{"id":5732,"date":"2015-02-12T08:24:38","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T13:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/?page_id=5732"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T20:16:17","slug":"alumni-memories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Memories from Jim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered what it used to be like at Tanglewood? Jim Wade of Norridgewock shares some of his memories of working at Tanglewood from the summer of 1962-1965.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"1965<\/a>
1965 Tanglewood staff photo. Jim Wade, far left of the back row worked at Tanglewood during the summers of 1962-1965.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I worked at Tanglewood from 1962 through 1965 (my junior year in high school through\u00a0my sophomore year of college).\u00a0\u00a0It was traditional to be called by a camp nickname back then, and I was\u00a0given the moniker\u00a0“Big Jim.” I wasn’t particularly big (quite scrawny, in fact) but I was 6′ 2″ which I suppose was “big”\u00a0compared to my fellow staff members.\u00a0 The camp cook was Manny Atherton who was music\u00a0director at Bangor High School at the time. I played snare drum in the marching band, and Manny recommended me to the camp director who hired me. The pay was about $200 a summer for eight weeks of camp. Truthfully, as a teenage boy working in a girls camp, it felt like I\u00a0was in paradise and I would have worked for free, but I didn’t tell the director that.<\/p>\n

Campers signed up for two-week\u00a0sessions and came from across the US and Canada. Some stayed the entire eight weeks, but there was always some\u00a0new faces every two weeks.\u00a0 Homesickness was difficult for\u00a0the younger campers, some of whom were away from home for the first time in their life. A phone call from mom and dad (and sometimes a personal visit) to assure them that they were close by was usually enough to assuage their fears and allow them to settle into camp life and make new friends.<\/p>\n

I lived in Dog Trot with\u00a0Steve\u00a0and two kitchen\u00a0boys who assisted the cook. At that time, Dog Trot consisted of a breezeway dividing the two living quarters, each of\u00a0which contained\u00a0two\u00a0cots two\u00a0closets. Illumination was by a single propane light between the two cots. With no stove to warm us, on cold nights we’d get\u00a0an extra blanket from the\u00a0infirmary (and nights did get quite cold in the middle of the woods). Reading was\u00a0the main form of\u00a0entertainment\u00a0since there was no radio or\u00a0TV, and the personal computer had yet to be invented. I went through a lot of books in those four summers!<\/p>\n

One of my jobs as\u00a0maintenance man\u00a0was to arise an hour before breakfast each day and start a fire in the large fireplace in the dining room. On damp chilly mornings, a roaring fire was a welcome sight to the campers arriving for breakfast. Another job was to take some of the senior campers and their counselors to camp out overnight at Lake Megunticook in a large canvas tent we would set up on a wooden platform by the lake. I remember being awakened around\u00a0midnight\u00a0by the camp director one night calling to\u00a0us from outside of\u00a0Dog Trot. It was pouring rain with lightning and thunder and she was afraid the children would be\u00a0unable to sleep in the tent. There were no cell phones\u00a0in those days to check on them,\u00a0so\u00a0we drove the truck out and brought everyone back to their cabins. We were all soaking wet by the time we\u00a0arrived back at Tanglewood. That wasn’t one of my fondest memories, but an unforgettable\u00a0memory nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Campers and staff showered in the central washroom, which was located on the path between the kitchen and Dog Trot.\u00a0Water was heated by an old\u00a0large coal\u00a0furnace, which we tended\u00a0throughout the day. On the camper’s\u00a0shower day, we fully opened the dampers on the furnace\u00a0to try to keep up with the need for hot water all day. The furnace had to be filled with coal every hour to keep the fire burning as hot as possible. We weren’t always successful, however,\u00a0as evidenced by the screams coming from the\u00a0showers when the hot water ran out!<\/p>\n

I’ve\u00a0saved my favorite memory of camp life for last…the\u00a0anticipation, thrill, and excitement of\u00a0raiding the kitchen pantry late at night!\u00a0\u00a0On\u00a0nights when the cook\u00a0made a particularly scrumptious\u00a0dessert,\u00a0we four Dog Trot boys would\u00a0wait until everyone in\u00a0camp\u00a0was asleep. Not daring to use flashlights for fear of being seen by the cook or camp director, who might\u00a0be suffering from a bout of insomnia, we would sneak down to the kitchen by feeling our way along the path. No talking was allowed. It was difficult to stifle our giggles and laughter, however, when one of us would trip over a rock or\u00a0the root of a tree and fall down. Once in the kitchen, we’d feel our way into the storage room where the leftover desserts were kept. Our favorite was\u00a0sugar coated doughnut holes! Once we\u00a0stumbled our way back to Dog Trot we could relax,\u00a0laugh and enjoy our forbidden desserts. All of\u00a0this stealth caused me to\u00a0feel a twang of guilt, but evidently not enough to prevent me from doing it again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered what it used to be like at Tanglewood? Jim Wade of Norridgewock shares some of his memories of working at Tanglewood from the summer of 1962-1965. I worked at Tanglewood from 1962 through 1965 (my junior year in high school through\u00a0my sophomore year of college).\u00a0\u00a0It was traditional to be called by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":217,"featured_media":0,"parent":172,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/page-withsidebar.php","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5732","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nMemories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Memories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever wondered what it used to be like at Tanglewood? Jim Wade of Norridgewock shares some of his memories of working at Tanglewood from the summer of 1962-1965. I worked at Tanglewood from 1962 through 1965 (my junior year in high school through\u00a0my sophomore year of college).\u00a0\u00a0It was traditional to be called by […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T20:16:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1518\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1236\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/\",\"name\":\"Memories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1-300x244.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-12T13:24:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-09T20:16:17+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg\",\"width\":1518,\"height\":1236,\"caption\":\"1965 Tanglewood staff photo. Jim Wade, far left of the back row worked at Tanglewood during the summers of 1962-1965.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"About Us\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Alumni\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Memories from Jim\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/\",\"name\":\"4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove\",\"description\":\"University of Maine Cooperative Extension\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Memories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Memories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension","og_description":"Have you ever wondered what it used to be like at Tanglewood? Jim Wade of Norridgewock shares some of his memories of working at Tanglewood from the summer of 1962-1965. I worked at Tanglewood from 1962 through 1965 (my junior year in high school through\u00a0my sophomore year of college).\u00a0\u00a0It was traditional to be called by […]","og_url":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/","og_site_name":"4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove","article_modified_time":"2026-04-09T20:16:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1518,"height":1236,"url":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/","url":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/","name":"Memories from Jim - 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove - University of Maine Cooperative Extension","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1-300x244.jpg","datePublished":"2015-02-12T13:24:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-09T20:16:17+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/02\/Tanglewood-1965-from-Jim-Wade-1.jpg","width":1518,"height":1236,"caption":"1965 Tanglewood staff photo. Jim Wade, far left of the back row worked at Tanglewood during the summers of 1962-1965."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/alumni-memories\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"About Us","item":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Alumni","item":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/about\/alumni\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Memories from Jim"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/#website","url":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/","name":"4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove","description":"University of Maine Cooperative Extension","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"ebeaudry","author_link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/author\/ebeaudry\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5732"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13309,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5732\/revisions\/13309"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/tanglewood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}