Camp Wopowog

MOODUS &
EAST HADDAM

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& MOODUS SITES

CONNECTICUT
HISTORY & CULTURE

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CAMP WOPOWOG

Camp Wopowog occupied 300 acres just over the Moodus border on the East Hampton banks of the Salmon River. An early 20-Century booklet calls Wopowog "The Resort of a Thousand New Experiences," claiming that "here every prospect pleases, and no one puts on style."

Wopowog was by all accounts the most rustic of the Moodus-area resorts. The simple nature of a Wopowog vacation was a key element in its advertising -- "All the charms of old pioneer days without any of its hardships and with many additional attractions," was how one promotional flyer put it. Accommodating about 400 people in its cabins and tents, Wopowog featured athletics and the "healthful" countryside, "rich in wildwood charm." The main natural attraction was the Salmon River, just a few steps from the cabins, which offered water "recreating" and "intoxicating views of surroundings."

Many of these photos were supplied by the Urban family, who found a treasure trove of Wopowog memorabilia in the attic of their grandparents, who vacationed at Camp Wopowog in the years prior to World War I.

	Wopowog postcard, 1910.			Developing an appetite.
	Strike up the band, boys, early 1930s. (Courtesy Merila family)			Enjoying the tranquil Salmon River, 1930s. (Courtesy Merila family)
	A typical cabin in 1908 was the ultimate rustic accommodation.			A nifty jackknife off the high dive in 1937.
	A view of many of the buildings at Wopowog.			The section of the resort known as Wopowog Colony.
	McFadden's Flats housing			The shack known as The Fountain was a popular meeting place.
	Strong's Pavilion at the river landing.			Tenting accommodations like these set Wopowog apart from other Moodus-area resorts.
	Field day athletes.			This couple, identified as Mother and Pop, were most likely the proprietors of Wopowog.
	Wopowog had its own sew-on letters for athletic event award winners.
	River-based recreation was a big thing.			The landing at Salmon River.
	A brave couple pose on a rock known as The Obstruction with the Salmon River dam in the background.			Today's liability-sensitive environment would never allow a crowd like this to pose on the roof.
	A bucolic brook leading to the Salmon River.			This early-fall view of a Moodus field was used for a postcard.
	Here's how most Wopowog vacationers found their way to the river.			Another view of the path to the river, this one over a foot bridge.

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OLD MOODUS CENTER
BACK IN THE DAY

From the Early 1900s
to Its Teardown