A Look Back In Time: What was Camp Pioneer?
Published 5:12 pm Sunday, February 22, 2026
February Happenings in History
Feb. 13, 1635: Boston Latin School, the first tax-payer supported (public) school in America was established in Boston, Massachusetts.
Feb. 3, 1913: The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes.
Local Pages
Feb. 16, 1945: Chinook Observer: Ocean Park Institute Deals For Camp Pioneer
“Rev. Harold E. Dixon called a special business meeting of the Ocean Park Institute, Inc. in Chehalis on Monday and at this meeting the corporation authorized him to negotiate for purchase of all remaining buildings and equipment at Camp Pioneer disbanded army post in North Long Beach which will be moved to the Ocean Park Institute site, according to Dixon here on Tuesday.
These buildings, which were reported to The Observer some months ago as having been turned over to John B. Woods, owner of the camp site, will be used as a start toward the long-planned institute settlement.
Rev. Dixon said this enterprise will be one of the greatest assets to the Peninsula, for it will carry out the original spirit of the original plan for which Ocean Park was created and will bring to the area, through summer camp and institutes, the finest type of tourists.
Cost of the development must be met by volunteer contributions as is all work of the Christian churches the parson said.”
WRITER’S NOTE: During World War II, there was an influx of soldiers coming into Forts Canby and Columbia. There was little room left in the crowded forts, so the decision was made to build a new cantonment off of Pioneer Road. This new camp would house a unit of motorized cavalry, whose jo it was to defend the coast. After the Battle of Midway, the urgency of having this extra unit died down. It was only used for several weeks and the unit moved away. The camp reverted back to the landowner who sold the sold the buildings to the Ocean Park Institute. Volunteers from the Institute dismantled the camp and put it back toether on the Institute’s property in Ocean Park.
Camp Pioneer consisted of five buildings 20’x100’ and several smaller structures. The Commanding Officer’s Quarters became the home of the institute’s caretaker. The PX became a temporary chapel.
Feb. 21, 1947: Chinook Observer: Peninsula Seagulls Took Over Beached Ship
“As the Arrow appeared Sunday a.m. after breaking at midships. Other view is of runaway lumber laden barge which last weekend went afloat from Peacock Spit, drifting around the North Head point and into the cove just north of the head, where it is believed by the coast guard she will remain, and there go to pieces. The beach for miles is covered with millions of splinters coming from the barge lumber being pounded against the rocks.”
Feb. 21, 1947: Chinook Observer: Government To Do Diking On Long Island.
“Quite an interesting project is about to get underway at the Willapa Wildlife Refuge on Long Island, according to Refuge Manager Maurice Henshaw who told the Observer there is soon to be a diking program started on the east side of Long Island, on the old Charley Funke place of approximately 160 acres, which was purchased some time back by the government from Wiegardt Bros. and C.R. (Bub) Baker. The diking is to be done that the acreage be turned into grain-growing land as a means of furnishing grain for wildlife at the refuge. Some diking was completed by Funke some years back.
According to Henshaw, the government desires to have a share-cropper farmer handle the grain growing for a return of two-thirds of the crop, while one-third be held by the government for feeding birds.
Another phase of the project will be diking of a freshwater slough in order to form a pond for plant life and nest grounds, said Henshaw.”
