About

For 85 years, the E. Root Fitch Memorial Day Camp, on Cable Lake, has delivered summers full of sunshine, laughter, lifelong friendships, and life lessons for the school children of Dowagiac, MI — all in the spirit of its founders' simple but powerful wish: "For the pleasure and benefit of the children of Dowagiac."

The Benefactors
Ebenezer Root Fitch III (1859–1949) came from remarkable stock. He was born at Fitch Farm in Westmoreland, New York — land that his grandfather, E. Root Fitch I, had been deeded in 1796 by none other than George Washington himself. Fitch was truly a man rooted in history with the kind of family legacy that leaves a mark. Mr. Fitch graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY in 1886, then made his way to Battle Creek, MI in 1888 before settling into farm life in Keeler, MI. In 1891, he married his first wife, Hattie Morehouse, in Decatur, MI, and the couple would go on to welcome two sons. After retiring from farming, Mr. Fitch moved his family to Dowagiac in 1920, where he became deeply woven into the fabric of the community. He joined the Masonic Fraternity, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the Rotary Club. He also served on the school board during the construction of Dowagiac Central High School — a man clearly committed to building something lasting. In 1925, a windfall changed everything and presented opportunity. Mr. Fitch's first cousin, Mary Stranahan Croxen, passed away and left a third of her considerable estate to him. The Stranahan name carried serious weight: Mrs. Croxen's father, J.S.T. Stranahan, was a railroad tycoon, a U.S. Congressman from New York, and an Executive Committee member for both the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park in New York. The inheritance gave Mr. Fitch the means to dream bigger — and he did. 

The Beginning of the E. Root Fitch Memorial Day Camp
Mr. Fitch's first wife, Hattie Morehouse, passed away in 1932. Three years later, in 1935, he married Miss Bessie Pray Hart — and with that union came a shared calling that would shape Dowagiac for generations. It was just the beginning of a new chapter and a new purpose for the wonderfully philanthropic minded couple. Together, Ebenezer and Bessie turned their attention to the children of their community. In 1937, they launched a recreational program in Dowagiac that included a boys and girls club and weekly youth dances at the school gymnasium. They soon advanced their vision into reality, recognizing the potential for something even greater. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch formally established the “E. Root Fitch Foundation” in 1939, dedicated "for Youth Guidance and Recreation”. Two years later, in 1941, the Foundation purchased a large plot of land — the former Redding Resort, nestled on the southeastern shore of Cable Lake. That land, now covering more than 35 acres of parkland and wooded waterfront, became the permanent home of Fitch Camp. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch organized a Board of Trustees to help develop the by-laws and ensure the camp's long-term sustainability. Their foresight was remarkable, as many of those original bylaws remain in place today. Only a few updates have been made to keep pace with the times — like raising the daily attendance fee from .15 cents to $1.00! It was with specific intent from the very beginning, Fitch Camp would be affordable for the children in the Dowagiac school district. That commitment never wavered, reflecting the pure, community-first spirit in which the camp was founded.

Rusty Cutter

President

Nancy Vylonis

Vice President

Richard Behnke

Trustee

Dr. Matt Cripe

Trustee

Dr. Mark Kuriata

Trustee

Stephanie Munson

Trustee

Alicia Stout

Trustee