Old campground

Urban exploration in Springfield, Missouri
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Old campground

Post by RV driver »

About 15-16 years ago, I drove for Pizza Hut. From time to time, I'd take deliveries out to an old campground, with pavilions, cabins, and small houses. It was off the east side of south National, at about Farm Road 182. The area's been developed now, and I can't find the lane that used to go back in there. Anyone know anything about the old campground?
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RE: Old campground

Post by Willard »

I dated a girl in 2003 who's family lived on the campground after it closed back in the late 1990's. When we dated they had just started to develope where the actual buildings had been because we drove down the old lane from National. But that lane is no longer there either. I think houses actually exist over where the lane itself was.
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RE: Old campground

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Do you know anything about the history of the place? We drivers labeled it on the map as "The Compound."
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RE: Old campground

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Yeah it was called tanyard springs camp, it used to be a church camp a long Ass time ago. The lane is still there, but I can't think of the name of it off hand, maybe glory ln. It's just north of where silers golf course was.
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Re: RE: Old campground

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Twail Wetard wrote:Yeah it was called tanyard springs camp, it used to be a church camp a long Ass time ago. The lane is still there, but I can't think of the name of it off hand, maybe glory ln. It's just north of where silers golf course was.
Which church? I remember when I visited to make deliveries, the place seemed clean but run down. There were maybe 4-6 houses/bungalows/cabins that were occupied. It was kinda creepy, to be honest...
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RE: Old campground

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I had a friend who lived in the neighborhood to the north of there around '89/'90. His mom and dad would go for walks and would talk about the freaks that were living in there. He said they were always firing guns. One night, after a H.S. party in '94, a guy drove a few of us in there. It was very creepy. No trespassing signs on the gate. We drove in to the compound and there was a giant bonfire burning in the middle. I thought it was very strange that no one was out there. There were around 5 or 6 small cinder block buildings, large pavillion and an abandoned mobile home in the tree line. I guarantee there were people there but we never saw a soul. Needless to say we got the hell out of there quick. I think the whole thing is gone and now a small subdivision.
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Re: Old campground

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Yeah, there are no traces left that show on Google maps...
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RE: Old campground

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I can't see any traces either. I think it would be E. Wisdom Lane.
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RE: Old campground

Post by KickEmInDaBitchDitch »

My map is calling it Sheltering Heights Camp, long gone now. Sounded like it might have been fun.
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Re: RE: Old campground

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KickEmInDaBitchDitch wrote:My map is calling it Sheltering Heights Camp, long gone now. Sounded like it might have been fun.
Well, it was kinda scary -- especially if you had to go out there at night -- there were no lights and the place was in the woods. We always called it the "Dave Karesh Compound."
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RE: Old campground

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I've put out some contacts with folks who used to go to camp there. I might get some old pics to share...
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RE: Old campground

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got one reply. The camp was begun in 1949 on the banks of the James. It was moved up on the hill when the dam was built and the lake formed. It was begun by Floyd Hitchcock, who had a radio pgm. on KWTO, was a missionary, and traveled around to various churches teaching about his travels in China. The camp was begun for the children of those churches. It was independent and not tied to any denomination, but was loosely associated with the area Bible Churches. The camp was sold in 1978. Apparently, there was an old flyer advertising the camp as 10 miles south of Springfield.
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RE: Old campground

Post by KickEmInDaBitchDitch »

You can see from the old topos, and google if you line them up, the subdivision on East River Oaks ln lines up almost exactly to the old road used for the camp. Makes me wonder if some of the old foundations may still be there in the woods surrounding the subdivision.
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Re: RE: Old campground

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KickEmInDaBitchDitch wrote:You can see from the old topos, and google if you line them up, the subdivision on East River Oaks ln lines up almost exactly to the old road used for the camp. Makes me wonder if some of the old foundations may still be there in the woods surrounding the subdivision.
We could all troop out there and look, if it would upset the block mothers in the 'burbs...
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