Prior to the year of 1940 the Nebraska District conducted its camp meetings in city parks or used other facilities which were available. There was a growing desire to obtain a camp site that could be developed which would meet the needs of district camp meetings.

During the District Council which convened here in Grand Island in 1939. a decision was made, after much discussion, to purchase a camp site. At the same time the present location of our camp came into focus. Authorization was given to the District Presbytery to acquire a district camp site. A brother in the Lexington church owned the property where our camp is now located. He was contacted concerning the possibility of purchasing some of his land for a camp site.

Through the generosity of his heart he gave the district a deed to six acres without charge. This was a real boost to our camp program. At this time land was being cleared in the basin which is now Johnson Lake, located south of Lexington. Farm buildings were being sold to make way for this large reservoir. Under the leadership of Brother A. M. Alber. District Superintendent, some of these buildings were purchased. With volunteer labor these buildings were torn down and hauled to the camp. From this material the tabernacle, dining hall, and the first units of cabins were constructed.

These first buildings were constructed in 1940. Brother and Sister John Brinson who now reside in Lexington were the first caretakers and it was through their hard work that much of the camp building was done. Trees were to be planted as the six acres were nothing but a cow pasture. Before the Trees were planted it was of necessity to drive an irrigation well. This was done primarily by man power, but there was a camp to be built, so the work progressed. A tractor for light work was needed and there was no money with which to purchase one SO Brother Alber made one. In this modern day it would hardly meet the specifications of a real tractor, but it was a great help in the early days of building a camp.

The first state camp was conducted on our own grounds, August 1941. Brother William McPherson was the speaker. The floor in the tabernacle was gravel. It was rather difficult to walk in and to say the least it was a little rough on a shoe shine and of course the children had fun playing in the gravel. These inconveniences were over looked; this was camp meeting being conducted on our own District Camp Grounds. Under the leadership of Brother M. F. Brandt, District Superintendent, the camp continued to grow and progress. More cabins were constructed and shower houses were built and other improvements were made.

In June of 1945 the first boys camp was conducted. Brother Fred Lessen was the director. From that time the camps grew until within a short time we started boys’ and girls’ camps, then youth camp. A few years later we found we were over crowded so the district was divided into sections and there were two boys and girls* camps and a youth and teen camp. For the past several years these camps have had almost 700 in attendance. As I travel from church to church I am made to realize more and more the true value of camp meetings. There are many who have been definitely influenced for God during camp meetings who are some of our most faithful members of our district fellowship.

By 1952 there was a feeling that our camp program was losing some of its enthusiasm. During district council that year a camp committee was appointed made up of laymen with Brother C. T. Beem as its chairman. This district council convened in Lexington. The committee went to the camp grounds and observed it as it was. They made a thorough study of the needs of the camp. Their report to the camp was quite extensive and many felt it was quite visionary. They made some recommendations which many felt was quite unrealistic. Among other recommendations they felt the starting place was to erect a new tabernacle and then remodel the old one into a dining hall and kitchen.

These recommendations kept coming to us from the camp committee from year to year until during the District Council in McCook in 1961 definite steps were taken and a resolution was passed by that council in session to begin construction on a new tabernacle. A loan of $30,000.00 was secured from the Home Federal Savings and Loan of Lexington and not only was a new tabernacle constructed, but a new sewer system was installed that connected to the Lexington sanitation sewer. Ground was broken  only a few weeks after that district council.  The building was under construction. To say the least that was a busy summer.

Every available man was put into the work and there were a lot of donated man hours that went into the building. The new tabernacle 80 X 112 made of concrete and steel was completed and in use for that August camp meeting. We ran very close on time, as we felt we must have the tabernacle for camp. We had advertised. “Come to District camp and worship in the new air conditioned tabernacle.” Completion was a must. The electrician tied the building into the electric power line late Thursday evening and in less than 24 hours the camp meeting was in progress. The following year the old tabernacle was remodeled into a dining hall and kitchen. In 1966 the old dining hall was remodeled and named Alber Hall.

In 1953 during camp meeting the spirit of God moved upon the camp in a very marked way which was the means of revitalizing our entire World Missions Ministry. It was in a ministers’ meeting during that camp when Brother Loren Triplett offered himself for Foreign Missionary service. Like a great prairie fire this spirit of giving went through the ministers in that meeting. This spirit carried over into the morning service and on through the camp. By the end of that camp, the Triplet’s support and money for their outfit and fare was quite well taken care of. Since that time a number of couples have given themselves to missionary service and the camp has been a great factor in sending these fine young people to the field of their calling.