A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EARLY DAYS AT FIRPOINT
AS WRITTEN BY GARLAND AND ROBERTA SHINN
 
Dr. John K. Howard came to Glendale and acquired the two hundred and forty acres known as Fir Point (named after the nearby hill) sometime in 1914 or 1915.  At that time it was a homestead with a house by the spring up the hill in back of the old boys dormitory where the tules grow.  There was also at one time a cabin on the hill by the old out houses.  There was another cabin on the upper slopes some distance above the present fire circle lived in by two Finnish people who had their own private sauna built over the creek.  At one time there was a still for making moonshine way on top of the hill.  This information and much of the following came from an interview with Mrs. Howard after the Howards had moved from Fir Point to the Sutherlin area north of Roseburg.  Elsie Isakson and Roberta Shinn drove up and met with her for an afternoon and took notes on what she said.
 
According to Mrs. Howard, a Lumber Mill gave the homestead and land to Mr. Howard after the Mill had logged it.  In  1915 Dr. Howard put up the logs for his home (now the lodge) and then returned to Arizona and married Mrs. Howard. 
 
In 1919, they came back and lived in Glendale for the summers while Dr. Howard worked on the house.  He paid $15.00 a thousand for knotty pine for the inside of the lodge because the less expensive board he had ordered burned in a fire.  He paid for the fireplace with wedding fees he earned in Arizona where he pastored.  He was a graduate of Trinity School of Theology in Texas.
 
In the fall of 1930, the Howards moved into their new home.  He became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Glendale, Oregon.  He was a man with a burden for children and young people and begin work right away to establish a Young People’s Bible Camp on his property.  In 1931 they completed the dining hall multi purpose building (the Dining Hall today).  Young people in Glendale peeled the logs for the building.  That year, according to Mrs. Howard, they held their first Presbyterian Young People’s Bible Camp on this property.

George P. Martin, who served as an American Sunday School Union Missionary in Centralia, Washington, and in Southern Oregon, grew up in Rogue River, Oregon, where his family attended the Presbyterian church.  Following are his “Early Fir Point Recollections.”
 
Four  of us five  Martin brothers, at different times, attended Fir Point Bible Conference.
Before  Fir Point,  Presbyterian  young  people  for some years made their annual trek to
Rogue  River, where  several large  tents were erected on the school grounds adjacent to
our  little  Hope  Presbyterian Church which  had  a large Community Hall with kitchen
and  dining  accommodations.  My  oldest  brother James attended there three summers,
but did not attend Fir Point. From Rogue River the summer Young Peoples Bible Camp
(YPBC)  relocated at Fir Point.  I am uncertain as to the exact year, Probably 1929-1930.
(according to Mrs. Howard it was 1931.)
 
Dr.  Howard   (Pastor of  Glendale’s  First  Presbyterian  Church),  originally  owned the
acreage  known  as  Fir  Point.   He built with his own hands the log house where he and
his  wife  resided.  His  vision included a YPBC, and he began improving the grounds to
that  end,  constructing  a  log  lodge  with  fireplace,  kitchen,  and dining facilities.  The
Lodge  would  be used for  meetings  too.   In fact it  would  become the center for much
activity.  Besides the lodge there was a cabin (or two) for special guest speakers.
 
Campers arrived on Sunday afternoon, going home the following Sunday p.m.  It was my
privilege   to  attend  Fir Point three  summers (1931-1933).   I can still remember the big
tent raising event.  When laid out on the ground the tent was forty feet long.  When it was
raised  and  securely  staked,  it  looked  huge to this  twelve year old farm boy.  A similar
tent was erected at the opposite end of the grounds for girls.  Toilet facilities were housed
in the ole’ time “out houses.”   Conditions, admittedly, were quite primitive, but everyone
was willing to forego a few comforts—after  all, this  was camp, and we were expected to
rough it.  In those days,  we were not  accustomed to “showering-down” every morning or
evening or both.  Once a week was about the norm.  If we all smelled alike there could be
no complaints!
 
Now, as to our daily camp schedule:  At  6am  the bugle  boy would awaken campers with
the  familiar  sound of “Reveille;”  at  10 pm  he played  “Taps,”  which  was the signal for
everyone  to close  their peepers.   Between Breakfast and Dinner (the noon meal was then
called  “Dinner,”  the evening “Supper”),  the  pristine  landscape filled  with beautiful firs
canopied  under clear  blue  skies, provided just the ideal environment for several hours of
Bible study.   Occasionally the  skies  filled with clouds  and  poured  down   rain, sending
campers into the Lodge for Bible study.
 
