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THE HISTORY OF MOHICAN ADVENTURES
Our
company’s history begins back before
most of our employees
were born. It goes back
to a time where a small junior
high school student, named
Dick Frye, bought his
first canoe. He paid $1
down for the boat and
paid $1 per week for it.
Eventually Dick started his own livery in 1961, beginning with just 14 aluminum
canoes and few customers. The Mohican Canoe Livery was originally located at
the intersection of Route 3 and 97. Dick’s idea eventually grew and started
a trend, as other canoe liveries, including another of Dick’s own, began
to pop up around the area.
In 1969, a 15-year-old named Doug Shannon was hired on by Dick to help after
the July flood. Then in 1974, Doug leased Dick’s second canoe livery, called
Dick Frye’s Canoe Livery, located where our canoe livery now stands. In
1979 Doug and his wife, Patty, bought the Mohican Canoe Livery from Dick, and
combined the two businesses into its current location. The business also had
an outdoor roller skating rink, which was located where the Level Skills Mini
Golf Course now stands.
The next year, 1980, Doug and Patty bought Clayton’s Canoe Livery, a canoe
livery that was located where the Grist Mill Mini Golf Course currently stands
today. The building which Clayton used as an office became a trading post operated
by Al Combs, and eventually became known as Al’s Cabin when it became a
part of our campground. Already, Doug was establishing a tradition of expanding
and developing his business.
In the early 1980s, Loudonville Go-Karts was built, and the Mini Golf courses
followed shortly after. The Mohican Canoe Livery became The Mohican Canoe Livery
and Fun Center, offering more than just canoeing, but a whole day or two’s
worth of fun.
In 1998, Mohican Campground and Cabins was added to our family business. When
first bought, the campground had only two cabins (present day’s A-frame
2 and the Century House), a picnic shelter, and RV sites with electricity and
water only. Our campground now includes 45 cabins sleeping two to sixteen, 185
RV sites with electricity, water, and sewer, and 175 primitive tent camping sites.
We’ve added 2 modern shower houses, an indoor pool and hot tub, 4 playgrounds,
a basketball court, sand volleyball court, soccer field, and horseshoe pits,
along with hiking and biking trails that start right from here. We’re continually
adding onto our park to live up to our motto – come to play, plan to stay!
Many of the beautiful cabins added throughout the years have been built by our
own employees with logs cut, harvested, and peeled from Shannon property. While
most of the cabins are new, many have a history all their own. The Century House
was a part of the Underground Railroad and no one knows for sure how far back
it dates. The Chuck Wagon used to be a restaurant located near Mel’s Shelter
in our parking lot. After it closed down, it was turned into a bunkhouse cabin
that sleeps up to 15 people. Mel’s Kamper Cabin used to be the check in
building at the skating rink, and then it became a snack shop at Frye’s
landing before being turned into a cabin.
In 2004, the Mohican Canoe Livery, Big Boulder Falls Adventure Golf, Loudonville
Go-Karts, and Mohican Campground and Cabins all came under one business name – Mohican
Adventures. The name change gave the company a more unified look, and also helped
guests understand that the possibility for great adventure takes place here.
It’s not all about hard work and expansion though. Our canoe family has
had a lot of fun and has built a tradition of adding enjoyment to anyone who
steps foot on our property – whether it be guest or employee. On April
Fools Day, 1986, our canoe livery along with the others in the area built a canoe
pyramid 87 feet in length and 40 feet high, that took eight hours and 465 canoes
to build. Don’t believe it? It’s pictured below!
The Shannons aim not only to make sure their guests are provided with quality
service and an enjoyable stay, but they also care for their employees and treat
them as family. Their company has often been considered a home to many employees,
and also a landmark for our community. This may be the reason why many off-the-clock
employees and people from our community showed up to help move boats away from
the rising river during the July 10th, 2006 flood.
Josh and Michelle Gray, who have taken over running the business, have continued
to advance the company. They have been instrumental in building the 45 cabins,
the new pool and conference center, and improving the RV sites and the addition
of the 40 acres of primitive camping sites. Josh and Michelle, along with the
staff of Mohican Adventures, received the 2006 President's Award from Professional
Paddlesports of America.
With the pioneering of our past and the foundations that this business was built
upon, we can look forward to even greater success and memories in the future. |
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