New Concord (East Chatham) residents first noticed the area we now call Vovcha Tropa (Wolf’s Trail) after the American Revolutionary War when residents noticed wolf packs and have since called the mountain Wolve's Trek. However, like wolves, they were the first inhabitants of these acres of land, and years later this name remained, although wolves are long gone.

The first known owner of these more than 500 acres of land was Captain Daniel Lovejoy. In 1779 he was the owner of this largest plot of land in the vicinity of New Concord and thus a great rich man. In his will he left his wife the property, Prudence Cady. Daniel Cady inherited this settlement from Daniel Lovejoy and built a house there in 1796. This house burned to the ground and left no trace. Daniel Cady left New Concord as a young man but he is well versed in the history of the State of New York because he was judge of the Supreme Court of New York, was a state and federal Congressman. His daughter Elizabeth Cady Stanton was known in the women's movement for equal rights.

Мапи Оселі: Кольорова  Чорно/Біла

From the historical society of New Concord we learn that after the Cady family the owner of the property was Samuel Wilkinson. In 1866, Rachael Sayre and Roxcellenah Miller, two widowed sisters, purchased approximately 600 acres from Samuel Wilkinson. Rachael and Roxcellenah were financially wealthy and historical documents prove that in 1874 a house was built which we now call the Red House and the old administration building was already standing. It is interesting to note that this red house was one of the first houses built of brick in this neighborhood. The cost of building a brick house was high and indicates a healthy financial condition of the owners. The interior of the house also indicates the ability of the owners. The floors were still parquet or mosaic, the stairs are imposing of the best wood, the fires are lined with hand-painted tiles and the windows are stained glass in the style of Tiffany. To this day, you can still see artistic curtains and crystal latches on the doors. There were six large bedrooms and separate more modest apartments for servants. At that time, the settlement also had other buildings: a carriage house, a barn, two workers' houses and several other smaller houses. There were lush vegetable gardens and walking grazed in the fields. In 1876 Roxcellenah died and the clipper in the New York Times described her majestic funeral. She left all her wealth — $ 2,000,000 to her sister Rachael Sayre. Rachael died in 1878 and the ownership of the house is unclear after many years because there were numerous lawsuits. From 1892 to 1912 the house had three other owners and finally the settlement was in the hands of the bank until 1941 when Frances Chilson purchased the settlement for $100. He repaired the red house and made the necessary corrections.

In the early 1950s, a committee was set up in New York City to search for and purchase a property for a Plast camp. The committee was headed by Yaroslav Boydunyk, and later Orest Klufas. The members of this committee were Volodymyr Sushkiv, Bohdan Sobolta, Mykhailo Yuzeniv and Mykhailo Pezhansky. Plast members who also joined this action: friend Olka Kuzmovich and friend Yuriy Ferentsevich.

After an extensive search, the committee found a settlement we now call the Vovcha Tropa. Francis Chilson, the then owner, offered the committee several houses and 732 acres of land at a phenomenal price of $48,500. The committee reconsidered his offer and decided to buy the houses and 350 acres for a reduced amount: $35,000. Francis Chilson Jr., the son of the former owner, recounted how his father met with committee members in March 1953: “Honorable gentlemen came with a suitcase in their hands and handed Francis Chilson a suitcase containing $15,000 in cash. The money was hard-earned voluntary donations, and $20,000 was paid through a bank loan.” Arriving in America, these Plast members and friends immediately felt the need for a Plast home so that Plast life, so important to them, could continue after the terrible wartime and postwar resettlement. They had high hopes for the future - but also had limited knowledge of English and even more limited financial ability. Despite these obstacles, they acquired this piece of land that reminded them of their native Carpathians. It was important for them that the children had the opportunity to experience the magic of the summer camp.

Over the past 50 years, the founders and many other volunteers — who cannot be counted by name — have invested time, hard physical labor, and steadfastness in the Vovcha Tropa to make the camp exist and get better every year. In very difficult times, the founders managed to secure a place on the Wolf Trail where the youth of Plast got acquainted with their glorious past and experienced the joys of their youth. How many current leaders of our public organizations have first developed their leadership skills at summer camps? This in itself testifies to the importance and usefulness of the work of the founders.

By celebrating the 60th anniversary of Vovcha Tropa, we show our gratitude and respect for the true, in the full sense of the word, pioneers of the Wolf Trail. Let these celebrations remind us that it is our duty to secure the future of the Wolf Trail for future generations of Plast members, as the founders did — that is, by devoting time and effort and, most importantly, with the conviction that anything is possible if there is will and good will.