How Teton Valley Ranch Camp came to be

From the 1963 Counselor’s Handbook (25th Anniversary Edition)

Wendell (“Weenie”) Wilson’s love for summer camps started in 1911 following his 6th birthday. In July of that year, he was excited with the news that his Sunday School at the First Presbyterian Church in Rockford, Illinois, was going to have a summer camp for boys. Boys from the Sunday school were going to have one full week of camping on the Kishwaukee River, a way-way out in the country. It was all of twelve miles from the city to the campsite on the Kishwaukee River. Two other bits of news stimulated this young camper as nothing else could do. First, Leo Lyons was going to be the Camp Director. Secondly, Weenie’s uncle Oscar was going to be there as a counselor so his mother and dad said that he could go, even though he would be the youngest camper in the group.

So it was that at the age of six, Weenie Wilson started his organize camping. Leo Lyons became his idol - the one who in his eyes could do no wrong. When Weenie was in high school and was a mainstay on the local football team he started working for Leo Lyons who also directed the local Boys Club and Camp Rotary. Weenie graduated from the Rockford High School and then went to the University of Illinois. In the summertime, he continued his work at Camp Rotary. In the summer of 1923, the chaplain of Camp Grant, a nearby military encampment, Dr. John Timothy Stone of Chicago, visited Camp Rotary. He suggested to Weenie that he might like to work at the Rocky Mountain Boys’ Camp in Estes Park, Colorado. This was a mountain camp that was founded by Dr. Stone and was directed by the Boy’s Work Secretary of his church in Chicago. This was appealing and the next summer Weenie was in Colorado. It was a while here that he decided to make camp work his life occupation and to have a western ranch type camp for boys and for girls.

While working for the Rocky Mountain Boys’ Camp, one of Weenie’s duties was to take a group of boys through Yellowstone National Park. On the first trip to Yellowstone in 1924, he stopped with his group on the shores of Jenny Lake in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This was a breath-taking experience. The scenery, the surrounding country, and the mountain atmosphere, and everything that one dreams of when thinking of a western summer seemed to be right at hand in Jackson Hole. Needless to say, the Yellowstone excursion was made in a hurried manner and the group returned to Jackson Hole.

“If and when I can ever buy a ranch and have a summer camp, this is where it will be located”, he vowed to himself.

In the summer of 1938 Weenie returned to the Jackson Hole country and visited with his friend Billy Wells who was a foreman of the Prentice Gray Ranch. Bill knew every ranch in the country and went with Weenie to look at many. Each ranch seemed to have something very attractive but none seemed to “ring the bell”. Finally Bill said, “I understand that the Abercrombie Ranch might be for sale.” So the two of them started over the winding mud road that went around the side of Black Tail Butte and headed for the settlement of Kelly. As they approached the town (population 15), Billy related the story of the Kelly Flood of 1927. This was an exciting story as a flash flood had taken the whole downtown downstream, leaving just the little church that had been transformed into the post office and store.

As Bill and Weenie approached the Abercrombie Ranch their conversion ceased. The setting was beautiful, there was a large open space for the athletic field and the horsemanship arena, it was at the end of the trail where there would be no passing traffic, and the riding country in the back of the ranch was ideal. To top it off there was the Gros Ventre River, a beautiful trout stream, and of all things - a warm springs swimming pool! This Ranch had everything. The spectacular Teton Peaks were in full view. This was it!

The car stopped in front of a nice little log cabin home. Bill got out and went to the door. Weenie got out also, but was about ten feet behind Bill.

“Hello Billy”, was the greeting that came from the door.

“Hi Cornelia”, responded Bill. “How are you getting along with all of the summer’s work”?

“Oh Fine. I Guess!”

“Cornelia, I want you to meet my friend, Mr. Wilson from Illinois.”

“How do you do?” said one.

“How do you do?”, said the other.

“Cornelia, Mr. Wilson is looking at some ranches in the country and I heard you might be interested in selling this place”, said Bill.

“What?” said the lady, “Sell this ranch? I should say NOT! You get out of here! GIT!”

That conversation was very short indeed. When Bill turned to speak to Weenie, he was already entering the car. They got out of there fast.

After seeing that ranch, nothing looked good. Weenie was somewhat dejected and thinking about forgetting the whole idea as he headed back to Illinois. The fall activities at the university made the days go by very quickly. Weenie at the time was the Athletic Director at the University of Illinois, and the job at hand was to have a winning football squad at the university.

On the 25th of October, 1938, the telephone rang. It was long distance from Jackson Hole, WY. Billy Wells was on the other end of the line.

“Hello, Weenie”?

“Hi Bill, What’s up”?

“Weenie, Cornelia has remarried. I talked with her husband and he said that the ranch is now for sale for sure. If you are interested they would like to meet you in Casper on November 1st.”

“Okay Bill, I’ll be there one way or another. Will you be there too”?

“Sure, I can be there. I’ll see you then”.

(Insert Hand written note from Mary Ellen Wilson - Had to get some cash - $5,000)

The sun shone a little brighter! The anticipation of having a dream come true seemed almost unreal. On November 1st, 1938, the scheduled meeting took place in Casper, WY. At the end of that conference the ranch had changed hands and the next summer, 1939, was to be the first summer for campers at Teton Valley Ranch!