosa, Elms, Cedar & Glen. 1973 Lytton Hall torn down. Sailing program begun. 1974 Two all-weather cabins built - Elderberry and Poplar. Shower house in Kema completed. 1975 Roadside Cabin dismantled. Playground built Tree house Gray built. 1977 Lakeview Cabin shifted off foundation. 1978 Vine Street used as temporary entrance road (Ferry Street sewer/water lines replaced, ferry used throughout winter.) 1979 Camp Peniel given back to camp. 1980 Recreation Hall dismantled. 1981 Sassafras Cabin slipped off foundation, leveled by youth group. 1983 Lakeview Cabin dismantled. 1984 Tree House in Gray dismantled. 1986 Timber Frame woodworking shed built. 1987 Geographical location of dining hall - 42/39.30 N and 86/13.9W. Timber Frame residence built. 1991 Long Beach dining hall torn down. Hummingbird Cabin torn down.