"Summers at Camp:
The Diaries of Martha Farnsworth"
A Moment in Time
Kansas Historical Society
August 2000
By Linda Barnickel
A monthly series from the Kansas Historical Society
"Hot! Oh! Such a hot day," wrote Topekan Martha
Farnsworth in her diary September 1, 1912. She, her husband Fred,
and a group of teenagers from their Sunday School class, were
preparing for their annual camping trip.
The next morning, Martha awoke early, and after packing, the
group used a variety of vehicles to get to their destination.
"Mr. Davis came in his automobile and took part of my baskets,
and Laurent Schwartz took the rest with our bedding and gasoline
stove. At 9:30 train on time, I left with all of my Class who
could go. . .At Maple Hill, Robert McClelland met us with wagon
and took us to the ford south of "Camp Rogers," where
we soon made a very pretty camp and had dinner. Because of the
production of wild cucumber vines, we named our Camp, "Camp
Qkumburr"; the white blossoms, made camp sweet with perfume."
After battling with setting up a tent in a thunderstorm and seeking
shelter in a hay shed, the Farnsworths and the group of teenagers
passed the days swimming and fishing. These camping trips with
became an annual event and Martha kept a record of each outing
in her diary.
August 30, 1913: "Off to Paxico, at 8:30 A.M. over the Rock
Island. . .train late and almost 11 o'clock when reached Paxico,
28 miles west of Topeka. A transfer man. . .took our baggage
and us "girls" to the Strowig farm (mile and quarter),
the boys walking, and we soon had tents pitched in a most delightful
grove, big and wide and roomy. . .the boys were off to find the
best nooks for fishing, while I proceeded to settle down to housekeeping
in Camp."
September 2, 1913: "We have decided to name our Camp for
a fine, large, white Sycamore, near where our tents are pitched,
and so its "Camp Sycamore La Blanca.". . .I do all the
cooking and there are 14 of us: the girls wash dishes, the boys
bring water and supplies and Fred takes care of the fires for
me. We are having a most delightful time."
September 3, 1913: "Hot, outside, but cool in camp and we
are having a most happy time."
September 4, 1913: "Mr Strowig reported boys had broken
19 windows out of his Mill and we are in a peck of trouble - it
will cost them something."
September 5, 1913: "In spite of having to cook for so many,
I'm having a real vacation and resting. While the Drouth is bad,
the water here at this place, is still running and clear, cold
and finest ever, for swimming, and we all regret exceedingly,
that we must go home tomorrow. We have plenty of "Hoot Owl"
music, up here. The Receiver of the Mill, came this evening to
settle with the boys, for broken windows: he is an awfully ill
natured fellow - old crank."
September 9, 1913: Topeka. "Another hot day and wish I
was back in Camp Sycamore La Blanca. . .I sent the boys money
to Mr. Oscar Schmitz, Alma, Ks. This morning, to pay damage done
Paxico Mill, by windows they broke. . .bet the boys never break
another window - cost them $15.55."
August 30, 1914: "In the Camp of the "Oo-la-la's",
Camp Sycamore, Paxico. I awakened early this morning, or rather,
did I go to sleep at all, last night? For the boys were all so
hilariously happy, scarcely anyone slept. A bunch of them got
up at 11:30 P.M. and went fishing - at 1 o'clock Walter Polly
and Charlie Clements came to Camp, having come up from Topeka
on the mid-night train, and they made things lively for a time,
then at 2 o'clock A.M. another bunch got up to go swimming, then
things got quiet and there was possibly two hours sleep in Camp."
August 31, 1914: "The girls have piled the straw in their
tent, into "mattress" shape and with their comforts,
have a fine bed - the boys, or about half of them, roll up in
their blankets, on straw in their tent, Fred and the others, sleep
"ditto" out under the trees. I also sleep like-wise,
on my pile of straw over by the girls tent - no tent for me, when
there is such joy in lying out in the blessed open, and looking
up thro' the foliage of the trees and watching the stars come
out, and then see the great, golden, Harvest Moon, rise out of
the dark and go up and up into the myriad twinkling stars in the
velvet blue of night and one by one put out their light with its
own shining glory."