At  meal  time someone  would begin singing “Oh! Where has Ore-gone boys, Oh! Where
has  Ore-gone?   I ask you  now as a personal  friend, where has Ore-gone?”  Then would
Come  the answer,   “She’s  gone to O-kla-home boys,  she’s  gone to  O-kla-home;  I  tell
you  now  as a personal  friend  she’s gone to O-kla_home.”  Campers  wouldn’t stop until
they   made  the  rounds of  all existing states.  They also gleefully watched for campers to
unethically   place  their  elbows on  the  table and then  embarrass them by singing, “Take
your  elbows  off the table________________.”    It  was a  lot  of  fun  to  sing  that  little
“ditty” to an unsuspecting member of the distinguished faculty.
 
At  that  time  senior and  junior  campers all  enrolled at the  one camp , and everyone was
required  to  take  his/her  turn  on   the  clean-up  crew  after meals.   Campers names were
alphabetically  announced at the end of each meal.
 
Following  the noon  meal,  campers  were  required  to nap  for thirty minutes, after which
came  recreation  when  we  played softball, tennis (on dirt court), horseshoes, went hiking
on  mountain  trails  and swimming.   The  pool  at that  time was quite  small.  I forget how
it was constructed.
 
Upon conclusion  of the afternoon’s recreation we would clean up for the evening.  An old
fashioned  long  handled  iron  pump  brought  water  up from a  deep well, that along with
several  wash  basins  took care of the perspiration.  At 5:00 pm campers assembled out on
the  hillside (“Inspiration Point”)  overlooking  the  valley  below  for   the  Vesper service,
singing choruses and  hymns with one of the faculty bringing a short devotional
 
Dr.  Howard,  as I remember him,  was  rather  tall,  stately  and  austere  looking—a hardy
mountaineer  type  of   man.   On weekdays   he  dressed  in   common  everyday  workman
apparel.   He alone  was the camp’s maintenance crew.  Occasionally he would speak to the
campers.   Of  course on  Sundays he  appropriately dressed for his pastoral responsibilities.
Campers  were trucked  into Glendale  for the Sunday  morning  Worship Service.  Fawcett,
Turnbull,  Robinson,  and Charlie Levis are a few of the men who encouraged and enriched
my young life with their ministry at Fir Point.
 
Since those early beginnings, Fir Point has become an oasis among the tall firs, enjoying
very modern conveniences compared to those of seventy years ago.
 
In 1932 the large dormitory for girls was built.  It was then named Morgan Hall after a lady who was married at Fir Point.  Also, according to Mrs. Howard, it was during this same year that men from Glendale came and constructed the old swimming pool just to the left of the road as you entered Fir Point.  In 1933 a boy’s dormitory was completed and dedicated to Mr. Ingham, owner of the Dollar Lumber Company, who had donated toward its completion.  Before building the pool, according to Mrs. Howard, the creek was dammed to form a lake, which filled nicely, but then washed out.
 
Dr. Howard was a man with missionary vision and held services in many surrounding communities on Sundays besides preaching at his own church.  Some of these were Galesville, Starveout, and Tanner’s Grove (Azalea Grange).  He tried to get to each one once a month.
 
Many Glendale town picnics and swimming parties took place at Fir Point, and many have reminisced about good times had at Fir Point.  Because of the help many in the community had given Dr. Howard, Fir Point was looked on as a community asset.
 
 At the same time that Dr. Howard was holding camps at Fir Point, the American Sunday School Union Missionaries who served in the Roseburg and Medford areas were holding camps and conferences in different locations which they borrowed or rented.  D.D. Randall from Medford held camps at Copper, Oregon (now covered by Applegate Lake), and conferences in different area churches, the old Federated Church in Central Point in particular.  On the Roseburg Field camps were held at Tyee and perhaps at other places.
 
In the early 50s, Missionary Art Kelstrup of Roseburg contacted Dr. Howard, and they began renting the facilities from him for ASSU camps.  When Allen Hill came as missionary in the Medford area, he began taking young people from his Sunday schools to Fir Point to join these camps.
 
The Garland Shinns first came to Southern Oregon in February, 1959, to become area missionaries.  A camp did not exist at that time on that field, so they took twenty-three young people and five staff members to Fir Point to join Glen Goddard (who was by now field missionary in Roseburg) in holding two weeks of camp at Fir Point which he had rented from Dr. Howard.
 
