The camp is owned by the West Penn District Grace Brethren Men, Inc. formerly known as the East District Grace Brethren Men Inc.  Even earlier the men’s organization was called the Blair-Bedford Grace Brethren Men.  Every summer since the early thirties the men’s organization and pastors took all the pots, pans, bedding, etc. to a camp located by Raystown Lake, which is now under water.  Sometime in those early years they moved their two weeks of camp to Laurel Hill State Park outside of Somerset Pa to Camp #5 calling the two weeks of summer camp Kamp Keystone.

 The men’s group bought 70 plus acres of land in 1966 on Little Valley Road six miles outside of Saxton for $3,500 to build a place to have spiritual connections outside in God’s creation.  The money was given by one of the members.  The men’s organization incorporated in 1967, began to clear the land, and built an outdoor pavilion. They built the Retreat Center in 1971-72 along with a pumphouse for the water system.

 In early 1977 there was a teacher’s strike and Laurel Hill State Park didn’t have any openings later in the summer for the district’s two weeks of camp.  The pastors of the district talked with the men’s group and both decided to borrow $100,000 and start building our own camp on the men’s property.  They cut down trees, bulldozed roads, and made a ballfield.  That spring they built eight cabins and two wash houses.  Camp was held two weeks the summer of 1977 using the bottom of the Retreat Center as the dining hall.  

One of the men, Jim Boor, had a Boy Scout book and found the name Mantowagan in one of the Order of the Arrow books that had a glossary of Lenai Lenape Indian words.  The Indians that had lived around camp long ago were called the Lenai Lenape. In their language mantowagan meant “spirit man” or “one who has spiritual power”.  It seemed a fitting name since we know the One who gives true spiritual power.  The men felt it was appropriate because they were praying all who visited the camp would gain renewed spiritual lives.  The men decided to name the camp “Camp Mantowagan.”

That first summer they had two week-long camps--one for older students and another for younger children.  After the trees and stumps were removed the soil was mostly red clay with no grass growing.  We heard that some parents just threw away their clothes with the red stains from the clay that first summer.  It was rough terrain, but camp happened!

One of those applications came from Rick Strappello, who was working at the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado.  He had graduated from Grace College and was working in the camping field, so seemed like a good fit.  He was hired in September 1977.  By December 18, a used double wide trailer was ready for Rick and his wife, Connie, to move onto the camp property.

During the first years the camp was used for summer camp and on weekends for the district church’s youth, children, and a few men’s retreats.  Other churches started using the camp for their summer camp and for weekend retreats.   It became too much for one person to handle both camp and the district youth functions.  The men talked with the pastors at their ministerium meetings, and it was decided to divide the district youth program among four paid pastors or lay people, so Rick could concentrate on the camp. 

Our own summer camps grew into four weeks and then into five when Pastor Charlie Martin from the Johnstown GBC decided to start Pioneer camp for the second and third graders.   In 1981 the nurse’s quarters was built with the camp store in the basement.   Services were being held in the picnic-pavilion-turned-chapel, but the plastic hung to cover the sides didn’t keep rain from blowing in and was a distraction to campers.  Over a two-year period, the picnic pavilion was enlarged and enclosed for chapel services. 

The dining hall in the downstairs of the retreat center was too small and the cooks were running four shifts some weeks.  In 1990 the men borrowed another $100,000.  With that loan, many gifts, and volunteer labor the multi-purpose building was built.  It would house the kitchen and a gym that was also used as a dining hall.  

Through the years, volunteers started staying longer than just a week each summer and maintenance and cleaning help were hired part-time.  Lionel and Janet Johns, Les and Shirley Chamberlain, Harold and Bonnie Eten, Charlie and Doreen Eshelman, Ray and Sandy Montgomery were couples who came for one to three months to help.  Neal Lehman, Andy Clark, and Doug Black were hired at different times to help with maintenance.  A neighbor, Kay Brode, cleaned for many years.

Meanwhile the Strappello family had grown to a family of six.  Connie worked part-time as secretary and took on the responsibility of registrar, counseling director, photographer, Facebook manager, and store manager when the four children were older.  Those four children helped clean and counsel at camp.  Lee worked summers while attending Grace College and when he graduated, he came on full time in May of 2005 as Maintenance and Facility Director, plus handling the accounting and the outdoor programming. 

The camp board began as a hands-on board, but it changed after about five years to a policy board.  The District men’s organization stopped meeting monthly sometime in the 80’s and only met at District Conference and the camp dinner.  The camp board was given the primary responsibility for oversight.  Presently the Men’s organization only meets at the annual camp fund-raising dinner.  Now the Executives of the camp board meet several times a year, while the larger camp board body meets a few times throughout the year.

Many programs were added through the years including canoeing, kayaking, a challenge course with ten elements, gaga ball, and a Ninja Course, besides the usual basketball, archery, etc.  Off-site, Lee leads bouldering, rock-climbing, and mountain biking. We also go to the nearby water slides and swim at Raystown Lake just four miles from camp.

After 42 years of living in camp housing, Rick and Connie moved off camp in November of 2019.  Rick went to part-time working 20 hours a week. In February 2020 Lee became the Executive Director.  Joe and Kate Salyards and their two children moved into the camp house.  Joe works in cleaning and maintenance, and Kate helps with cleaning when needed.  The Lord answered many prayers through the years and brought many to a saving knowledge of the Lord.  Many volunteers and donors contributed and worked to make it all happen.  The members of the West Penn District  Grace Brethren Churches feel blessed to have been a part of the ministry through the years.

Early Camp Leaders

1960’s and 1970’s 

Following is a list of men who dreamed and then made the commitment to make Camp Mantowagan happen. These men are listed in the official papers of the West Penn District Grace Brethren Men, Inc.  If you are aware of someone who should be added, please email the camp at gocampm@comcast.net.  The ministry has been blessed to have had so many great faithful men who were given this vision.

First Trustees & Incorporators:

Charles Miller—Secretary, Richard Stiffler, Wilbur Sell, Guy Woomer, Henry Russell, Charles W. Eshelman, Chancey E. Lingenfelter, Isaac E. Miller, Pastor Sheldon W. Snyder, Pastor Clifford J. Mock, Sr.

Board Members and Volunteers:

Elton Long—Chairman, Richard Beach—Secretary, Jim E. Dodson, Emory Miller, Pastor Rod Lingenfelter, Floyd Merkle, Ron Foor, Joe Dilling, Don Eshelman, John Donelson, H. Hammond, Herbert Christopher.

Pastors Involved:

Sheldon Snyder, Clifford J. Mock, Sr., Richard Harstine, Marvin Mecher, William Snell, John Gregory, Homer Lingenfelter, Richard McCarthy, Don Rough.

Past Summer Camp Head Program Directors:

Pastors: Ken Koontz, John Gregory, Dave Plaster, John Snow, Jim Snavley, Jim Barnes, Norris Mason, Charles Martin, Lee Seese

Current Camp Head Program Directors

Pastors: Brant Leidy, Ben Long, Doug Black and Alan Hess