A Little Maumee History

Construction of Dam at Lake Tarzian (Photo courtesy of the Doug & Sara Seaborne Collection)

Some Maumee history from Dennis Williamson:

ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION: The engineering services of the National Council Boy Scouts of America provided guidance in the design and construction of MSR in 1970. Midwestern Engineers of Loogootee and Lincoln Trail District were the local council engineering firm. Local Scouters Bob Graham and Arthur Boddy were the owners/engineers who worked at Midwestern. Design work included overall site development plans for campsite layout, water service and sewage collection and treatment plant, new lake and construction schedule.

SEWAGE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT SYSTEM: Camp Wapehani was being purchased by the State of Indiana for the expansion of State Highway 37. The camp was having problems with sewage treatment and trash disposal. Camp Wapehani was closed in 1971. MSR opened in 1972. MSR originally had a sewage collection system for East Ridge and some areas of the site. The campsites had holding tanks. The treatment system was located below the dam. At the end of summer camp, my father-in-law Bob Payne, Septic Tank Cleaning and I, would go to each campsite holding tank and pump out. We would take the waste to the treatment system for disposal. We also helped the Camp Ranger with winterizing the campsites water service.

TRASH DISPOSAL: At Camp Wapehani trash was collected and open burned on-site. The burned waste was then buried on-site in an open dump. This was the standard practice. At MSR, the trash was collected and taken to a Jackson County container site and then to the landfill.