Camp Saint Malo, nestled on the eastern face of Mount Meeker in central Colorado, has a rich and complex history dating back to before its official establishment in 1935. Originally used as a recreational area for Catholic youth through a gentleman's agreement, the camp was officially named after the Mallow family who purchased the land and gifted it to the church when ownership issues arose. Before European settlement, this area was part of the Arapaho territory, situated beneath what they called "the two guides" - Mount Meeker and Long's Peak.

The land itself carries layers of history, from its Native American heritage to its development during Colorado's rapid growth following the 1858 gold rush. Among the thousands of visitors to Camp Saint Malo was Bobby Bisson, a deaf boy born in 1948. Despite his hearing impairment, Bobby was an active child who thrived at the camp, participating in hiking, fishing, and other activities alongside other boys aged 9-16. His story becomes particularly significant in the summer of 1958, during his third visit to the camp, when what began as a routine fishing expedition along Cabin Creek would become a pivotal moment in the camp's history.

Key Takeaways

Camp Saint Malo was established in 1935 on land with deep connections to Arapaho heritage and Colorado's settlement history.
The camp served as a Catholic youth retreat where children participated in various outdoor activities including hiking and fishing.
Bobby Bisson, a deaf child who loved his time at the camp, became central to a significant event during the summer of 1958.

History of Camp Saint Malo

Origins and Early Development

Camp Saint Malo sits against the eastern face of Mount Meeker in central Colorado's stunning landscape. For approximately 20 years before its official establishment, the area served as an informal recreational site for Catholic youth from Denver. The land, originally part of the traditional territory of the Arapaho people, has a rich history predating European settlement. The Arapaho considered Mount Meeker and nearby Long's Peak as "the two guides" in their cultural traditions. Originally from the Great Lakes region, the Arapaho moved to Colorado after 1700 when displaced by the Ojibwa tribe, before eventually relocating to Wyoming and Oklahoma reservations.

Colorado itself experienced rapid development following the gold rush of 1858, which transformed Denver from a small settlement into a major urban center. By the 1950s, Denver had grown to approximately 560,000 residents, creating a need for recreational facilities for the city's youth.

McPhee's Verbal Agreement and Mallow Family Contribution

The camp's informal use began through a gentleman's agreement between a man named McPhee and the Catholic Church. McPhee verbally permitted the Church to utilize the land for recreational activities serving Denver's youth. However, in 1935, this arrangement faced a significant challenge when one of McPhee's relatives attempted to reclaim the property rights. Since the original agreement lacked formal documentation, the Church's continued use of the land was threatened.

At this critical juncture, the Mallow family of Denver intervened decisively. Recognizing the value of the site for youth activities, they purchased the property and generously donated it to the Catholic Church. In appreciation of this significant gift, the Church named the facility "Camp Saint Malo" after the family's namesake saint. This generous act secured the camp's future as a dedicated youth recreation facility.

By the 1950s, Camp Saint Malo operated as a six-week summer program for boys aged 9-16. Campers typically stayed from Sunday evening through Saturday, participating in various outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, and model-building crafts. The beautiful mountain setting provided an ideal environment for youth development and recreation.

Native American Heritage

Colorado's rich landscape holds deep ties to numerous indigenous populations who shaped its history long before European settlement. The mountainous regions, valleys, and plains have witnessed centuries of Native American presence, with various tribes establishing their distinctive cultures and territories.

Tribes of Colorado

Colorado served as home to numerous indigenous peoples, each with their own territorial claims and cultural practices. The land was inhabited by several major tribal groups:

Ute
Cheyenne
Arapaho
Shoshone
Comanche
Kiowa
Navajo
Apache

Today, only the Ute maintain reservations within Colorado's borders, with two located in the southwestern corner of the state. These reservations represent the continued presence of indigenous peoples in a landscape that once supported many diverse tribal nations.

Arapaho Sphere of Influence and Language

The Arapaho people maintained significant influence in central Colorado, including the area near Mount Meeker. They considered Mount Meeker and Long's Peak sacred landmarks, referring to these prominent features as "the two guides."

Their linguistic heritage connects to the broader Algonquin language family, linking them culturally to other tribes such as:

Related Algonquin Tribes Region of Origin Cree Northern Great Lakes Blackfoot Northern Plains Ojibwa Great Lakes Carolina Algonquin Eastern Seaboard

The Arapaho language faces critical endangerment today, with fewer than 1,000 speakers remaining between two distant reservations in the United States. Their spiritual traditions share interesting parallels with Abrahamic faiths, including beliefs in:

A six-day creation followed by a day of rest
A great flood lasting four days and nights
A wandering creator figure who formed animals and life
A turtle sent to find land after the waters receded

Migration and Conflicts

The Arapaho weren't native to Colorado but originated in the Great Lakes region. They were displaced by the Ojibwa people after 1700, eventually establishing themselves in Colorado territory. This migration pattern reflects the dynamic nature of tribal territories before European settlement.

Throughout their history, the Arapaho formed strategic alliances with the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Dakota peoples. These coalitions often found themselves in conflict with other indigenous groups such as the Comanche and Kiowa.

After increasing tensions with American settlers, the Arapaho participated in significant resistance efforts, including the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, where allied indigenous forces delivered a major defeat to the U.S. Army. Following continued conflicts with the expanding United States, most tribes were relocated from Colorado. The Arapaho were moved to reservations in Wyoming and Oklahoma, while other tribes were similarly displaced.