During that first week at Fir Point, Roberta Shinn was invited by Mrs. Howard into the Lodge at Fir Point to look at her lovely home which later became “The Lodge.”  The Howards had built that and all of the other buildings at Fir Point which existed at that time. (Dining Hall with kitchen out back where dish washing room is now, two large dormitories, one smaller dormitory, two large outhouse restroom facilities and a cooks cabin {office now}).  With the exception of the outhouse facilities, these were all lovely log buildings.  Mrs. Howard took Roberta through her home pointing out hand braided wall-to-wall carpets, beautiful myrtle wood furniture Dr. Howard had made, hand carved wagon wheel light fixtures (not the ones now in place), and shared how much she loved her home, the conference site, and the trees.  She also showed long chains that Dr. Howard carved in the winter from single blocks of wood with no breaks in the links in them.   Behind their home, was a large garden and a family orchard.  Behind the house stood a rustic shed, which was used as shop and garage.  An old filbert orchard was where the ball diamond now is.  A cement creek-fed cold swimming pool was to the left side of the road right after you enter  the property.  The campers called it “The Cement Pond.”  The water leaked out as fast as it filled, and the water was always cold.  Many campers remember early morning “Polar Bear Swims.”
 
That year the Shinns took Rhoda Martin Hunter (daughter of George P. Martin whose earlier memories are already included in this history) with them to Fir Point as a Junior camper.  Following is a report of her memories of Fir Point.
                             
As I typed the memories my Dad has of Fir Point, I couldn’t  help  but remember all the
wonderful memories of my own.  I don’t get to Southern Oregon  very often, but when-
ever I pass the Glendale exit, nostalgia sets in,  and I look up into those hills and remem-
ber fondly the days of my youth.  I  can remember  sitting in the outdoor chapel on logs,
and at that time, we could see I-5 through the trees.
 
I don’t remember a  lot of details, but I know that  my  time  spent there played a signifi-
cant  part  in  my spiritual  growth.  Meal times were always such fun, Bible classes inte-
resting,  and   the  evening  vesper  service  so   inspiring.   I have  fond memories of the
campfire and the sharing of testimonies under the beautiful starry nights.
 
It  was  wonderful, dedicated  people  like  the Shinns  who made the camp such a grand
success.  They  were  our  “Mom and Dad” away  from home!  And  the Shinn kids were
loved  by  all  of  us  campers.  I  also  remember fondly  the days of Fred DeVos and the
Simer kids.  Later  as  I  began  teaching  summer  DVBS,  I  remember   returning to Fir
Point  for  a  training   session  and  having  to  tell a  story and  be critiqued  by Dr. Peter
Becker. He  gave  me  the  ultimate  compliment  and  said  I “taught just like my  father.” 
The summers  I taught  DVBS were so  rewarding  and I often  wonder about certain kids
I taught.
 
I  have  been  blessed with  a wonderful  husband, Steve, and two children.  Steve teaches
Business at Western Baptist. 
 
In either 1960 or 1961, Dr. Howard sold the property, buildings, and all equipment to the Medford Monthly Meeting of Friends Church.  The Friends Meeting  at that time included smaller churches in Talent and Klamath Falls.  They too had been renting from Dr. Howard.  They made a commitment to Dr. Howard to never sell the property except for use as a Bible Conference Grounds.  American Sunday School Union Camps directed by Glen Goddard, then missionary on the Roseburg ASSU field,   continued at Fir Point renting from the Friends..
 
In 1960 the Southern Oregon Field began holding their own camps, renting “Camp Two” near Butte Falls from the Assembly of God Churches (who leased the old CCC camp).  This camp was known as Willow Prairie Bible Conference.  That summer Garland Shinn spoke at the ASSU camp at Fir Point for Missionary Glen Goddard.
 
The two camps continued in these locations until 1963.  During that year the American Sunday School Union split the Roseburg field between the Eugene Field and the Medford Field and the southern area became known as the Southern Oregon Field. Missionary Goddard was transferred to Eastern Washington.  Camps combined in 1964 and were held at Fir Point renting from the Friends Meeting.  While the Friends owned Fir Point, they logged it extensively, improved fire roads, planted many trees (all those along the road to the chapel), built a new kitchen (part of the present kitchen), and built the restroom facility behind the dining hall.
 
