Jim’s History Corner – Camp Stories

Most of us have experienced sitting around a campfire with a group of people listening to stories on a varied number of topics. Some of these include stories of mystery, ghosts and murder.

Hatchet Harry was one of these stories. The Hatchet Harry story was born out of the YMCA Camp Maniteau before it ever moved to the Bertram Lakes area. (Earlier Tidbit) It is a story that has been embellished over a great number of years by a number of storytellers. Each addition usually can be attributed to some unexplained (or natural) occurrence that people have encountered at the camp.

One such adaptation has been the inclusion of the Black Cat to the story. Because there were 9 farmsteads that comprised the Bertram Lakes area, barn cats were a common occurrence and by coincidence many of them were black. When Monticello High school programs used the Chalet it was not uncommon to have a black cat stop by for a visit or watched from the woods.

So, the next time you’re at the Park and you see a black cat, please remember it’s … just a story.