Uncle Pritch

Uncle Pritch worked at CK from 1910 to 1965. An amazing length of time – and an amazing man. Below are  some emails from his granddaughter that should be interesting to all who knew him.

My grandfather was Herman (Uncle Pritch) Pritchard. If you don’t recognize the name – he was well known at Kennebec from 1910 – 1965!  All of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are still very devoted to Kennebec.  We still vacation on Salmon Lake!  I would be VERY interested in getting a copy of “The History of Camp Kennebec” that Frances Fox Sandmel wrote in 1973.  Would you know where I could get one?
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me.  I look forward to hearing from you.
Carol

Thank you so much for your note!  When I was browsing the Camp Kennebec website yesterday, I saw that I could download the book that Frances wrote.  However, this is one I would like to have in “hard copy”.  I have Louis Fleisher’s book – think I found it on CraigsList.  When I have time, I plan to look at some of the yearbooks.  One of my cousins still has the paddle that Gramp “borrowed” in 1913 and returned many years later!  Kennebec put an engraved brass plaque on the paddle stating what Pritch had done and gave it back to him!
I would dearly love it if you could send me a “hard copy” of “The History of Camp Kennebec”.

In 1910, Gramp was walking across the quad at Swarthmore College where he was a student  one night in 1910 when a friend of his called out from his dorm window “Hey Pritch, you want to go to Maine for the summer and get paid for it?” !!  Gramp thought that sounded like a fine idea and his first summer at Kennebec was 1910.  The rest, as they say, is history!!  He was so devoted to camp.  He and my grandmother met while canoeing on Salmon Lake and my parents met at Wheelers House Keeping Camps across the lake.  As I said, my siblings and I still vacation at Wheeler’s, and Kennebec will always be in our hearts!  My older brother has the boat and motor that was given to Uncle Pritch years ago and it goes in the water every summer.  What fun!
Thanks for signing me up for the website. I have been perusing yearbooks this morning.  Now it’s time to get back to work!