Troop History

History of Troop 1 Richmond

Compiled by Paul Jarry

Scoutmaster 2014-2017

Troop 1 Richmond was originally formed with the help of Dr. Howard E. Hitchcock who was instrumental in creating many troops in Washington County, RI. The troop was created under the Rhode Island Boy Scout movement as “Shannock Boy Scouts” in 1916 in the village of Shannock which is split between Richmond and Charlestown along the Pawcatuck River.  The original Charter organization was “A Group of Citizens” but the Troop was financially backed by The Columbia Narrows Fabric Company mill which was located in Shannock and is now defunct.  Mr. James J. Murtagh was the Troop's first Scoutmaster and remained in the troop in some capacity until his death in 1974. Mill owner Mr. George P. Clark took a particular interest in the troop and personally financed many outings and other aspects through his years. Mr. Clark eventually endowed the troop with a substantial trust.  

During its early years in the village of Shannock the troop would meet regularly at Mr. Murtagh’s home, in the local church in Columbia Heights, and (after WWII) in Memorial Hall which used to stand in Shannock until it was turned to ash by a fire.  Eventually the troop would hold its meetings at Camp Richard.  In 1923 the troop changed its name to Troop 1 Richmond as it first Chartered with Narragansett Council BSA. It’s Charter Organization remained “A Group of Citizens” until sometime in the mid 1960’s when The Downey-Weaver American legion post 34 of Charlestown took on the troop’s charter. Throughout its existence Troop 1 Richmond typically had a hearty membership, but the troop all but dwindled sometime in the 1970’s.  The charter was kept alive with just a couple of boys on the roster with the help of Mr. John Dolan of Shannock Hill Road.  Mr. Dolan was an active member of Troop 1 since he became Scoutmaster in the 1980s(?) and he held various positions in the troop including Troop Committee member until around 2006. Mr. Dolan celebrated his 100th birthday in 2023.

In 2016 we celebrated Troop 1 Richmond’s 100th year with special invitations for troop alumni to join the troop on certain events including a visit to Camp Yawgoog, special 100 year additions to our uniform, a commemorative climb to the summit of Mount Washington, various newspaper articles, a centennial celebration, and a time capsule.

Our October 9, 2016 Centennial Celebration was held in the Hall of Downey-Weaver Post 34.  It featured a formal ceremony with catered meal and was attended by well over 200 people including current troop members and family, troop alumni and honored guests.  Special guest speakers included Tim McCandless who (in 2016) is Chief Scout Executive and CEO of Narragansett Council BSA, Richmond Town Councilman Erick Davis, RI State Rep Justin Price, Troop Committee Chair Thomas Sutcliffe, Former Troop Committee Chair Mark Reynolds, Richmond Police Officer Anthony Zolglio, Narragansett council BSA Southwest Service Area Director Grant Van Eck, Former Scoutmasters Edward Viveiros, John Jacques, Peter Stetson and Warren Drake and of course myself Scoutmaster Paul Jarry as Master of Ceremony.  The troop received many formal certificates and citations to commemorate our 100 year milestone from RI Governor Gina Raimondo,  US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, US Senator Jack Reed, US Congressman James Langevin, The Richmond Police Department, Downey Weaver Post 34, Narragansett Council BSA, The Rhode Island State House,  Rhode Island Secretary of State and The Town Council of Richmond, RI.

A History of Camp Richard:

In 1923 the first parcel of what is now our camp, Camp Richard, was acquired by Troop 1. In 1931 another parcel was donated by Mr. Richard and in 1950 Mr. Murtagh loaned the troop $1500 to purchase the third and final Parcel. These 3 parcels consisted of two separate camps. The first camp by the waterfront was Named Camp Hitchcock, named after Howard E. Hitchcock who was instrumental in acquiring the first parcel and the second camp near the entrance of camp named Camp Murtagh after Troop 1's first Scoutmaster. In the 1950's the two camps combined becoming a single 11 1⁄2 acre camp with frontage on Pasquiset Pond known today as Camp Richard, named after Mr. Richard who donated the 2nd parcel. 

A cabin was built on the lakefront parcel. 

From Michael Fleck:

The cabin had a sold wood floor, the bunk supports were constructed from cedar posts (I assumed harvested locally), a "farmers-style" porch out the front, and a massive stone fireplace and chimney at the north end of the cabin.  There was an addition out the back (towards the West) that housed the kitchen.

I remember one day when we decided to clean the decades of dirt that was embedded in the grain of the wood floor.  After flooding the floor with water and mopping the layers of "patina", we discovered a giant compass that someone had etched in the middle of the floor.  The compass points and N/S/E/W had been burned/etched into the wood using pyrography.  As I recall, it was a couple of feet in diameter. It had been hidden from view from years -- that was a pretty cool discovery.  Funny how certain things stick in your memory for 50+ years.

Unfortunately the original cabin burned down in the 1970s(?). It was replaced with the current cabin which was constructed with many similar elements of the original structure.

In the 1990s, six Adirondack style open fronted sleeping structures were built at the camp, three on the front portion and three at the small back pond that the scouts refer to as "no man's land".  Around 2005 a garage was built about 100 feet north of the cabin to shelter the trailer and provide storage for tents, patrol boxes, propane tanks, and other gear. 

In 2020-2022 significant investments were made to the camp and cabin including tree removal, a new roof, epoxy flooring (over the concrete slab), new windows, a new woodstove, and addition of a wheelchair accessible rear doorway.

Scouts have been camping at the properties of Camp Richard for 100 years!

Compiled by Paul Jarry

Scoutmaster 2014-2017

Troop 1 Richmond, RI