Camp History | Camp Nicolet | Wisconsin Girls Summer Camp

The 1920s

1927 – Carrie “Shorty” Fournier establishes Fournier’s Camp, a bass fishing resort, on the north shore of Franklin Lake
1927 – Deerpath, iconic to Camp Nicolet, is constructed

The 1940s

Georgianna Schrader Starz, second-generation to-be Owner & Director is born
1944 – Founders Ann & Wendall Schrader purchase and establish Camp Nicolet for Girls
1945 – Camp Nicolet opens for its first summer
1948 – Forest Lodge is constructed

The 1950s & 60s

Mark a significant period of growth and development for Camp Nicolet
The Schrader family, with assistance from dedicated Staff, establish many of Nicolet’s present programs & traditions
Many structures and cabins we know today are constructed
Camp Nicolet is the first camp in the North Woods to offer Water Skiing – early 1950s
The Canadian Canoe trip becomes a Camping/Tripping (now Northpoint Adventures) tradition
Marathon Day is begun by Program Director Barb “Bog” Hollmann in the mid-1960s

The 1970s

Third-generation to-be Owner & Director Jeremy Starz is born
1971 – Camp Nicolet for Girls, Inc. is established as a registered Wisconsin Corporation
1971 – Ann & Wendall Schrader retire as first-generation Owners & Directors
1972 – Georgianna Schrader Starz and Jeff Starz assume day-to-day camp operations
1972 – The Swiss Challenge program is offered to Senior Campers (1972 only)
1975 – Georgi and Jeff build their permanent home at Camp Nicolet

The 1980s & 90s

Third-generation to-be Owner & Northpoint Adventures founder Christopher Starz is born
1985 – Georgianna Schrader Starz assumes full Directorship of Camp Nicolet for Girls
1987 – Heart Friends becomes a tradition at Camp Nicolet
1991 – Hosting programs in addition to traditional resident camp, Camp Nicolet for Girls, Inc. becomes Camp Nicolet, Inc.
1996 – Camp Nicolet hosts a post-season one-week resident camp for the Woodson YMCA of Wausau, WI (through 2009)
The 90s mark a period of growth in camp programming, with consistent three, four, and seven-week sessions

The 2000s

2002 – Christopher and Jeremy Starz rejoin Georgianna Schrader Starz as colleagues at Camp Nicolet, Inc.
2002 – The Camp Nicolet Foundation is established in honor of founders Ann & Wendall Schrader
2002 – The first Isle Royale Backpacking trip takes place, with a full trip of seven Campers & three Staff
2004 – Christopher Starz establishes the Northpoint Wakeboard & Water Ski School. The Mobius is purchased.
2006 – Christopher Starz passes as a result of an automobile accident in Wyoming
2006 – The Christopher Starz Leadership Memorial Fund is established in his honor and memory
2006 – The Canadian Canoe trip returns as the Voyageurs Wilderness Canoe trip
2009 – Northpoint Adventures is established and begins operating in memory of Christopher Starz
2009 – Pictured Rocks Backpacking departs, as the first-ever Northpoint Adventures trip
2009 – Chickadee Lodge is constructed, replacing Deerpath, for Leadership Program campers

The 2010s

2010 – Camp Nicolet returns to an eight-week resident camp summer, with various session options
2011 – Cookie Cup I – a new all-Camper versus all-Staff soccer game is played in early August
2014 – The first Rocky Mountain Backpacking trip with Northpoint Adventures departs in mid-July
2017 – The one-week Northpoint Wakeboard & Water Ski Camp begins annual operation (through 2022)
2019 – Camp Nicolet celebrates its 75th Anniversary

The 2020s

2020 – Due to the pandemic, camp operates only Family Camp, Ski Camp, and Rocky Mountain Backpacking
2020 – Jeremy Starz assumes Director of Operations & Finance responsibilities
2021 – Mid-pandemic, Camp Nicolet reopens for one six-week resident camp program & Family Camp
2022 – Camp Nicolet maintains a six-week resident camp program with two sessions, Ski Camp, & Family Camp
2022 – Georgianna Schrader Starz assumes Director Emeritus and Social Media Coordinator responsibilities
2022 – Jeremy Starz assumes full Owner & Director responsibilities in November
2023 – Camp Nicolet returns to a seven-week resident camp program with various sessions & Family Camp
2024 – Camp Nicolet celebrates its 80th Anniversary with special events and an Alumni Reunion in August

Camp Nicolet is family-owned and operated for eight decades. The Schrader & Starz families are grateful for the continued support of and the amazing working relationships with camp families, Campers, Staff, and Alumni. Thank you for helping make camp the wonderful place it is today!