Yes, even 100 years ago, Saultites spent their leisure time camping (8 photos)

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

In 1904, men and women from Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area formed a social club called The Ramblers. Club members enjoyed organizing outdoor activities including boating excursions and overnight camping trips. 

They took photographs of their adventures and put together a newsletter called “The Clarion – Che-bu-waub-buh”. 

The newsletter recounted stories of camp activities, jokes, poems, drawings and social news. It was written in a humorous style and included inside jokes, sometimes calling out members by name.

Below is an excerpt from Volume 1 of The Clarion, dated October 7, 1904, which appears to recount one particular camping trip. J.N. Fairbairn was noted as the editor and it was printed and produced in Sault Ste. Marie.

“Camp life sees its days of glorious sunshine, days of strong chilly winds, with occasional thunder-storms thrown in. This adds variety, excitement, rain, soaked blankets, profanity and other things. 

On windy days when the water was rough and the boats were lying on the beach, the campers gathered in tents, played “woman whist” in which everybody talks.

And then in the evening we had the campfire, with cracking logs, blazes and sparks. There was also other sparking.

Che-be-waub-buh camp is nigh unto Kensington Point away from the care and turmoil of distracting business. It is bounded on the North, East and West by rocks, empty cans and blueberries. On the South by the St. Mary’s River which has twenty-nine pike. Twenty-seven were caught and as the other two got away; they are the largest ever seen.”

The attached photo gallery shows The Ramblers enjoying their various activities.  

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here