History

The founding on Camp Ocoee has been detailed many times in various account but the beginning undoubtedly was an example of serendipity.  In the summer of 1916 the camp's founder Mr. Glenn Ellis with a friend, M.L. Mulkey of the Chattanooga YMCA staff attended a meeting at the YMCA Summer Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC.  While there "the heavens opened up" and poured tons of water into the Swannona river which ran between Black Mountain and Asheville.  The resulting flood isolated Black Mountain for a while.  After the railroads to Asheville were reopened, the two men took the first train out to Asheville, only to learn they could not get to Chattanooga via train due to the flood.  They decided to ship their goods home and hike the 200 miles to Chattanooga rather than wait on the trains to resume service.  They made the trip in eight days, an average of 25 miles per day.  They did however have help along the way.  On one stretch they rode an electric car, owned by the Tennessee Electric Power Company, down the flume line to Ocoee Powerhouse No. 2. 

The two ended up camping beside a brand new lake (Parksville Lake).  While camping atParksville Lake, the two were stuck by the beauty of the area. The idea for a YMCA camp in that location to replace the tent camp on Lookout Mountain was formed.