Arapaho Heritage and Traditions

Spiritual Worldview

The Arapaho people maintained a rich spiritual tradition with remarkable similarities to Abrahamic faiths. Their creation story describes a world formed over six days, followed by a day of rest—a pattern that mirrors Genesis accounts. Their mythology includes a great flood lasting four days and four nights, after which a wandering deity figure traveled across the world creating animals and other living beings. In this narrative, a turtle was sent to discover land, leading to the formation of continents. These theological frameworks developed independently from European religious traditions, showing fascinating parallels across different cultural contexts.

The Arapaho held sacred connections to geographical features within Colorado's landscape. Mount Meeker and Long's Peak were particularly significant, known to the Arapaho as "the two guides"—natural monuments that served both spiritual and practical navigational purposes. These mountains represented important landmarks within their traditional territories and worldview.

Conflict and Relocation

Originally from the Great Lakes region, the Arapaho were forced to migrate westward around 1700 when displaced by the Ojibwa people. They eventually settled in Colorado territories where they established new communities and adapted to the regional environment.

The Arapaho formed important military alliances with neighboring tribes including:

Cheyenne
Lakota
Dakota

These coalitions often engaged in conflicts with rival groups such as the Comanche and Kiowa peoples, illustrating the complex intertribal relationships that existed before European settlement intensified.

The Arapaho participated in significant resistance efforts against American expansion, most notably joining the coalition that defeated U.S. forces at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. This same year marked Colorado's admission to statehood, accelerating pressure on native lands.

Following their military defeats, the Arapaho were forcibly relocated to reservations in Wyoming and Oklahoma, far from their Colorado homeland. This dispersal contributed to cultural challenges for the tribe, including the endangerment of their Plains Algonquin language, which today has fewer than 1,000 speakers across their separated communities.

Colorado's Development Through History

Early Settlement and Gold Era

Colorado's journey began with a Native American presence, including the Arapaho tribe who considered Mount Meeker and Long's Peak to be "the two guides." The Arapaho originally migrated from the Great Lakes region around 1700, eventually settling in Colorado before later relocations to Wyoming and Oklahoma. Their cultural heritage includes a creation belief system with striking similarities to Abrahamic traditions.

European settlement started relatively late, with Mexican settlers establishing the first European community in 1851. The real transformation came with the 1858 gold rush, which dramatically accelerated development. Denver quickly evolved from a small settlement into a major commercial center, with approximately 5,000 miners arriving weekly at the height of the gold fever.

Colorado achieved statehood remarkably quickly, joining the Union in 1876—exactly 100 years after the United States was founded. This swift progression from territory to state was largely propelled by the economic boom and population influx from mining activities.

Population Growth Patterns

The gold rush served as the catalyst for Colorado's substantial population growth, establishing a pattern that would continue for generations. Unlike neighboring states, Colorado experienced exceptional demographic expansion. Today, the state houses nearly 6 million residents, significantly more than surrounding states like Wyoming (approximately 500,000) and other neighboring states that typically range between 500,000-4 million inhabitants.

Denver exemplifies this growth trend. By the 1950s, the city alone had reached 560,000 residents—a population nearly equivalent to the entire state of Wyoming in 2020. This urban concentration reflects Colorado's ability to attract and sustain growing communities, despite its mountainous terrain and relatively late settlement compared to eastern states.

The population growth brought diverse residents, including military families during the post-WWII period. These demographic changes helped transform Colorado from a mining-focused territory to a multifaceted state with expanding urban centers and developing recreational areas.

The Bobby Bisson Case

Personal Background

Bobby Bisson was born in 1948 to Joseph and Constance Bisson of Denver, Colorado. Born almost completely deaf, Bobby used early Zenith brand hearing aids and became proficient in sign language and lip reading. Despite his hearing impairment, he led an active childhood as the couple's only child. His father served as a master sergeant in the Air Force during the Korean War. Bobby particularly enjoyed baseball, and family photos show him posing with his bat during visits to relatives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His cousin Harriet Dudich remembered him as a perpetually smiling child who actively participated in all activities despite his disability.

Life at Camp Saint Malo

Camp Saint Malo, established officially in 1935 on land purchased by the Mallo family and donated to the Catholic Church, became an important part of Bobby's life. The camp operated as a sleep-away facility for boys aged 9-16, with typical stays running from Sunday evening to Saturday. Bobby enthusiastically participated in the camp's numerous outdoor activities:

Hiking mountain trails
Fishing in nearby creeks
Shooting activities
Model airplane painting
Wildlife interaction

Bobby had attended the camp twice in 1957 and was on his third visit in 1958. His parents received a letter on August 15, 1958, detailing his typical day: painting a model airplane, losing two teeth (for which he received 25 cents from the "tooth fairy"), hiking, and even catching a chipmunk. For Bobby's parents, the camp provided valuable socialization opportunities for their son.

The Disappearance Incident

In August 1958, Bobby's positive experiences at Camp Saint Malo came to an abrupt end. According to news reports from the time, Bobby had been fishing at Cabin Creek under the supervision of counselor Terry Cowan. This creek runs from approximately 12,000 feet on Mount Meeker's eastern face down to 8,700 feet where it reaches the camp before continuing downhill.

Terry Cowan reported taking a group of boys fishing downstream from the camp. Around 6:00 PM, he called the group back for dinner, as they needed to return to the lodge by 6:30 PM. The strict punctuality was characteristic of the Catholic camp's operations. However, inconsistencies began appearing in accounts of what happened during this critical period when Bobby was last seen.

The circumstances surrounding Bobby's disappearance contained troubling discrepancies from the beginning, with Terry Cowan's initial statements raising questions that would become central to the investigation.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Bizup: Unveiling the Camp St. Malo Tragedy