September 3, 1914: "Hoot owls furnish night and early morning
music and I like to listen to them; I like, too, to listen to
the insects of the night in their lazy buzzing, humming noise.
Two black cats and a black and white, spotted one have come to
Camp; also a nice Bird too has taken up with us, so we have "pets"
and the boys are all kind to them."
September 7, 1915: "This afternoon, while the girls were
changing clothes after swimming, they forgot to put down the flap
of their tent, which was open toward the boys tent, and up, perhaps
six inches and some one discovered (four boys) looking over at
the girls dress....Now the boys "tent flap" was up,
but a few inches and the boys thoughtlessly looking over, saw
perhaps as much as a few inches of ankle, but it blew up a storm;
a terrific hurricane; boys and girls did not speak and girls were
going to "pack" and go home." Tensions remained
high throughout the day, until Martha "held a council"
with both the girls and boys, resolving it with a "Treaty
of Peace" held ‘round a roaring campfire."
The girls got their revenge the following year:
September 6, 1916: "While the boys were at the dam pool
fishing, this morning, the girls put on the boys suits . . . and
went swimming and I took their pictures. It was all done in a
spirit of fun, but Ronald McCord got awfully mad about it."
September 1, 1917: "Up at 5 o'clock this morning, for it
is the day looked forward to, for a year - the day of all days,
in the year; the day to start for the "Camp of the white
Sycamore."...After arriving at our beloved camp grounds,
the boys "flew" about getting grounds in shape - had
to cut weeds and rake off trash, then put up a large tent each,
for the boys and girls . . . .We ate a cold lunch of graham biscuit
and butter, cheese, chip beef and tomatoes, and "goo"
(Martha's fine plum jam), then finished setting up camp - making
table, ice-box, etc.; girls went swimming, boys finished all work
first and had things in fine shape."
September 4, 1917: "Around on the big, East bank near the
mouth of the Sno-ko-mo, the boys have made a big "slippery
slide," more than 30 ft. high and very steep and both boys
and girls have had a big time there today all day....The girls
play all kinds of pranks on the boys, every day and the boys keep
a pretty even score. We have never had a Camp with so much "Pep."
September 5, 1917: "On a wager, for Candy, the girls carried
the water today - a ten gallon can, from Mr. Will Strowig's.
We all swam, today, around near the mouth of the Sno-ko-mo, and
we all went down the "slippery slide" but Teddy. It
is very high and really too steep for any of us but just oceans
of fun, one slide calling for another. Girls tied up some of the
boys and tried to tie Johnny Miller but he was too quick for them
and tied them instead....After the girls were asleep, Ronald came
out, wrapped in a blanket, groaning "where is my head"
and the girls "screeched" as if the devil himself was
after them."
September 8, 1917: "Another beautiful day, brimful of fun....A
most happy week - the most happy Camping trip we have ever had."
During the month of August, the Kansas Museum of History's "In
the Spotlight" case features swimsuits of the early 1900s
with photographs and diary entries from Farnsworth's summer outings.
Farnsworth's diaries, spanning 40 years from 1882 - 1922 and
seven of her photograph albums are available at the Kansas Historical Society's Center for Historical Research. Her diaries
are available through the interlibrary loan program. Researchers
of all ages are welcome at the center, which is open 9:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 6425 SW Sixth Avenue,
Topeka KS 66615-1099; 785-272-8681; TTY 785-2728683; www.kshs.org
Photo credit: Martha Farnsworth album, Kansas Historical Society.
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the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operation
of its programs. The Society requests prior notification to accommodate
individuals with special needs or disabilities.
© Kansas Historical Society 2000
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