Wente Timeline
| Year | Month / Day | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1889 | . | Carl F. Wente is born near Livermore, CA. His father is Karl H. Wente founder of Wente Wines. |
| 1911 | 05/20 | First known birth in Finney Valley when Harry Webster Ford is born to a pioneer family. |
| 1916 | June | Oakland Area Council (council #21), BSA is organized. |
| 1917 | Jan | San Francisco Council (council #51), BSA is organized. |
| 1917 | June | Oakland Area Council (OAC) holds first ever summer camp (called a Training Camp) at Camp Taylor (Lagunitas, CA) in Marin County. |
| 1917 | June | San Francisco Council (SFC) holds first ever summer camp (called a Training Camp) at Mill Valley, CA in Marin County. |
| 1918 | June | Oakland Area Council holds Training Camp at Upper Dimond Canyon in Oakland, CA. |
| 1918 | June | San Francisco Council holds Training Camp (1918-1919) at Olema, CA in Marin County, |
| 1919 | Jan | Camp Dimond opens in Oakland as the first permanent weekend and summer camp of the Oakland Area Council. |
| 1919 | . | Camp Lilienthal opens at Pine Lake (Stern Grove) of San Francisco, CA as a weekend camp of the San Francisco Council. |
| 1920 | June | San Francisco Council holds Training Camp (1920-1924) near Cazadero at Elim Grove, CA in Sonoma County. |
| 1925 | . | Camp Lilienthal closes at Pine Lake (Stern Grove). |
| 1925 | March | Camp Royaneh opens near Cazadero, CA on the former Watson property as the permanent summer camp of the San Francisco Council. |
| 1926 | Jan | Camp Dimond-O opens in Mather, CA as the Outpost camp of Camp Dimond. |
| 1929 | . | Camp Lilienthal opens in Fairfax, CA as a weekend and summer camp of the San Francisco Council. |
| 1944 | . | Rancho Los Mochos property is purchased in Livermore, CA for use as a camp of the Oakland Area Council. |
| 1948 | 08/01 | Camp Dimond closes in Oakland after City of Oakland condemns the property in order buy the land for two new schools, only the undeveloped Rancho Los Mochos and summer operations at Camp Dimond-O remains. A new summer camp will ultimately be needed. |
| 1948 | . | Ohlmolt Lumber company establishes a mill in Finney Valley. |
| 1950 | . | Carl F. Wente is elected to the San Francisco Council Board of Directors as Finance chair. |
| 1952 | . | Carl F. Wente becomes President of the Bank of America after the death of L.M. Giannnini, brother of BOA Founder A.P. Giannini. |
| 1952 | . | Fomo Corporation purchases the Ohmolt Lumber company and mill located in Finney Valley. |
| 1954 | 12/31 | Carl F. Wente, receives the Silver Antelope Award. |
| 1956 | . | Fomo Corporation closes Ohlmolt Lumber company and mill. |
| 1957 | . | Camp Loomer opens in Pollock Pines, CA as an environmental camp of the Oakland Area Council. |
| 1957 | . | Search begins for new property to support a summer camp for the Oakland Area Council that can support 300 campers weekly. One of the requirements for the new property is an existing lake or a location where a lake can be built. |
| 1959 | . | Leonard Lake property in Ukiah is offered to the scouts, but the price is too high and not suitable for 300 campers. |
| 1959 | 05/20 | After a two-year search led by Malcolm Storm, the 1,928-acre Foley Ranch in Willits becomes available. Council Properties Committee visit the site and recommend that the council move quickly to secure the property. |
| 1959 | 06/26 | At the Oakland Area Council Board meeting, member William Gilmore moved and Paul Ehret seconded a motion that they purchase the Foley Ranch in Willits for use as a Scout Reservation. |
| 1959 | 10/12 | First encampment at newest Scout Camp takes place in Willits with over 300 scouts from the 10 districts in attendance. Water for camp is provided by various springs on the property including Blackberry Springs and Pear Orchard Springs. |
| 1960 | . | Geologist from Berkeley visits property to take soil samples for location of dam. |
| 1960 | 04/01 | Carl F. Wente, Board member of the San Francisco council receives the Silver Beaver Award. |
| 1963 | . | Handicraft building is the first structure built at Scout Reservation. The building is used as the commissary/trading post until 1971. |
| 1963 | . | Davis Memorial chapel is built next the campfire area. Torn down in the 1990’s only the rock structure remains |
| 1963 | 06/09 | Ground breaking and dedication Ceremony is held at Willits Scout Ranch for dam construction. Walt Mclean pushes plunger to set off a large charge of dynamite at the dam site to signal the start of construction of the dam. |
| 1963 | June | The cabins and buildings in the meadow area from the Fomo Corporation mill are torn down. Only two buildings remain, the Ranch house and a cabin near present day Staff village. Existing power poles still mark the location of these two buildings. |
| 1963 | 10/31 | Dam is completed at Scout Reservation, flood gates are closed, the lake slowly begins go grow |
