Scouting Memorabilia

Item Description

This is a unique treasure to add to any Scouting enthusiasts collection.The copy of the original letter sent to Charles F. Benoit on August 17, 1956 is a rare view in to the psyche of one of Scouting's greatest supporters. Phillips expresses his support of the organization while also detailing elements of his own history.

BACKGROUND

Waite Phillips, an oil man from Tulsa, Oklahoma owned a ranch in the Denver and was looking for a larger, more spectacular place for recreation.  In 1922, he purchased the Urraca Ranch headquartered south of Cimarron.  He expanded his holdings by purchasing additional land from other ranchers and the Maxwell Land Grant Company.  Originally, Phillips planned to call his ranch "Hawkeye" in honor of his native state of Iowa but it was soon changed to "Philmont", combining his name and the word "mountain."

In 1938, Waite Phillips gave the Boy Scouts of America 35,857 acres along the Ponil River along with $50,000 to develop it.  His only requirement was that it be used "for the benefit of the members of the Boy Scout organization."  This was named "Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp" and was developed as a "he-man" wilderness camp.  The headquarters for the camp was at the current Ponil camp.  Scouts first visited Philturn in March 1939.  That summer, ninety-nine boys from Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma stayed for a full twelve days, taking part in such varied activities as gold panning and wildlife study.  Ninety additional Scouts camped at Philturn for shorter periods.  In all, 1,863 camper days were spent at the property that season. 

In 1941, Phillips offered the rest of his ranch (91,358 acres) which included the Villa Philmonte and the twenty-three story Philtower office building in Tulsa to the Boy Scouts.  Phillips noted that one of America's most important tasks was training its youth.  "The Boy Scouts of America has the most efficient plan and organization to do such work," he concluded.  "The environment of a well-developed Mountain Ranch is the best place to achieve this objective."  Waite Phillips died in 1964 but his impact on Scouting and all the people able to visit Philmont is immeasurable.

In 1962, the National Council of the BSA purchased 10,098 acres in the Baldy area to expand Philmont to over 137,000 acres.  This also preserved the mining relics around Baldy Town so Scouts could experience what life was like during this period of history.

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