“Pardon me boy, is that the Kanakuk Choo-Choo?”

The following tid-bit of history comes from our very own Darnell White, Spike's wife and Joe's Mom. Darnell still works full-time in the accounting department at Kanakuk Kamps and is a wealth of knowledge about the early days of Kanakuk. I thought this was a great remembrance and hopefully can share some more with you in the future. Keep checking back.

“Pardon me boy, is that the Kanakuk Choo-Choo?”

The Missouri-Pacific Train from Colorado, with stops at Amarillo, Dallas, and destination to Hollister, Missouri was the transportation chosen by parents for their sons to travel to Kanakuk Kamp. Roads were not in very good condition, certainly not like today’s, and the train served a convenient and safe journey for the Kampers.


Their Return Tickets were given to the Station Master who locked them in the Depot Safe until the end of Kamp. The Kampers were met at the station to escort them via one of the two transportation steamboats: “The Sadie H.” or “The Virginia Mae” waiting at the Hollister dock on the White River (now Lake Taneycomo). The steamboats were also the Mail boats and Special Products for up and down the river, delivering at the shores to the recipients. The Kampers were deboarded on the beach of Kanakuk Kamp.

click for a larger image

The Missouri-Pacific Menu shown in the pictures was used in the Dining Car in the summer. (Quite a contrast to the McDonalds menu that Kampers choose each summer when traveling in this 21st Century to Kanakuk Kamps by bus or automobile.

Hollister Train Depot

One summer, when Spike was a counselor, there was a robbery at the Depot. The robbers broke into the safe and removed the contents – Railroad Tickets. When the Kampers heard about this, they were worried about how they would get back home without their tickets. The Station Master had combined all the Kampers Return Tickets on one form, in order to conserve space in the small safe. It seemed that form was not worthy (to the robbers) and was not stolen. Kampers were much relieved when this news was passed on to Kanakuk Kamp.

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