Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / July 1, 1958, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
JULY, 1958 PAGE 3 Lake James Top Feature Of Camp Firestone COOL WATER, TALL TIMBER — Firestone Textiles employees and members of their fam ilies enjoy peaceful relaxation on the Lake James boat landing near the row of cottages accommo dating employees. Lake James, one of the out standing points of interest in the Southern Ap palachians, covers 6,500 acres in the Blue Ridge mountains. Its year-round fishing and summer boating facilities attract thousands of tourists annually. EARL CROOKS, CAMP CARETAKER He Helps Make Your Visit A Pleasant One When Earl Crooks went to Camp Firestone as caretaker three years ago, he brought with him a wealth of experience from life in the out-of-doors. His love for fishing and hunt ing and other sports in the out doors eventually led him to a job as operator of the boat landing at Lake Hickory in Catawba courity. It was from there he went to work for Firestone at its back-to-Nature retreat on Lake James. Mr. Crooks’ job at Camp Fire stone is a many-sided one that keeps him busy around the four seasons. His work involves day and night duty of the general 10,000 Vehicles Safety-Tested Ten thousand motor vehicles of employees and other motor ists were inspected in special safety-check lanes sponsored during May by Firestone in plant cities across the country. The Company was the first in dustrial firm to sponsor a na tionwide program especially for employees, in connection with the national voluntary Vehicle Safety-Check for Communities conducted annually by the In ter-Industry Highway Safety Committee. Besides Firestone Textiles at Gastonia, plants in Akron, Ohio; Nobles ville and New Castle, Ind.; Wyandotte, Mich.; Quincy, 111.; Bennettsville, S. C.; and Lake Charles, La., took part in the safety program. Cities and states represented do not have compulsory motor vehicle in spection. The largest number of cars checked was in Akron, home city of the Company, where 3,- 758 drivers went through the lanes, May 5-14. At Gastonia, 619 vehicles were inspected dur ing the week of May 19. Raymond C. Firestone, presi dent, said that the safety-check should make a “great contribu tion to the Company's continu ing program to help keep employees safe both on and off the job.” care for all buildings and grounds, arrivals and departures of campers, and the observance of regulations under which the camp is operated. The caretaker looks after buildings and their furnishings; roads and trails; the boating and fishing ond other recreational equipment. He sees that safety rules are obeyed and practiced, with special emphasis on acci dent prevention around water. IN A forested area, such as at Camp Firestone, there is always danger of fire. So Mr. Crooks makes sure in any season that all firefighting equipment is in good working order. After the camp season is over in autumn, he disposes of the leaves that drift down among the buildings. ☆ ☆ ☆ For accommodations at Camp Firestone, apply at the plant In dustrial Relations office. A per son or party makes only one reservation at a time, but after the visit is made, another ap plication may be filed. If you make a reservation and then can’t go at the scheduled time, notify the IR office. Since there is usually a waiting list, your thoughtfulness could make it possible for someone else to have use of the camp, and a delight ful trip to the mountains. Rubber Plantation Gets New Manager A. G. Lund has begun his duties as general manager of the Firestone Plantations Company in Liberia. Mr. Lund, in charge of all Firestone operations in the West African Republic, succeeds Ross E. Wilson who retired July 1. The Company’s principal op eration in Liberia is its rubber plantations of 90,000 acres on which about 30,000 Liberians are employed. Mr. Lund joined Firestone at Akron in 1942. A comptroller for the Company, he has been stationed in Liberia since June of 1955. Mr. Crooks’ busiest days at Camp Firestone are on week ends, vacation periods and holi days during the regular season from May into October. On a typical day when there are campers on hand, he sees that utilities such as electricity and water are in service; issues recreational equipment and gathers it up and stores it away at day’s end. And all the while he is attending to dozens of other things which go to help make your stay at the camp a pleasant one. In his routine care of property he makes minor repairs on build ings and equipment. The larger jobs he reports to Firestone Tex tiles, where Plant Engineer W. G. Henson sends maintenance men to do the work. Mr. Crooks, his wife Muriel, and their young son and daugh ter live in a modern brick house just outside the main entrance to Camp Firestone. The Crooks bought the land and finished construction on the house about a year ago. Along the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of America’s leading outdoor play grounds. After a trip back-to- Nature along the trails of the Company’s wildwood retreat on Lake James, employees agree that among the acres of sky, there is more scenery than the eye can comprehend. Moreover, there is outdoor recreation aplenty, with Camp Firestone as headquarters for a vast em pire rich in historic and scenic interests. Judging from the records in the Industrial Relations office, the rest-recreation facilities at Camp Firestone are being put to good use in this the 23rd con secutive season there. One of the big attractions at Camp Firestone is Lake James. It is fed by the Catawba River, Paddy’s Creek and Linville Riv er. One of the State’s largest man-made bodies of water until the coming of the TVA impound ments, Lake James covers ap proximately 6,500 acres of land and has a shoreline of 154 miles. It is at the highest elevation in a series of Catawba River pow er developments controlled by Duke Power Company. Its pri mary purpose is water storage, although hydro-electric power is genera'ted for a number of coun ties. MEMBERS of employee fami lies can enjoy fishing, boating, swimming and water skiing, with .Camp Firestone as the starting point. Bluegill, crappie and both largemouth and smallmouth bass may be taken. During early spring and again in autumn, big rainbow trout are also there for the taking. Lake James is famed for its walleyed pike and especially big bass. Lucky ang lers have caught them weighing up to 12 pounds. For all-around fishing. Lake James offers some of the best angling in the South ern Appalachian mountains, sportsmen agree. Should the present trend con tinue, Lake James, long famed as good fishing waters, may eventually become top attrac tion as a center for aquatic sports enthusiasts. Camp Firestone, some 10 miles from Marion, and on a cove of Lake James, has been operated for employees and their families ever since the Company acquir ed Firestone Textiles in Gas tonia 23 years ago. Throughout the years a pro gram of improvement in the physical property has been carried out under direction of the plant Mechanical depart ment. Recent years have seen two cabins rebuilt, an addition to the dining hall, new bark siding and weatherboarding on cottages, extensive inside and outside painting, some new floor coverings, and added and re paired plumbing. BESIDES this, the boat land ing was rebuilt two years ago, and three rowboats were con structed, bringing the total in use to seven. This season, facilities include five cottages with sleeping quar ters, and complete with electric cooking stoves and refrigerators; three other cottages with sleep ing quarters; and a dining hall. Altogether, the buildings accom modate about 80 persons over night, with plenty of room for pitching tents and camping among the timber or in the open spaces. Each year, the mechanical de partment readies the camp for occupancy by making routine maintenance repairs, replacing lifesaving equipment, and ready ing the firefighting materials. The camp water supply comes from a well 385 feet deep, and there is a natural spring on the land. In addition to the boating, fish ing, hiking and other Nature- trail activities that can be en joyed at Camp Firestone, there are such recreational facilities as horseshoe pits; and swings, seesaws and a wading area for children. Day's End—Earl Crooks and daughter Kathy check in boat ing and swimming equipment, after a busy day at Camp Firestone. At Home—Mrs. Crooks and son Garry Lynn in the kitchen of the Crooks' new home across the highway from the camp. i 'S'
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 1, 1958, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75