A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Camp - 34C -HISTORICAL NOTES

For those interested in History, you may enjoy the following paper discovered in the files written by  Henrietta Volmer, one of the early Board Members.

            “There was a Presbyterian Church in Camp Meeker.  Camp and Conference programs were held there for the churches in the Presbytery of the Redwoods.  There was swimming in muddy water, sleeping in the church basement, and the sewage system was very poor.

            A little further down the road was a piece of property, 75 acres, held by Mr. and Mrs. Evans.  They planned to build a summer home.  However, they decided to put the property up for sale because their son was killed in action during the war.  They wanted the property to be used for good purposes.

            Many people from the Vallejo and Napa churches showed great interest in purchasing the grounds.  A group led by Lee Vernon, the pastor of the Napa Presbyterian Church, and others from the Vallejo Presbyterian Church began to campaign to raise funds to purchase the property.

            Mr. Gordon Oxtosby, Professor of the Old Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary, made a motion at Redwoods Presbytery to charge a per capita tax on the member churches of the Presbytery to raise the funds for the down payment necessary to purchase the property. 

            The Westminster Woods Commission was formed to carry out the development and maintenance of The Woods.  Through the years many hard working volunteers from Napa, Vallejo and Santa Rosa First Presbyterian Churches maintained the property.  They built cabins for girls and boys, bathrooms, swimming pool and kitchen.  At that time the cost came to $100 for materials for each cabin.  Churches began to use the grounds and had camps even during food rationing.

            A special Westminster Woods Sunday was held periodically at many churches hoping to raise the equivalent of $1.00 per person in the Presbytery.  That goal was met.”