If you look in the New York Times, especially in the Spring, you’ll find pags of listings for summer camps. They’re still around.
I get the impression that camps were big in the 1950s because they were a way to get the kids out of the hot, sweltering city (a big contributor to those rounds of summer diseases noted above). Until the air conditioner became cheap enough for everyone to haqve, city culture was different – men (the earners back then) stayed in the city and worked, and sent his family out to cool retreats elsewhere. See the movie The Seven Year Itch, or read Alistair Cooke’s essay on thi (written back in the 1950s), “The Summer Bachelor”, in which e notes that the air conditioner was tolling the death knell of this custom.
In any event, camps certainly continued after that, although I suspect that prices went up as the clientele shrank. I went to Boy Scout camp myself for a week every summer, but I saved up for it all year myself. Sadly, the camp is now gone. (sniff)
BTW, re: only wealthy families could afford the whole summer. I actually attended my camp on “campership” ie financially assisted. I actually never knew that until I was an adult and wondered (retroactively) about the cost! My parents had their own business and were struggling financially.
When I was growing up in a suburb of St. Louis in the 60s there were two choices for camp; the “regular” camp, and Camp Don Dosco, which where kids who attended Catholic parochial school regularly went. IIRC, the program generally ran two weeks.
I never went to Don Bosco myself. My parents said I could, but it didn’t sound like much of a deal, living in a parochial school-style environment 24/7, especially as the kids from my school who did go were, disproportionately, the bullies and misfits. I expect their parents wanted desperately to get rid of them for a few weeks.
Jean Shepherd, some of whose stories provided the basis for the movie A Christmas Story, wrote a very funny story where his recurrent character Ralphie goes to summer camp. It is called, so nearly as I recall, The Mole People Fight the Forces of Darkness. Each barracks at camp was named for an animal, and his group was called “The Moles”.
There is a very fine public radio show hosted by Ira Glass called This American Life. One of the best episodes is about kids’ experiences at modern day summer camps.
Yes I remember growing up in the Projects as we called it. Low Income Housing or the Welfare. We were sent to Camp Takoda every summer for the whole summer. Five days a week. 8 hours a day. Had different tribes all with indian names and we all had nature trail hikes, and arts and crafts, boating, sailing classes and campfire stories at night etc.
Of course we did have some Snipe hunting at night for the boys. All the camps were in NH. Other Camps here are Camp Wakonda and Camp Sebago.
Camp Nor’Wester (independent), for four-week sessions when I was 13-15. Hell, Camp Nor’Wester even had a “rival” camp, also a four-week-session type (Four Winds, also independent).
My mom and aunts also went to camp, and two of my aunts even went to Camp Nor’Wester.
I loved, loved, loved every bit of it, and my Nor’Wester memories are some of my most treasured.
I was born in 1983, and went to camp for, like, 2 weeks once. I hated it. So much. That’s really most of what I remember about it. It was years ago, and my memory’s poor. I remember making play-doh and that cornstarch/water stuff, and sgetti over a fire. And being around a bunch of people I’d never met before, and counselors who wouldn’t let me call home.
I must’ve been 10 or 11, first time away from family (I’d stayed with aunts and grandparents and friends houses and stuff, but never with people I didn’t know). I just wanted to call my mom to hear a familiar voice, and they wouldn’t let me. Horrible people. Poor homesick me.
Hah! I got the drop of liquid on a sugar cube, just like the big kids in San Francisco. -Well maybe not just like them, but it brought up pleasant images.
A large majority of Boy Scout troops (at least here, in the east) attend a summer camp every year. Our troop went to Camp Russell in upstate NY. Pretty much the expected camp activities (although many were integrated into earning a merit badge), with the Scout stuff providing a framework. Lots of stuff had an American Indian (or pseudo-American Indian) flavor. Good times, all in all.
I went to Tawonga in the mid 90s. I’m not much of a woodsman but it was fun because I was there with some friends.
I also did Space Camp twice, and though I didn’t stay in a cabin or anything, I did get to do somewhat woodsy stuff like swim in lakes.
More related to the OP, when my dad was a kid (mid 50s) he says his mom sent him off to camp for pretty much the whole summer (8 weeks). When I was 11 I didn’t like being away from home for more than a week, I don’t know how he did 8 every summer.