Camp Kootoga History
Don B. Lowe purchased the property known as Camp Kootaga in 1922 under the
Gim-O-Gash tribe of the Boy Scouts of America. The first long-term summer camp
was held that year on the banks of the Hughes River in the Kootaga region.
This camp consisted of one or two Troops from the Parkersburg area with Don B.
Lowe as the Camp Director during the early years. In 1929 Col. R. L. Cole brought
a Kiowa Indian named J. Dougannah to help with the camp program. He gave Indian
names to the Leaders and named the Boy Scout camp “Kootaga”, which means
“Good Friends”.
Through the years, Camp Kootaga has gone through many changes, but one thing
has remained constant: helping develop young men into upstanding citizens and
outstanding individuals.
This year is our eighty-ninth year of long term summer camping on this site and we
are very proud to say that the commitment of the next eighty-nine years burns strong
in all of our hearts and minds.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you on behalf of the adult Leaders, campers,
and staff to all of those who have given in the past to help make camp a place where
so many young boys have grown to men.
Without caring people like you, Camp Kootaga may have today been just another
farm or tract of land.
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