Campfires & the Embers
of Youth
The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina
THE MUSEUM EXHIBIT IS NOW ONLINE!
The exhibit explores the history of overnight camps in Western North Carolina founded before 1970, highlighting the region’s pivotal role in the American camping movement. Engaging, interactive displays bring this story to life for visitors of all ages.
AWARD-WINNING NEWS!
We are thrilled to announce that Cashiers Historical Society is the recipient of the 2026 AASLH Award of Excellence for the museum exhibit!
The AASLH Leadership in History Awards are the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. Enjoy the digital version of this award-winning exhibit and discover why summer camps have played such an enduring role in cultural history.
DIGITAL EXHIBIT NOW LIVE
Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina
VISIT EMBERSOFYOUTH.COM
Each year, thousands of young people trek to western North Carolina to partake in a uniquely American tradition: attending summer camp. Summer camps have shaped the history and culture of western North Carolina since they first opened in the early 20th century. Despite its rich history, this topic is under-researched. "Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina" corrects that gap in the historical narrative. This exhibit focuses on the history of overnight camps in western North Carolina founded before 1970. The exhibit brings the story of western North Carolina’s importance to the American camping movement to life through engaging and dynamic displays that will appeal to visitors of all ages.
Take a Peek Inside the Award-Winning Museum Exhibit at the CHS…
PRESS RELEASE | JUNE 12, 2026 | CASHIERS, NC
Cashiers Historical Society wins 2026 AASLH Award of Excellence for the groundbreaking exhibit, “Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina”
CASHIERS, NC – Cashiers Historical Society proudly announces that the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) has recognized the 2025 exhibit, Campfires & The Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina, with an Award of Excellence. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards are the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. The Award of Excellence is presented to recognize excellence for projects, including exhibits, books, and community events.
CHS’s exhibit, Campfires & The Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina, examined the impact of residential summer camps on the history and culture of western North Carolina. Though western North Carolina has the highest concentration of summer camps in the Southeast, no scholarly book, article, or exhibit explored that history. This exhibit is the first to bring individual camps together to create a regional history of the organized camp movement in the Southeast. Curators visited ten camps for primary-source research, pulling historical materials out of attics and into an exhibit. The result was a 32-panel exhibit that examined the history of summer camps, the impact of social movements on camps, camp traditions, and the effects of summer camps on western North Carolina.
Executive Director Amelia Golcheski says, “AASLH is the largest professional organization of museums and historical societies in the United States, and we are THRILLED to have won such a prestigious award. Last year, the winner from North Carolina was the North Carolina State Capitol, so we're so honored to join such esteemed company!
I'm incredibly proud of the curatorial team that created such a dynamic, innovative, and scholarly exhibit. Their hard work puts Cashiers Historical Society on the map at a national level. Curator Lindsay Garner Hostetler, Graphic Designer Lynda Hodge, Exhibit Designer Charles Gandy, and Fabricator Ken Fisher worked incredibly hard to create this exhibit.”
Originally displayed at the Cashiers Historical Society campus in 2025, Campfires & The Embers of Youth was presented within the oldest standing residential structure in Jackson County, a historic cabin built in the 1830s. The museum exhibit remains available online through a digital version which launched in 2026 at embersofyouth.com, where visitors can continue exploring the research, images, and interpretive material.
This year, AASLH confers 42 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards honors significant achievement in the field of state and local history.
The Cashiers Historical Society (CHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Cashiers, North Carolina, dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Cashiers Valley through stewardship, advocacy, and education. The Cashiers Historical Society campus encompasses four historically significant buildings and five acres of historic grounds.
For more information, contact: info@cashiershistoricalsociety.org
PRESS RELEASE | MARCH, 2026 | CASHIERS, NC
Cashiers Historical Society unveils groundbreaking digital exhibit, “Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina”
THE NEW DIGITAL EXHIBIT REDEFINES ACCESS TO LOCAL HISTORY
CASHIERS, NC – The Cashiers Historical Society proudly announces the opening of “Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina,” a pioneering digital exhibition which launched in March of 2026. This immersive, online experience utilizes a bold and engaging design to bring the history of summer camps in western North Carolina to life for global audiences, breaking down physical barriers to local history exhibitions.
