This week, Ben Goldman talks with Joshua Reese, executive director of Hartford’s Camp Courant. The free program provides educational programs, health screenings and two meals a day to children in Hartford.
Below is some information about the camp. To learn more, visit www.campcourant.org.
Camp Courant began in 1894 with an editorial in The Hartford Daily Courant that invited contributions from the public to invest in outings for city children. The Courant Free Excursion Fund continued through the year 1910, providing fresh air and fun for Hartford children. In 1911, the camp purchased property in West Hartford near the Trout Brook, and children rode the trolley to the campsite. The camp was relocated to property owned by the City of Hartford, across from Batterson Pond in Farmington, in 1963. Today, the camp leases this 36-acre site from the city, providing a range of recreational and educational programs for hundreds of Hartford children each summer.