| 1964 | 02/10 | Oakland Area Council and San Francisco Council merge to form the San Francisco Bay Area Council (council #28). |
| 1964 | 04/12 | First ever Scout Swim takes place at Willits Scout Reservation in the expanding, but not yet full lake. |
| 1964 | 07/01 | First summer camp is held at Willits Scout Reservation. All cooking is done in campsites on sheepherder stoves, the handicraft building is the trading post and food commissary, the archery range is in the field next to the campfire area. |
| 1965 | 04/01 | The lake at the Scout Reservation is now full and water is overflowing the dam for the first time due to heavy winter rains. |
| 1965 | May | The waterfront Tower is constructed and dedicated |
| 1966 | 12/01 | Members of Mission Peak district purchase 1000 Trout for stocking at Willits Lake which are planted by the Fish and Game. |
| 1966 | . | Julian House becomes ranger at Willits Scout Reservation (1966–1968) |
| 1967 | . | Live Oak District Order of the Arrow members plant 500 trees on scout property including the Redwood Grove |
| 1968 | . | Jerry McDonald becomes ranger at Willits Scout Reservation (1968 – 1970) |
| 1969 | . | 160 Acres of additional land from the Mace property is purchased for $70K making the scout reservation a total of 2088 acres. The land includes the property where Camp Loomer, Gillwell field, the Archery Range and corral/barn are located. |
| 1970 | . | Jasper Steele becomes ranger at Willits Scout Reservation (1970-1978). |
| 1971 | 02/03 | Carl F. Wente, former board member of the San Francisco Council and President of the Bank of America passes away at the age of 81. Leaves a trust to the San Francisco Bay Area Council to help support camp improvements. |
| 1971 | . | New commissary/trading post building built at Scout Reservation. The original commissary is turned into a warehouse for 35 years until it is redesigned as the Handicraft building. |
| 1973 | . | Camp Lilienthal and Camp Loomer close. |
| 1974 | 07/06 | First hike from Scout Reservation to Fort Bragg and back by Troop 593. |
| 1975 | 12/10 | Properties Committee advises enlarging trading post building to provide space for 22 dining tables, a fireplace, adding a food service wing and to rehabilitate the Old Ranch House for occupancy by the contract cooks. |
| 1977 | 11/16 | Meeting is held to discuss changing name of Willits Scout Reservation to Wente Scout Reservation in honor of the Carl F. Wente. |
| 1977 | . | Kali-Ama trail is developed by Joe Clopton and Kevin Clevenger. |
| 1977 | . | Lake Winawa is the official name of the Scout Lake selected by a committee in 1977 and approved by the president of the board. Winawa is a Pomo Indian word for “friendly”. |
| 1978 | . | Al Robinson becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (1978 – 2000) |
| 1978 | . | Old Ranch house located at the auxiliary parking area is torn down and burnt, possibly where Henry Ford was born back in 1911. |
| 1979 | 05/06 | Willits Scout Reservation rededicated as Wente Scout Reservation in honor of San Francisco Council board member and Bank of America President Carl F. Wente |
| 1980 | . | Family Camp area is constructed, the old medics cabin (remnant from the Fomo Corporation mill) is torn down. |
| 1982 | 04/01 | New 100,000-Gal metal water tank replaces original redwood tank. Double-wide trailer installed as Camp Directors house |
| 1984 | . | Logging operations at camp to thin growth of larger trees. 1.4 million board feet of lumber is cut of Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine. |
| 1985 | June | Rock Climbing area removed of all poison oak to ready the rock for Climbing. (Jeff Peterson, cs 1984) |
| 1985 | 07/06 | Songs of the Wente Staff is recorded during a marathon recording session at the location of the old flag pole |
| 1986 | 08/15 | First year of Corral at Wente. Horses were stalled at Handicraft building during family Camp |
| 1987 | 06/15 | First year of horses during summer camp program |
| 1988 | . | Temporary pipeline is installed at Wente Lake to provide Water to the City of Willits due to the ongoing drought. |
| 1989 | . | Archery Range hillside is leveled to provide for a flat shooting area and installation of an eventual shade and shooting structure. |
| 1989 | 10/01 | Covered dining structure is built adjacent to the commissary. Commissary is enlarged and trading post is moved to admin building. Admin building no longer used as staff dining hall. |
| 1990 | . | Food Service is provided for the first time in the dining hall. Some troops still elect to cook in their campsites on sheepherder stoves |
| 1992 | 06/15 | First year of Helmets for Horse riders due to injuries. |
| 1993 | . | Archery Range structure completed. |
| 1994 | . | Shotgun range is moved from Rifle range to its own location at Southeast end of lake |
| 1998 | . | Scout Lake at Wente is renamed Lake Stamos in honor of San Francisco Bay Area council Employee Nick Stamos (Scout Exec) |
