Camp Stigwandish - Lake County, Ohio - Boy Scout Camps on Waymarking.com

Camp Stigwandish is located at 7497 Ross Road, just south of Madison and north of Thompson. It is owned by the Greater Western Reserve Council of the Boy Scouts of America. At Stigwandish there are 350 acres of camp located along the Grand River and Mill Creek. There is a Sphagnum bog, made up of very unusual floating organic material. There are three man-made lakes on the camp, and the terrain includes meadows, forest, hills and ravines formed by the receding glaciers millions of years ago.

How the camp got its name: Prior to the War of 1812, an Indian by the name of "Stigwandish" (meaning 'Standing Rock') lived in Ashtabula County in the neighborhood of Jefferson, Ohio. He was known as a "good Indian"; he made friends with the settlers, and everyone in the locality thought highly of him.
When the War of 1812 was declared, the Indians, under Joseph Brandt, fought with the British. Most of them left for the Canadian border where they organized war parties. Stigwandish was compelled to go with the tribes, but before he left, he promised his white friends that he would warn them, at the point of losing his life, if at any time he heard of a plan to raid the locality.
When Stigwandish heard that a raid was being planned down through Erie and Ashtabula County, he left the tribes to warn his friends of the impending raid. Now on guard, area residents made necessary preparations. Through spies, the British learned of this activity and canceled their proposed raid.
Stigwandish disappeared, and no one knew what had happened to him. Quite often the old settlers discussed him and wondered why he had disappeared. Years later, an old settler, on his death bed confessed to the murder of Stigwandish. He said that the Indian's body could be found in a hollow tree on the banks of what is now known as "Indian Creek." In fact, that's how Indian Creek got its name!
A party was organized to search along the banks of the creek. The body of Stigwandish was found, but about all that remained were a few bones, his tomahawk and leather moccasins. It has been said that both the leather moccasins and tomahawk were in the possession of a woman in Ashtabula, whose grandfather was in the search party.
The man who murdered Stigwandish did so because of a vow he had made to kill every Indian he ran across. It seems that during the war his two sons were stationed at an outpost in the Firelands region, near Sandusky. The Indians had raided this outpost and cruelly tortured and murdered two or three men on guard. This man's son was found dazed and wandering several miles away from the scene, his head scalped. He died several days later. The old man repented his act when he found he had killed the Indian who had warned the settlers and perhaps saved hundreds of pioneers from a cruel death.
Our Council's camp was named "Stigwandish" in honor of this Seneca Indian because he represented the true 'Scout Spirit.' He knew he would meet certain death at the hands of the Indians if he betrayed them-and perhaps even at the hands of the settlers, but he was true and loyal to his friends. Like a "Standing rock", he kept his word.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/04/2022 TyroneShoelaces wrote comment for it 05/30/2012 buffalohiker visited it

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