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On August 27, 1921, Camp Crosley was created to preserve the memory of Crosley Ball by his parents Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Ball. The Ball family has made numerous donations since the start of Camp Crosley to help make the camp into what it is today.
Camp Crosley started out as eight acres of land that was purchased from Celia Baugher in February of 1921. In early spring, construction of the first permanent buildings began. The first building was the Main Lodge, which included a kitchen, cooks’ quarters, director’s quarters, the camp office, a small library and a room for the camp store.
Small buildings were also built at that time which included a washroom and shower house along with storage areas. Cement platforms were placed that would hold 12 X 14 tents that would eventually house 96 campers.
A pier, an athletic field and two tennis courts were also added to the grounds during that spring. The Ball family provided all of the funding for the land and construction. On August 1, 1921 the first session of Camp Crosley started. Camp Crosley’s program became revered nationally and used as a model for other camping programs.
In 1925 Knute Rockne of Notre Dame provided football strategy and coaching at Camp Crosley.
During the first camping season, which ran from August 1 to September 12, 390 boys attended the camp. H.A. Pettijohn was the camp director and would remain the camp’s director until 1955. The camp held two sessions for younger boys, a Boy Scout Camp, a Hi-Y camp and an older boys’ camp. The camp remained all boys until 1968 when girls were admitted for regular sessions.
Launch rides, pitching horseshoes, swimming, leather craft, woodcraft, and horseback riding were part of Camp Crosley’s appeal. During the mid-thirties the Detroit Lions trained at Camp Crosley.
Wartime during the 1940’s inspired special projects at Camp Crosley. Governor McNutt described, “Camp life gives boys and girls a training in self reliance, utilization of skills and love of nature and outdoors…in war time, camp life is a Godsend.” The camp fee in the 1940’s was $11 per week!!
In the 1950’s campers traveled from as far as Michigan City and Terre Haute to camp for the small fortune of $19.50! Many other disadvantaged young campers were accepted to camp for free.
In 1971 Camp Crosley celebrated its 50th anniversary!
In 1983, Camp Crosley, along with other support groups and the local public, purchased "the largest undeveloped shoreline in Indiana." On June 16, 1984, the "Edmund and Virginia Ball Wetlands and Nature Preserve," 220 acres of wetlands, was dedicated for education, preservation and interpretation, in association with Camp Crosley.
In 1990 both the Nature Center and the Observatory with astronomy equipment were built. The observatory and the equipment were built with the help of the Warsaw Astronomy Society.
In 2004 Camp celebrated the most campers ever to attend during summer camp and developed a master plan for future additions and improvements.
Throughout the years many things may have changed here at Camp Crosley. Land and buildings have been added. Girls began to come to camp as well as the boys. Now the camp is open all year round, instead of just summer, and has an office located at the camp, not in Muncie. The one thing that has not changed since 1921 is our way of thinking and that is “Live for Others.” |
