Those musty wooden huts had to be a little frightening for little girls who had never left their homes. Bunking in with seven others, sometimes all strangers and accompanied by mosquitoes and spiders, had to leave lasting memories. Many of those little bunkhouses are still standing, but a few were removed from the property before the subdivision was developed by the previous owner. They are scattered around Hale as outbuildings for whoever purchased them.
Our hut was number one next to the lodge. It has been since transformed into a cozy little guest house that sleeps five. The original wood floors gleam golden honey and the walls are painted white. (Had I known how sentimental ex-campers and staffers were about their names on the wall, I would have preserved at least one wall.) The windows with the pull ropes and damaged screens were replaced with vintage sash windows from the same era, and they let the breezes blow through on hot and humid summer days. A ceiling fan was installed and window shades for privacy, but the porch screen door still slams shut and the original wooden front door remains.
The Brownie at the dip in the hill by the trail to the lake still stands. It is constantly used, as it still contains a portable shower on one side with the boy’s commode and a girl’s commode on the other with sinks on both sides. It is convenient to the lake and kept up in repair and cleanliness for our family and guests.
Further up the trail, another hut tilts at an angle that is precariously dangerous when the skewed door is opened. The names are still plastered in lipstick and toothpaste and the floors are rotting. There are plans to take it down and I have asked for boards with names I recognize from interviewing campers when that day happens. Housed in there for years was a cubby that graced one of the huts and it was gifted to me. On the same property, the owners preserved the hut that stood tall and proud by the lake as their own bunkhouse before building their log cabin. The names still remain on their walls and the sliding glass door at the front gives a great view of Loon Lake.
On the property where the senior Brownie stood is a magnificent log home with a garage attached. It was the senior Brownie, transformed by turning the roof around and installing a garage door. This family also owns one of the huts that was utilized for years as their weekend cabin until they built their home. They also moved the cook’s cabin to their property, high on a hill where “Scold Trail” is used for their cross country skiing in the winter.
The last two huts face the lake by the boathouse. One was moved off the property next to the firepit to make room for a log cabin for the family and sits behind the craft hut and used for storage of lake toys. The other hut has had a renovation, complete with a bathroom, deck, new windows and siding painted to match the owner’s house, which was the cabin by the fence. Their grandchildren have full use for sleeping and activities and the renovations from the lake make the property appear like a resort or a family compound, which it is!
Along with the lodge, the 
campcraft (left) hut on the front lawn and the boathouse and craft hut still stand and are in great shape, since the historical committee of our association sets aside funds to keep up with repairs and renovations. Every building that survived is utilized and treasured as a piece of history from the camp and enjoyed by our family and friends. The craft hut and boathouse, especially hut nine above, has had floors repaired and exteriors shored up and painted and are in constant use with residents for their reunions and overflow company.