One of the best things the Southern Oregon Field inherited in this division was Elsie Isakson (from Melrose Community Church) who had cooked and continued to cook for camps, putting in well over twenty years in this ministry.  No camper will ever forget her cinnamon rolls, her tacos, pizza, or the love she showed to all.  Her “Reunion Dinners” were an unforgettable way of dealing with leftovers as “friends who had met before got together again.”  So many people from so many places helped in so many ways with the camps and work on the campground.  The Shinns were thankful for each one.
 
Garland Shinn’s “Daily Detail of Missionary Work” for August 24, 1964, shows that the Shinns and Kenton and Betty Adams (then pastor of Forest Acres Community Church, Central Point), looked at a possible campsite to purchase, feeling that so much more could be done if the Southern Oregon Field owned its own camp.   Both the Adams and the Shinns continued to have this vision, to pray much about it, and to look at other sites available mostly in the Tiller and Butte Falls areas. 
 
During this time, in 1965, Garland needed a new tire (a frequent occurrence as he drove an average of 40 – 50,000 miles a year covering the field which extended from the ocean to the Oregon and Idaho borders and North to Bend and Burns.)  He was sent by Bob Sanderson of Steve Wilson Company to Southern Oregon Tire and Supply Company to pick up a tire since none were available in the right size at Steve Wilson (an unusual occurrence).  As Dick Krupp (who attended the Friends Church in Medford) changed Garland’s tire, Dick said, “We are thinking about selling Fir Point.”  Garland questioned, “Are you serious?”  Dick answered that he was pretty sure his church board was serious. 
 
The “Daily Detail” shows that Garland then met with the Friends in regard to this on October 30, 1965.  On November 3 he met with a lawyer about purchasing Fir Point.  On November 4 a meeting of representatives of the various Sunday schools affiliated with the American Sunday School Union and representatives from Melrose and Pine Grove Churches (both of which had grown out of ASSU Sunday schools) took place at the Shinn home on Sardine Creek in Gold Hill.  At that meeting they began to plan to purchase Fir Point.  Feeling rather small for such a big undertaking, they were encouraged by Garland to realize that the twenty Sunday Schools and two churches included about 800 regular attendees which, if they were gathered in one location, would make them the largest church in the whole area.  Lanny Parsons, a college student from Foots Creek Chapel and a former camper, had been fishing in Alaska and made the first donation giving his tithe from fishing toward the purchase of Fir Point.  Others also gave generously.
 
After much prayer and consideration, an offer was made; earnest money of $500.00 was secured; and the purchase of Fir Point was begun.  An agreement to purchase Fir Point for $29,000 was reached and they were given   $500.00 then.  In January of 1966 the Friends were given  $4500.00 more (from a few loans and many small gifts), along with a note that they would be given   $15,500 more on acceptance of title and delivery of deed on August 15.  The Medford Monthly Meeting of Friends Church would then carry a mortgage on the property at 6% for ten years with interest to be paid semi-annually.  The Friends at this time honored their commitment made to Dr. Howard years before to resell only to a Christian Camping Group although they could have sold the 240 acres for more on the open market.
 
In faith, the Friends allowed Steve and Helen Simer to move to Fir Point as caretakers in December of 1965 where they lived in the lodge and began to work hard to improve the grounds.
 
At the same time the purchase was being made, Fir Point Bible Conference was being incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Oregon.  This was completed on January 13, 1966.  At this time the Sunday school representatives were working on constitution and by-laws. Ned Nay was elected as corporation president, Garland Shinn as vice-president, Elward Smith as secretary, and Kenton Adams as treasurer.
 
In the meantime the Board was searching for a loan for the remaining down payment to the Friends for Fir Point.  Don Myers of Riversdale Sunday School, through his Gideons association with Mr. Henry Kerr of Brookings, was able to secure a loan from Mr. Kerr.
 
The first part of January, 1966, just as the purchase was being completed a storm hit Fir Point and a tree caved in the roof of the girls’ dorm and the roof of the boys’ dorm.  The Friends turned the insurance over to the new corporation.  With volunteer labor the roofs were repaired and money was left to repay initial loans and to purchase badly needed new mattresses.  How wonderfully the Lord provided!
 
