A History of Camp Gorham

In the early 1870s a poor fur trapper named Bill Dart found a pretty, wooded point on a lake deep in the wilderness. With stunning skill and audacity he created a world-class Adirondack resort. By 1931, however, the resort was bankrupt and this “mountain gem”was tattered and facing subdivision. In the nick of time, the property was saved, thanks to the generosity of a rags-to-riches farm boy named Jack Gorham. It has since been transformed into one of the nation’s premier YMCA camps. This story, spanning 140 years of rich Adirondack history, will fascinate the thousands of campers, staff, and visitors who have come to know and love Dart’s Lake and Camp Gorham over the years.