BILLY AND JANICE SMITH CAMP

Story
Decoys
Credits

🟡 AVERAGE RESEARCH VOLUME

OWNERS

Billy and Janice Smith
Katherine and Chris Chadwick

built in 1950s

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS

NPS 111-10

Spooners Lodge

Drum Inlet Rod-Gun Club

LOCATION
North Core Banks, south of Morris Camps–mile 18

Story

do you know more? contact me.

“Billy Smith Camp”

In Chris Chadwick’s office, facing his desk, hangs a rendering of this family camp that meant so much to his and preceding generations.

Billy and Janice were well known in the Downeast community. Billy was a fish dealer from Atlantic and both he and Janice were strong supporters of the Core sound Waterfowl Museum, as well as many other community interests.

At the camp, they had a Sunday spread (had a gas oven)—fried chicken, ham, light rolls, the fixings. There was a specially made picnic table-12 feet long for these meals (we had to cut a hole in the wall to get table out—didn’t want Park Service to use it). “Then we’d ride down the beach, go mulleting, etc—it really was a cool place to go—didn’t go as much as GM became more ill—we had put in generator, 110 v, water pump, water heater, window air conditioners—so we were comfortable.—go mulleting, duck hunting, have a drink—come back and cook—a family camp especially— a weekend getaway.

“Then the Park Service Rangers got so thick”—put an end to the good hunting. The camp was un-named in Katherine’s time. It had the Smith name on the cabin but we just called it “the camp”. At the end, we were going to try to move it off but it was in too bad a shape—it had been built in the 50s.

“All our people had migrated down from Portsmouth—the Nelson line—to Atlantic. My GFs /GM was a Nelson—that’s how the deed runs—to ownership of the site of the camp.

My GF was born at Portsmouth Island—at the site of the Battle Boys Camp. Grandfather sold to them, the family house was sold. (Tom Salter—her took Babe Ruth hunting) Tom Ben, Ross, Dave and Charlie (killed by lightning)—that was their family house on Sheep Island —one creek south of Portsmouth.

Since we lost the camp, it’s not the same— there, it was peaceful, phones don’t pick up—children like to go—look for shells, scavenge—had gas lights then electric—that was the best water you ever drunk (a point and 2 links of pipe—15 feet)—till it got flooded—took 2-3 years to get good water again—then got flooded again

Water went right to the floor of our camp but not in, when Fulcher camp was flooded.

Our camp was higher, Isabell blew sand dunes into the yard, where centipede grass had been planted for a yard. (seen in the pictures)

We built a tower—bugs wouldn’t go up that high—on tower.

We were given 3 months to get our stuff out.——

—————————————————————-

Below are areal views from the sound and from beach views. The Willet camp alongside and the “Scotch Bonnet” (trailer base) further south.

Since the 50’s, when it was built, the camp has changed in appearance and naming.

Spooners Lodge was one version found in NPS files designated as the Smith property (the structure appearance does not match well and may have been mis-identified). The Drum Inlet Rod-Gun Club was from an earlier time.