1950-1960: Camp Carter YMCA is born
Comments OffAfter the end of World War II, Fort Worth welcomed back its servicemen and began to rebuild industries and families. For the Fort Worth YMCA, one of the most significant returning GIs was Amon G. Carter, Jr., son of the famous Fort Worth publisher and icon. Upon his return to Fort Worth after serving time as a Prisoner of War in Poland, Amon G. Carter, Jr. determined to do something to help his community and to honor the YMCA worker who befriended him at the POW camp. Together with his father, they began to make plans for a very different kind of camp – one that would provide countless memories for young boys all around Fort Worth. In the late 40’s their dream of a residential camp, named Camp Carter, was begun. By the 1950s, Camp Carter became a vital camping solution for thousands of young boys and men. According to a program from an Appreciation Event held in 1953, “more than 250 organizations and groups representing every creed and color, with an attendance exceeding 30,000 in 1953 alone, is evidence of a dream coming true” at Camp Carter.
The following video was produced by WBAP and distributed to schools in the area promoting Camp Carter during the 1950s. It’s a great piece of vintage video showing many original structures and actitivities at Camp Carter YMCA.
Camp Carter 1950 from Chris Connolly on Vimeo.