Barbara also contributed this photo from the summer of 1954.  I'm glad to see this one, as the Vesper bowl was one of my fondest memories.  Did everyone else call it the Vesper Bowl?  We sang and performed skits when I was there in the mid 70s.  Anyone?

This was cabin 9 on the girls' side of camp.  Barbara, who sent this photo, also included a great shot of the same cabin with several girls in front.  It is a great photo, but I left it out in case anyone in the photo might have objected.  This is from summer 1954.

A Visit to Hassmer Hill 2008

Last week I made the trip from my home in Virginia to my childhood home in Indiana, and from there I finally made the return trip to Versailles and Hassmer Hill. I was excited to get to the site that morning, so I didn't give much thought to my clothing....or insect repellent. I parked at the gate leading into Versailles State Park on Finks Road and began my walk. I had been told it was about 3/4 mile to the camp site, but it seemed to be at least a mile. The roadway was overgrown in most places with grass and weeds, especially once I had passed the little cemetery located on the right side about 1/4 mile into the park. As I walked the excitement helped to offset the unpleasantness of the insects that had been buzzing me. My study of satellite images helped me to be able to find the location, otherwise, I'm not sure I'd have known where to look. The little road that angles off to the right was badly overgrown, and there was no obvious sign of anything man made. I noticed on my way out that day that there was an iron object, about the size of an old washtub just at the place where the camp road diverged from Finks Road....maybe someone will remember it there. I have a feeling there may have once been a mailbox at that spot; it looked like a good place for one.

I was only ten or eleven when I had last been to the camp, just a year or two before it closed, so my recollection was a bit dim. The first thing I noticed was an area clear of trees to the right...maybe the size of a basketball court. There were plenty of weeds, but trees had not grown there. I suspect this was the location of either the old Hassmer home or the mess hall. To the left I crossed a small stone bridge that covered a ravine. Some may remember this little man made structure, but I didn't recall it. It is one of a very few signs that anyone had ever been in the area. Near the bridge I found a few other pieces of stone walls or foundations, but I have no idea what their original purposes were. After crossing the stone bridge there was an obvious clearing with no large trees but lots of very large weeds. This clearing I imagined to be the open field where we danced and gathered for activities in the evenings. In the middle of the clearing stands the most obvious and most modern remnant of the camp, a steel antenna tower about 30 to 40 feet high. I did not remember that tower, but maybe someone else can recall where it was located at the site. It may have been used for speakers at some point.

At this point I chose a direction and pushed through heavy brush hoping to find something else of the camp. Once I was in the more wooded areas the underbrush wasn't as heavy, and one could almost see that there had once been something on the site, but again, there were no obvious signs.....except the remains of a structure, maybe 20 ft by 10 ft. It appeared to have a cement foundation and the remains of the walls were laying atop the cement. It appeared to have a well underneath. The building was too small to be a cabin or bath house, so I wondered if maybe it was connected to the old pool in some way. I don't know why it was left when every other structure was totally destroyed and buried. I also found the remains of a well, and ONE very old, very rusted frame from a bed/cot. It was clearly one of the beds used in the sleeping cabins and was surrounded by some very old soda bottles. I took two of the bottles with me...maybe someone will recognize the brands: Dana and Charm/Cino. They both appeared to be from the Cincy area. The bed was really the only item I found that conclusively identified the site. I had hoped maybe some of the trees would have carving, but I saw no traces of that. I will continue this entry at a later date. Please send any scans of photos or stories to my email, Mrmiller21@yahoo.com.

Hello campers....I want your memories...

I attended 4 h camp at Hassmer Hill 4h camp in about 1974...maybe 75. I was ten years old, and the memory of the camp has remained quite powerful over the years. I returned to Versailles, IN two years ago to find the camp only to learn that it had been demolished in the 70s, and very few residents of the area knew anything about the details or location of the camp. I grew up near New Castle, IN, and local 4h clubs from all over the state must have used the camp each summer. The cabins were very rustic...no ammenities...no luxuries, but the rural location and lack of contact with the outside made the experience very memorable. My main purpose in starting this blog is to try to gather as much information as I can from former campers. I have found very little on the internet, and it seems to me that thousands of young people must have been impacted by that camp during it's time in service. I believe it was built in the 1930s as part of a public works project and was used as a 4h camp for at least 35 years. I know my mother went to camp there in the 50s. The rafters were covered with graffiti...names and dates of past campers. It was such a shame that the buildings were all demolished. I have since located the site on a map and intend to return to walk the old camp...sans buildings, but I haven't gotten back to Indiana yet. So...any of you who have stories from Hassmer Hill 4h camp...from any year or years..please share them. I'd also like to have scans of any photos you might have...or programs from camp. The only souvenirs I have are a couple of leather circles I made in arts and crafts. I found a postcard showing the mess hall, and I will try to post that image for viewing. Please send any images or information to me at Mrmiller21@yahoo.com. Please be sure to include Hassmer Hill in the subject line so I won't delete it. I would like to compile a history with photos and make it available to anyone who might be interested. I can't be the only one who still thinks back to those days and events. Hope to hear from you soon, and please pass this link along to any of your old 4h camp friends.