OAKLAND’S FIRST WEEDKEND CAMP

The first semi permanent Scout Camp of the Oakland-Piedmont Council was located in the upper Dimond canyon area from December of 1917 until January of 1919.  The location of the camp was in the Oakmore Highlands area of Oakland near the present day intersection of Leimert Blvd and Bywood Drive.  It is also interesting to note that the location of the week-end camp was only a “stones throw” away from the site that would ultimately become Camp Dimond as the two sites were only a half mile away from each other.

The small camping area was provided to the scouts on behalf of the San Francisco-Oakland Terminal Railways Company which owned the land.  The land though was mostly a steep hillside of the canyon.  Six tents with wooden floors for overnight accommodations were put up and lodging was provided free for 100 boys who attended the Christmas camp in December 1917.  These early campers helped clear the campsite of brush and poison oak for the spring camp.  Camp Director AJ Kent was very optimistic over the prospects of this preliminary work being entirely completed by the end of the holidays, as a 100 boys a day are expected to be on the job during the two weeks after Christmas.  

In an article from the Oakland Tribune on December 24, 1918 was written, “During the past week, excellent progress has been made on the new week-end camp now being developed at the mouth of Upper Dimond canyon.  An average of 50 boys have been working’ each day in clearing away the brush, and the site is already beginning to take on the aspect of a typical scout camp. Headquarters has offered a “tuck-cart” or hauling wagon, to the troop piling up the largest amount of brush during the holidays, and as a result several of these piles are already beginning to look like miniature mountains.