Board game of Camden that once was resurfaces

Executive Editor

Dawn Emery, who grew up in Camden, displays the board game for the town that she found while preparing to move. The game dates back to the 1980s and lists many former local businesses.

CAMDEN — On a rainy day in 1985, a group of Camden residents might have enjoyed a board game, buying and selling not Park Place or Reading Railroad, but Rankin's Hardware and Camden IGA.

It turns out that Camden had its own board game, developed in the 1980s. Actually, it had two, if old editions of The Camden Herald are to be believed.

One that was bought and sold in the area resurfaced when Dawn Emery, a sixth grade teacher from the Lincolnville Central School, started cleaning out her house as part of a planned move. Emery found among her board games not only a game for Charlie's Angels, but "The Game of Camden, Me," which is based on the template of a game marketed in several communities as "Wheeler-Dealer" produced by Michael Glenn Productions. If one were to compare it to any widely popular game, it would likely be Monopoly, the difference being that this game featured all local businesses, organizations and locations.

Several of them are still going strong including The Owl and The Turtle, Scott's Place and Maine Sport. Others are memories, such as Haskell & Corthell, Harbor Audio Video and Ferrari's Lunch and Dinner. The venerable Camden Herald is mentioned prominently on the board, noting it was established in 1869 and listing William S. Patten as publisher and Kenneth E. Bailey as managing editor.

Elmer Savage is listed as Town Manager along with Police Chief Albert Smith and Fire Chief Robert Oxton.

A board game put out by the Knights of Columbus in the 1980s features businesses and organizations from Camden's past.

Instead of "Go" or jail at the corners there are other items, including, appropriately enough, "Housing." "Put down payment on new house. Pay to bank one fourth of all your cash and move immediately to the park."

Emery said she loves board games and the social interaction they once offered. She noted how playing games brings together multiple generations, with kids and parents playing with uncles, aunts and grandparents. She bought the game at a yard sale.

Asked if she is a yard sale enthusiast, she said, "Absolutely!"

She said yard sales play a role in being good to the Earth. She does not like to ever throw anything away. "If I don't need it, someone else might need it."

She was interested in learning why the game existed. The dates on it say 1980 and 1981. However, it came about a little later than that.

On Thursday, Aug. 30, 1984, The Camden Herald reported: "Camden Game in The Works."

"Dave Landry, representing the Knights of Columbus, informed selectmen of his group’s intent to produce and market a game similar to Monopoly using local businesses and places of interest on the game board. Landry said individual businesses would be approached about buying a space on the proposed game board. Proceeds from the sale of the games would be directed to local projects supported by the Knights of Columbus, said Landry. The Coastal Workshop and the C-R Sports Boosters were listed among the organizations that would benefit from the game’s sales."

The group was not seeking money from the town, and no official action was taken in the meeting.

Interestingly enough, a few years earlier in August 1981, another story in the Herald ran under the headline "Roll the dice, build your own condo."

The goal of this game was to develop condominiums with locations including Elm and Chestnut Streets. "The game is called Camden, Maine Condo and it’s the idea of three local women — Doris Ray, Carol Sebold and Sue Gilbey. Neal Parent conceived and constructed the game as a birthday present for mutual friend Judy Webster, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce."

"The game is subtitled Leave It To Beaver. That name was inspired by a beaver which Webster says she saw swimming in Camden harbor."

There was only one edition of this game in existence, but it merited mention in the newspaper, and we cannot help but wonder if that inspired the Knights of Columbus to market their own game a few years later.

Now, in 2023, it is long overdue for an update.

The board game from the 1980s based on Camden is two-sided, which is unusual, but probably allowed them to feature more local businesses and raise more money.

Executive Editor

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