From Camp Shawano to Wedding Venue

By Ashley James · March 11, 2026 · 7 min read

When couples tour The Oaks at Kiser Lake for the first time, they almost always notice it before we say a word: this place has a soul. The towering pines, the original cabins with their bird names carved into wood plaques, the fireplace with "Camp Shawano" still embedded in the stone — it all tells a story that stretches back nearly a century.

The Beginning: Camp Fire Girls on Kiser Lake

Camp Shawano began in the 1930s as a summer camp for the Miami Valley Council Camp Fire Girls — a national youth organization that predated the Girl Scouts and emphasized outdoor skills, service, and personal achievement for young women. Girls from across Dayton and the surrounding region would spend their summers here on the shores of Kiser Lake in Champaign County, Ohio.

The camp was intentional in every detail. The 6 original cabins — Blue Jay, Oriole, Sparrow, Cardinal, Robin, and Wren — housed the younger campers aged 7-9. Older girls (10-15) used the Whispering Pines and Indian Village tent pads higher on the property. The original bath house was a gift from the Dayton Kiwanis Club. The library was funded by Huber Homes and housed in what became known as the Edna B Lodge — now the owner's private residence.

The Property's Older History

Before the camp, the land was part of a farm owned by John Yutesler — one of the original settlers of the area. His wife Mary is buried in the small Yutesler Cemetery still on the property today. The Camp Fire Girls, as children do, turned her into legend: Mary was said to be cursed, and ghost stories around the council fire always involved her grave. (We invite you to hike up and decide for yourself.)

Decades of Summer Memories

For decades, thousands of young women from the Miami Valley made Camp Shawano part of their summer. The council fire pit was the heart of camp life — where campfire ceremonies were held, songs were sung, and the skills of outdoor living were passed down. A watercolor print commissioned in 2001 by Barbara Rich still hangs in the Lodge today, capturing the property as it looked at its peak.

The camp eventually closed, as many historic camps did, in the latter part of the 20th century. The property sat quietly on Kiser Lake, its cabins weathered but standing, the pine groves still towering, the lake still beautiful.

The Restoration: Becoming The Oaks

When the current owners purchased the property, they made a decision that defines everything about The Oaks today: preserve the history, don't erase it. The original cabin names were kept. The Camp Shawano fireplace was kept. The Yutesler Cemetery was preserved. The pine groves were left as nature intended.

What changed was the Lodge — now climate-controlled with renovated modern restrooms, a full commercial kitchen, and the kind of lighting and event infrastructure that modern celebrations require. The Deluxe Cabins (Green Briar, Wild Ginger, and Paw Paw) were added to provide a step up from the rustic original cabins. The two guest houses were renovated with full kitchens, fireplaces, and comfortable furnishings.

The Highland cattle — Ash and Coco — came later, and have become as much a part of The Oaks as the pines themselves.

Why History Matters for Your Wedding

Every venue has a story — but most of them are "barn built in 2019" or "farmhouse renovated for events." The Oaks has nearly a century of young people gathering here for something meaningful. That energy is in the ground.

When you get married at The Oaks, you're not just renting a venue. You're adding your chapter to a story that started in the 1930s, on the same shore of the same lake, under the same pines. That's something no amount of renovations can manufacture.