The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 20, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 July 1987 — Page 45

From Conkling's Hill to Oakwood Park

Oakwood Park is located on 40 acres of land on the northwest side of Wawasee Lake. This acreage was originally known as Conkling-Hill because residents on this high ground had been Bill Conkling and his wife. Eli Lilly wrote that they were there well before 1844 when a man named P. M. Henkle met them while on a fishing trip to the lake. On April 9, 1892, the Indiana Conference of the Evangelical Association empowered a committee to purchase a permanent camp meeting ground for the purpose of “spiritual edification and physical recreation.” In 1983, “Conkling Hill” was purchased for $5,000 and named Oakwood Park. The first camp meeting was held under a large tent tabernacle set on the hillside in August 1893. In 1896 a powerful windstorm tore down the tent tabernacle and many tents used for housing. The first frame tabernacle, 60 by 90 feet in size, was built in 1898. The cost of materials was $1,500, with labor being donated by ministers of the conference. Fire destroyed this building on May 22,1914 and construction began immediately on the octagonally shaped tabernacle which was dedicated in August, 1914, at a cost of $5,000. The first hotel at Oakwood was a wood frame building. It was built in 1875 for the use of resorters after the B & O Railroad was completed through Syracuse. After the church bought the property it was used as the “superintendent’s” home for a number of years. It was tom downin 1931. The present Oakwood hotel was built in 1927 to replace a cement block structure that was built on the same site in 1904-05. It sits on a point of land by Conkling Bay (“Conklin Bay” on some maps)

Lions Club organized in 1950

The Syracuse Lions Club was organized on May 3, 1950, with high school basketball coach Millard Sink serving as president and Rev. Joseph Koble as secretary. Only two members, Ralph Thornburg and Virgil Bobeck, still remain from the original 42 charter members. And, what an active group it must have been, with Cal Beck as tail twister and Chris Koher as lion tamer. The Lions have traveled all over the area to hold their meetings, including) Wawasee Case, Hex Grange, Pagoda Inn, Foo and Fayes, Howard’s Restaurant, Syracuse Restaurant, Dixie Restaurant, Italian Villa, Village Comer, South Shore Hotel, Wilson’s Bungalow Gardens, Marley’s Steak House, Syracuse Case, Maxwelton Golf Course, Sleepy Owl, and the Beacon. Just as interesting, is the list of fundraising activities the Lions have undertaken to raise money for charity projects. Its annual Fourth of July weekend fish fry has been a longtime favorite, as has the sale of Christmas trees.

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SCENE AT OAKWOOD 77 YEARS AGO — Fredonna Parsarelli, 213 North Harrison Street, brought this photo in to us of a photo post card from Oakwood Park. A photo of the Evangelical church picnic was published in The Mail-Journal several months ago in which Mrs. Parsarelli was in the photo. She couldn’t identify all the people in the photo, but did state she is one of the two girls standing on the rail as is her Alice Lung Pletcher. Mrs. Parsarelli was five or six years old at the time of the photo and is now 81 years old.

which was known as “Duck Point.” When the Evangelical United Brethren Church was formed in 1946, Oakwood became a campground and conference center for the Indiana North Conference of the new denomination. In 1960 the Oakwood Program Center was constructed to provide additional classroom, meeting and auditorium space. In 1968, Oakwood Park became one of five conference campgrounds for the newly formed North Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Miss A. Roberta Johnson, director of program and operation, at Oakwood Center, came here early in 1987 from St. Louis,

For 17 years, the Lions have also hosted the District Lions Golf Tournament and have added a spring golf tourney. The club has been selling brooms manufactured by the blind the last few years. Lions service activities are headed by its commitment to the blind and handicapped. The Leader Dog School, as well as the organ donar program and cancer control program, all share Lion support. Locally, the Lions dispense over $2,000 annually in support of community activities. The club has supported the Youth League program, Syracuse Park Pavilion, Lakeland Youth Center, day care center, and recently assisted in providing a memorial marker for the grave of the founder of Syracuse. Membership in the Lions is open to all men and women of the community. Historically, the club is known to support those in need, with the local Lions donating a truck and over one ton of clothing to the poor peasants of Guatemala this year. They will also assist in providing eye and dental care in that country.

Mo. Her responsibilities include both the overall operation of Oakwood Center and the development of the program for adults and families. Summer boat-in services are held at 8:30 each Sunday morning at Oakwood Park when the weather is nice. Dozens of boats of all sizes anchor off-shore and many more worshipers gather on the shore for the sermon and church music presented by various gospel groups over powerful loudspeakers.

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ed., July 1,1987 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

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