| 1998 | . | Staff Village slowly begins the move to Family Camp Area, not fully completed until 2009. |
| 1999 | . | Well is sunk at top of Eagle Summit to provide new water supply for camp. |
| 1999 | 06/25 | Richard Palfreyman Shower house is dedicated at Wente. First individual stall, unisex shower house at Wente. |
| 2000 | . | Bill Heinze becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (2000-2002). |
| 2000 | Aug | Chapel on Peninsula is built during by the Zion LDS Encampment week. Replaces the original Davis Memorial Chapel next to campfire area. |
| 2002 | Aug | New Rangers house replaces the double wide trailer that had been used since 2000 for the rangers’ house. |
| 2002 | . | Ken Pedersen becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (2002 - 2006). |
| 2003 | . | Campfire area rebuilt to include lighting and campfire rings |
| 2004 | . | Mountain Biking program is introduced at Wente, pioneered by Kevin Smallman. |
| 2005 | . | The Lodge is built at Wente through donations by baseball player Mark Mcquire. |
| 2006 | . | O'Riley’s Black Powder shooting area established on south side hill of lake |
| 2006 | . | John Tolman becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (2006 - 2012). |
| 2007 | . | Camp Flag Pole is moved from location between dining hall and admin building to the current parade grounds. |
| 2008 | . | Dining hall is enclosed at Wente, old Madrone shower house is torn down and new Madrone shower house is built, new septic system installed, Tower rebuilt, staff cabins installed |
| 2009 | 10/01 | Old admin /staff building is torn down and new two-story building is erected in the same location. Unisex bathrooms are added to end of commissary building. |
| 2010 | 03/13 | New Admin building move-in day after permit to occupy building is signed off by Mendocino County. |
| 2010 | 06/01 | New campsite developed at Wente. Site 14 called Dimond-W (in honor of former camps Dimond and Dimond-O), holds 12 people. Located on hill between 12 O’clock High and Turkey’s Roost. |
| 2011 | . | first ever Muslim summer camp in the United States is held at Wente. |
| 2011 | . | Mountain Biking program is dramatically expanded with the purchase of Trail building machine |
| 2011 | . | FC Area - Showerhouse in family camp is converted to a three bedroom all weather cabin. |
| 2011 | FC Area - Restroom/recreation facility is built in the family camp area, new Director’s cabin is built | |
| 2012 | 02/01 | Ranger John Tolman at Wente steps down and moves to Utah after getting married. |
| 2012 | . | Mike Hannah becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (2012 - 2024). |
| 2013 | 03/10 | AquaMog company removes tulles on first phase of tulle removal |
| 2013 | . | Permanent Directors Cabin built in the family camp area |
| 2013 | . | Old Directors trailer in the family camp area is removed |
| 2014 | . | Log cabin #4 is built in staff area |
| 2016 | 06/01 | Wente hosts first mountain biking competition from Bike Monkey. |
| 2016 | . | Original 8 position rifle range is torn down and a new Rifle Range is built and expanded to 16 shooting positions |
| 2017 | 10/10 | Camp is evacuated due to the threat from the Mendocino Complex fire. Fire makes it to within two miles of camp. 27 horses were moved down to the Willits rodeo fairgrounds |
| 2018 | 11/15 | Wente Scout Reservation website is relaunched. |
| 2019 | 02/14 | The Axe of Finbar O’Riley is discovered during forestry work near Tan Oak Cathedral |
| 2020 | 04/27 | San Francisco Bay Area Council, Alameda Council and Mt. Diablo-Silverado Council merge to form the Golden Gate Area Council |
| 2020 | 06/01 | Summer camp 2020 and weekend camping are canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic from April through October. |
| 2020 | 09/01 | Fires near Willits require helicopters to use the lake as water source for drops. Luckily camp is not affected. |
| 2020 | 10/01 | Big Jim, the largest old growth conifer on the scout property is felled due to deteriorating conditions. The tree is about 400 years old. |
| 2021 | 06/14 | Summer camp resumes following numerous COVID precautions. However, week 7 was canceled due to an outbreak on staff. |
| 2021 | 10/09 | Former Trading Post Manager Brian “Hawkeye” Sommer (1981-1984) stars in “The Addams Family 2” as the voice actor of “Big Bad Ronny” |
| 2022 | 04/09 | Tules from Dam northward around lake to campfire ring are removed in first phase of project to protect lake. |
| 2022 | 05/21 | New larger sign is installed at entrance to camp |
| 2022 | 10/14 | Superstructure for chapel is replaced |
| 2023 | 04/18 | Cal Poly Humboldt students annual Lake Study program begins |
| 2023 | 05/22 | Quarry reactivated, over 1.5 miles of camp road resurfaced including dam |
| 2023 | 06/06 | Dakota Shepherd becomes ranger at Wente Scout Reservation (2023 - Present). |