From the Archive: George Orrin Corban

How many of us have walked past the George O. Corban memorial plaque at the Waterfront and wondered who was George Corban? And why did he deserve a plaque? The Ivy Twines turned to our older alums who knew George and could share their fond memories, so that his memory could live on a bit longer.

George was born in 1891 in Cornwall, CT. He was the camp caretaker from 1940-1965 and was responsible for building many camp structures during that time, including the kitchen storehouse and chef’s quarters, the feed shed and stables staff cabin, the Cedars buildings (that used to be on what is now an empty field by the Infirmary), the ballfield backstop, the Program Directors cabin (now known as the Brook House) and possibly the Senior cabins. Many of those buildings lasted 60 years or more, and some are still standing today–a testament to his skill.

But he was also a caretaker of people. Wilbur Pike remembers George as an experienced camper who knew more about the outdoors than anyone else Wilbur knew. He mentioned George walking with him beyond the ballfield to show him where a deer had slept the night before. He recalls George as a kind and gentle man who loved Mohawk fully, and who was a blessing to Wilbur’s childhood.

Parker Prout remembers George teaching him (as a teenaged maintenance staff member) how to use hand and power tools, to paint, to mow the lawns and to do other landscaping work. Parker learned how to drive the old 1955 red Dodge Power Wagon that was a part of Mohawk lore for many years. But mostly, Parker talked about George as a person never too busy to take time with people, lighting his pipe and telling tales.

Roger Coutant worked for George starting in 1959. He remembers loading up leftover canned foods at the end of summer to bring to George’s mid-1700’s home at the bottom of Great Hill Road in Cornwall, to store them in the basement.  Roger was proud that George trusted his work skills on special pre-season projects, such as placing the planks on the old rifle range. And like Wilbur and Parker, Roger commented specially on George’s ease with people, spending quiet time talking under the shade trees near the Brook, while George smoked his pipe. He noted that George always took a mid-day pipe break, and the campers would often stop to talk with him then and/or give him a hug. Roger also said that while George seemed to have lived his entire life in Cornwall, he did mention once that he was on the first boat to cross the Panama Canal. Once he got to California, he made his way back across the country by working on a train mail car, sorting mail.

Parker described George as having prematurely white hair, so noticeable from a distance because he rarely wore a hat. Roger’s description of George: “George personified the “Yankee Work Ethic.”  He was modest to a fault, soft spoken, a man of few words, but ALWAYS worth listening to.  He built many buildings at Mohawk, including (I believe) most if not all of the cabins in the Senior unit.  He lives on in the hearts of all who knew him.” 

These words and memories describe a true “Mohawker”, one well worth remembering, and for those of us who didn’t get to know him, one worth learning about.

Many thanks to Roger Coutant, Wilbur Pike, and Parker Prout for sharing their memories.