Calvin Crest
Encyclopedia
Calvin Crest or Calvin Crest Conferences is a private Christian
campsite
near Oakhurst
, California
, USA. Calvin Crest was established by the San Joaquin Presbytery
of California in 1954.
Indians were the first people to live in the area of the Calvin Crest grounds, during the warm months and moving to the foothills
and valley during the winter.
In 1873 the California Lumber Company set up operations near here and built a flume
which sent lumber to Madera. Completed in 1876, the flume was 53 miles (85 km) long. By 1907, 35 million board feet (82,000 m³) were shipped each year. Much of the timber industry was shut down with the Great Depression
of the 1930s. Remnants of the industry can be seen in the old narrow gauge railroad ties and the stumps of the giant sequoia that were left behind.
Hills Speckerman, a German immigrant, homesteaded the Calvin Crest area. His first cabin was located by the current Maintenance parking lot where he planted the first apple trees, grew potatoes and bred pigs and dogs. After his cabin burned to the ground, he moved to the area known as Speckerman's Meadow. Following his death in 1909 at the approximate age of 90 years, the land reverted back to the government for back taxes.
John Nelder, a hermit
living in the area among the giant sequoia, was visited by the naturalist, John Muir
in what is now Nelder Grove
which sits adjacent to Calvin Crest.
A man named Darnold owned the property after Speckerman and he built the original Ranch House. Later, Dr. Clarence Wells homesteaded 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) and then traded for an additional 300 acres (1.2 km²). Working as a physician to the lumber companies, Dr. Wells expanded the Ranch as well as enlarged the apple orchard and planted roses and other exotic plants.
In the early fifties, the San Joaquin Presbytery
began looking for a property to purchase to establish a camping program. They had been renting the YMCA
camp at Lake Sequoia. After some searching, they learned the property of Dr. Wells was for sale. The presbytery voted to purchase the 340 acres (1.4 km²) in December 1954 with the price tag of $86,000. The summer of 1955 brought the first campers to Calvin Crest. There were two one-week sessions where the campers slept on the ground in the apple orchard and swam in Bass Lake
. There were 65 campers and the annual budget was $25.
In 1956, the first major building phase began when construction started on the Dining Hall and the swimming pool.
Among several recreational activities, Calvin Crest offers: boating
, hiking
, swimming, fishing, rock climbing, arts and crafts, and a ropes course.
From September to the late Spring, Calvin Crest hosts an Outdoor education
program designed and taught by the Calvin Crest Outdoor Education staff. These programs are designed for fifth or sixth grade students.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
near Oakhurst
Oakhurst, California
Oakhurst is a census-designated place in Madera County, California, south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oakhurst is located on the Fresno River south-southwest of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of 2274 feet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. Calvin Crest was established by the San Joaquin Presbytery
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
of California in 1954.
A brief history of Calvin Crest
The MiwokMiwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
Indians were the first people to live in the area of the Calvin Crest grounds, during the warm months and moving to the foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
and valley during the winter.
In 1873 the California Lumber Company set up operations near here and built a flume
Flume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
which sent lumber to Madera. Completed in 1876, the flume was 53 miles (85 km) long. By 1907, 35 million board feet (82,000 m³) were shipped each year. Much of the timber industry was shut down with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. Remnants of the industry can be seen in the old narrow gauge railroad ties and the stumps of the giant sequoia that were left behind.
Hills Speckerman, a German immigrant, homesteaded the Calvin Crest area. His first cabin was located by the current Maintenance parking lot where he planted the first apple trees, grew potatoes and bred pigs and dogs. After his cabin burned to the ground, he moved to the area known as Speckerman's Meadow. Following his death in 1909 at the approximate age of 90 years, the land reverted back to the government for back taxes.
John Nelder, a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
living in the area among the giant sequoia, was visited by the naturalist, John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
in what is now Nelder Grove
Nelder Grove
Nelder Grove is a sequoia grove located in the Sierra National Forest, Madera County, California. It is a 1540 acre tract containing over 100 mature Giant Sequoias. It also contains a number of sequoia stumps, left over from when the area was logged prior to its acquisition by the United States...
which sits adjacent to Calvin Crest.
A man named Darnold owned the property after Speckerman and he built the original Ranch House. Later, Dr. Clarence Wells homesteaded 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) and then traded for an additional 300 acres (1.2 km²). Working as a physician to the lumber companies, Dr. Wells expanded the Ranch as well as enlarged the apple orchard and planted roses and other exotic plants.
In the early fifties, the San Joaquin Presbytery
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
began looking for a property to purchase to establish a camping program. They had been renting the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
camp at Lake Sequoia. After some searching, they learned the property of Dr. Wells was for sale. The presbytery voted to purchase the 340 acres (1.4 km²) in December 1954 with the price tag of $86,000. The summer of 1955 brought the first campers to Calvin Crest. There were two one-week sessions where the campers slept on the ground in the apple orchard and swam in Bass Lake
Bass Lake, California
Bass Lake is a freshwater artificial lake in the Sierra National Forest, of Madera County, California, approximately south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park. The lake is formed by the construction of the Crane Valley Dam across Willow Creek, a tributary to the San Joaquin River, and is...
. There were 65 campers and the annual budget was $25.
In 1956, the first major building phase began when construction started on the Dining Hall and the swimming pool.
Camping programs
Calvin Crest designs and hosts Christian camping programs throughout the summer season. Programs are designed for third grade students through recent high-school graduates, as well as family camping programs. Calvin Crest offers High School Camp, Junior High Camp, Sherwood Camp (Fourth- Sixth Graders), Outpost, and First-timers Camp (First-Third Graders with their parents to get them ready for a camp experience without their parents in the future). Each program is organized and run by the Calvin Crest Summer Staff. Some 2500 to 3000 guests attend these summer camps each year.Among several recreational activities, Calvin Crest offers: boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, swimming, fishing, rock climbing, arts and crafts, and a ropes course.
From September to the late Spring, Calvin Crest hosts an Outdoor education
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
program designed and taught by the Calvin Crest Outdoor Education staff. These programs are designed for fifth or sixth grade students.