Camp Lauroweld History, 1936-1954
Edward Louis Sorg ( “Uncle Lou”) and Laura Jane Sorg, husband and wife, purchased the former Camp Norchunkaw property from the Ryan family on October 19, 1936. The Sorgs had previously directed a boys’ summer camp in Weld, Maine for several years and church related camps in southern New York State in the 1920’s. There is no record of how such a purchase was affordable in the depths of the Great Depression.
Lou was a graduate of Springfield College where he had captained the basketball team. His career was church-related community work in Manhattan in the 1920’s and he was dedicated to youth work.
Lauroweld was coed with college age counselors, a nurse, Irene Chase as the cook and local girls as kitchen help. Uncle Lou was a kindly, firm leader, much admired by the campers and counselors including local girls Connie Chase and Ruth Ladd. After their Maine camp years, they probably wanted to own their own camp and make it coed to further benefit their daughter Enid Sorg. The camp, operating seventeen summers, was run “on a shoestring” with Lou doing the maintenance and Laura the bookkeeping.
Riding and lake activities were highlights as well as the other traditional camp activities. Many campers were given camp tuition scholarships and Lou wrote personal end of season letters to all parents on each child’s development.
In the 1948 and 1949 summers, Bud and Pat Durham and family visited as Lou was my father’s maternal uncle. When Lou was ready to retire in September, 1954 the Sorgs sold the property to the Durhams and many Lauroweld campers continued with Sunset Ranch Camp. 1953 was the last documented season of Lauroweld operation but for many years after, campers returned to visit and reminisce.
On about July 16, 1953 there was a live radio broadcast as Lauroweld campers arrived by train and enjoyed their first day at camp, broadcast over a New York based NBC station.
Please see Jack Williams’ first hand account of Lauroweld included in the East Orford History Collection as it captures the spirit of Uncle Lou and the camp.
Buddy Durham
December 26, 2022
Camp Lauroweld Circa 1940