February 5 of 1966 the Field began to use Fir Point with a snow party for all!  Almost weekly Saturday workdays began that summer.  Workers cleared brush, repaired the miniature golf course, put in new seating at Inspiration Point, and did much repair and maintenance.  So many people from all of the Sunday Schools and churches helped, that it is impossible to begin to name them.  Mention must be made of Glen Diller who did much painting and of Dick Holsinger who took care of all of the plumbing needs. 
 
That summer ASSU camps were held with 299 young people  at camp, not counting staff.  Thirty-six decisions for Christ were made and   Family Camp was attended by 135.  Most of these campers came from the twenty-two Sunday schools on the field that year, and from Melrose and Pine Grove churches.
Records show that 657 young people in these twenty-two Sunday schools attended Vacation Bible School and 77 decisions were made for Christ that summer. The grounds were in use more of the time with rentals to other groups for eight weeks. A used trailer for the Simers to live was purchased to help in freeing up the Lodge for retreats.
 
During 1967, the Simers went to Bible School at Prairie Bible Institute, and Jim Arch began a brief stint as caretaker. Camps ended with thirty four salvation decisions and $33.01 in cash balance.  The camp continued to be rented  out to other groups.  
 
1968 saw Melrose Church installing electrical hookups and spaces for trailers near the restrooms.  Darrell Stanley brought his cat up and leveled the ball diamond and in front of the dining hall.  Bob Dunn then seeded both areas. The new trailer area  was a wonderfully appreciated thing for the Shinn family as they were then spending at least five weeks of every summer at Fir Point.  This enabled their family to stay together in the new trailer park.  Their  four children loved their times at Fir Point both in camp and just being there with their parents.  They have many great memories of good times had at Fir Point.
 
In 1969 a fund for a new chapel in memory of D.D. Randall was begun.  Larry and Linda Swift moved into the trailer as new caretakers.
 
Construction of Randall chapel began on June 28, 1969 with eight men.  Melrose Community Church provided plans and many workers.  Don Myers oversaw construction (which he continued to do for years after.).   During June, Elmer and Joy Baker and their three children moved to Fir Point to become the new caretakers.   At that time  Sunday School Union activities at Fir Point had increased with the holding of VBS teacher training, winter retreats, picnics, and four weeks of summer camp.  That summer saw three hundred and six young people in attendance, not counting staff.  One hundred and twenty were at Family Camp.  1969 also saw some logging done on the property by Tex Hardin, which helped toward retiring the Kerr note.  An addition to the caretaker’s trailer was made to accommodate the Baker family better.
 
Reroofing the dining hall, putting in the ball field backstop and bleachers, planning the first A frame, and purchasing the county bridge (two neighbors helped pay for it, but Fir Point did the installation.),  and finishing up the ball field in memory of Jerry Dunn  took up much of the year of 1970. That spring saw building of cabinets and remodeling of the kitchen before camp began.   Also that year  four   weeks of ASSU camp were conducted with 65 coming to Christ.  The ball field was dedicated  on May 30 at the annual Memorial Day picnic in memory of Jerry Dunn from Table Rock Sunday School who had gone to be with the Lord as a result of a farm accident. .  By this time  winter ASSU retreats at Fir Point were being held, and rentals to other groups had increased.  That spring the grounds were used by the ASSU for a Missionaries’ Conference with district ASSU missionaries from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon attending..
 
The next year, 1971, saw much work completed on Randall Chapel and A frame number two built.   That summer saw a total enrollment of 666 at Fir Point for ASSU camps including staff.  Twenty-seven decisions were made for Christ. In September of that year, Garland and Roberta Shinn resigned as missionaries with the American Sunday School Union, a very painful experience for them as they left friends and  moved to Onecho Bible Church in eastern Washington so that they could spend more time with their family.  (Garland was at that time away more and more of the time serving the then largest field in the District..)   The summer of 1972, Pastor Dale Cundall of Pine Grove Church directed the camps.  The next year Curt and Mary Ellen Christian came on field as missionaries and have ably carried on the camping ministry, and very ably the development of Fir Point into the wonderful facility it is today.
 
We are very grateful that the Lord enabled us to be a part of the history of Fir Point.  We remain amazed  at and very  thankful  for all that God has done in making it possible.  We are also thankful for the many, many wonderful and faithful folk who gave and worked and ministered to make the purchase, maintenance, and improvements at Fir Point possible.  We are most thankful for all of the young people who found Christ as Savior there.  It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to bless and use Fir Point in the years ahead in an even greater way!
 
            History submitted by Roberta Shinn, February 6, 2003.