In June 2025, Cashiers Historical Society (CHS) opened the exhibit, “Campfires & The Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina” on their campus. The exhibit examined the impact of residential summer camps on the history and culture of western North Carolina. Though western North Carolina has the highest concentration of summer camps in the Southeast, no scholarly book, article, or exhibit explored that history. This exhibit is the first to bring individual camps together to create a regional history of the camp movement in the Southeast. Curators visited ten camps for primary-source research, pulling historical materials out of attics and into an exhibit. The result was a 32-panel exhibit that examined the history of summer camps, the impact of social movements on camps, camp traditions, and the effects of summer camps on western North Carolina.
The original physical exhibit of “Campfires & The Embers of Youth” closed in October 2025. During its run, CHS saw the highest visitation in the organization’s recent history. Due to the exhibit’s overwhelming popularity and its groundbreaking research, CHS created a new digital exhibit that ensures this regional history remains available to the public. The digital exhibit immerses visitors in an interactive exploration of the people, ideas, and events that shaped summer camps in western North Carolina.
“It was an enjoyable challenge to explore adapting this exhibit into a digital format,” states Lindsay Garner Hostetler, the exhibit’s curator. “Reimagining how to move an online audience through the information and imagery is a different process than the original exhibition we first designed. This digital version is engaging, interactive, and highlights pieces of audio and video clips throughout the exhibit’s thematic sections in ways we could not achieve in a physical exhibit. I’m excited for people who enjoyed ‘Campfires & the Embers of Youth’ to return to the exhibit in a new way; and I’m thrilled that this digital site will open up this local history to an all new audience.”
The exhibit is available at EmbersOfYouth.com.
The Cashiers Historical Society (CHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Cashiers, North Carolina, dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Cashiers Valley through stewardship, advocacy, and education. The Cashiers Historical Society campus encompasses four historically significant buildings and five acres of historic grounds.
For more information, contact: info@cashiershistoricalsociety.org
PRESS RELEASE | MARCH 31, 2025 | CASHIERS, NC
Cashiers Historical Society Announces 2025 Symposium on the History of Summer Camps With Accompanying Museum Exhibit
Cashiers Historical Society has announced its 2025 Jan Wyatt Symposium, “Campfires & the Embers of Youth: The History of Summer Camps in Western North Carolina,” will take place on Thursday, June 19, 2025, 10:00AM – 3:00PM. The symposium will include a slate of speakers and presentations, panel discussions, activities, and a catered lunch at Chimney Pond Farm in Glenville, NC. Amelia Golcheski, Executive Director of the Cashiers Historical Society, states, “The Jan Wyatt Symposium is an opportunity to spend a day diving deep into a single topic. This year’s topic allows us to discuss the myriad ways that summer camps have shaped the social, economic, and cultural history of western North Carolina.”
An accompanying museum exhibit will be open to the public and free of charge on the Cashiers Historical Society campus June 16 – October 31, 2025. This exhibit will focus on the history of overnight camps in Western North Carolina founded before 1970. Exhibit curator and the Director of Operations and Visitor Experience at the Cashiers Historical Society, Lindsay Garner Hostetler, says “It’s been exciting to be on the forefront of new research to bring this story of western North Carolina’s importance to the American camping movement to life. I’m thrilled to be able to tell the story visually through fun and dynamic displays that will appeal to visitors of all ages.”
Cashiers Historical Society presented the first Jan Wyatt Symposium in 2005. In the years since, the Historical Society has continued its mission to preserve the history of the Cashiers Valley area through education by sponsoring an annual symposium. The featured topics have ranged from historical figures and geological issues to cultural aspects of the region. Previous symposia highlighted traditional mountain music, heirloom gardens, and the history of tourism in the area.
Cashiers Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to preserve the heritage of Cashiers Valley through education, stewardship, and advocacy.
For more information, contact: info@cashiershistoricalsociety.org