History I
In 1922, the Black Hills Association voted to sponsor a "Summer Youth Assembly" in the Black Hills. In 1924 the South Dakota Baptist Convention secured a lease from the United States Forest Service for some ground in the Bear Gulch area just east of the small village of Silver City. In the winter of 1925-26 an administration building and kitchen/dining room were constructed for a total sum of $200. That summer began the ministry of Camp Judson in South Dakota.
It was only natural that a more permanent camp would be built as attendance in the Black Hills was popular. The new camp construction began with a new kitchen/dining room, administration building, assembly area and the beginning construction of cabins. A total of $2000 was dedicated to the project. At the May 19, 1926 meeting of the Black Hills Association the name "CAMP JUDSON" was officially adopted in honor of Adoniram and Ann Judson, America's first overseas missionaries.
As the years passed, the camp continued to be developed and improved. Attendance increased and a vast network of support for Camp Judson developed that remains through today.
In the early '5Os a move was made to build a new Camp Judson. On May 16, 1954 ground was broken at the present site. The old Camp Judson was soon flooded by Pactola Dam and is now under water. The new camp site was developed over the years until today it has the dining hall/kitchen, fireside room and "chapel" in Roger Williams Lodge, Fellowship Lodge, 20 cabins (cabin 4 being a double), Outreach Lodge, shower house, Cobb Manor, the manager's residence, the ranch residence on the valley property, and a maintenance building. In 1990 a new lake was constructed.
In recent years, a major addition was added to Outreach Lodge more than doubling the size and making it a complete year-around facility that can accommodate up to 50 people for housing, meetings and meals. The latest addition to the camp is the completion of a new wheel-chair accessible cabin. With these additions, the camp facility can now house well over 200 campers.
Camp Judson continues to be a central gathering point for South Dakota Baptists. Camps for all ages are held each summer as well as conferences for women, men, and pastors and spouses. The camp is also used by rental groups when available and is active with the cabins open until December. The camp hosts the Senior High Winter Camp in February and slowly comes alive by April each year.
Camp Judson has been the place where countless persons have met Jesus Christ in a personal way. The camp continues to be a place of growth, challenge, comfort and fellowship to all who enter its doors.
In 1922 the Black Hills Association of the South Dakota Baptist Convention saw the need to sponsor a "Summer Assembly" for youth, and two years later a lease for 19 acres from the United States Forest Service was obtained for a location then known as Bear Gulch, just to the east of Silver City. The site selected was an old logging camp of a Rapid City lumber company which was to be abandoned soon. In 1925 -1926 two hundred dollars was appropriated to build an administration building, kitchen, and dining room - thus the ministry of Camp Judson, as we know it today, had taken root.
At first lodging was largely in tents with accommodations for a few persons in some of the old cabins still standing from the logging camp days. More buildings and classrooms were hurriedly constructed, so that by 1926 nearly a hundred campers attended. Setbacks would soon be encountered, as in the spring of 1927 the roof on the new dining room and kitchen collapsed under the weight of a four foot snowfall.
A new name for Bear Gulch became necessary. "Bear Gulch is too frightening", so Mr. J. Barton (the Executive Minister) made the proposal that the name Camp Judson would be a desirable one. This name was soon accepted with the subtitle, Summer Home of the South Dakota Baptist Convention. The name symbolized for the Baptists a great life, that of Adoniram Judson, first American missionary to Burma for nearly thirty-seven years. When the name was placed in large letters on the buildings, a conversation was overheard among the workmen of a railroad section crew at work nearby. "Who is this guy Judson, I wonder." Another workman replied, "I suppose he is a big guy with lots of money, like Rockerfellow, and they thought they would get some of it by naming their camp for him."
By 1927 four dormitory cabins had been built from the floor and other lumber from the collapsed kitchen. Also, four privately owned cabins had been started on the grounds.
Camping grew over the next twenty years, and Camp Judson proved to be the most popular camp in the Black Hills, in demand from many other groups (even some not Baptist!), such as the Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, the Gideons, and others. The camp was proving its value in the spiritual nurturing of the boys and girls who were sent there. The number of first decisions for Christ and the number of dedications to Christian service were greatly increased.
Meanwhile, Camp Judson, considered remote by some, had a cloudy future with reports of plans for a dam which would create a lake that would inundate the camp. As the Bureau of Reclamation progressed with their plans for the dam it was becoming paramount that a new site had to be located. This task fell primarily upon the shoulders of Mr. Ted Scholl of Rapid City who was head of the camp committee. He was very familiar with the Black Hills. The Lord also lent His hand by creating a need for the Bureau workers to have a place to live while working on the dam. Thus, the old site proved ideal during the construction period. The $20,000 paid to the Convention was satisfactory in view of the fact the land was only leased, and the buildings weren't very good. As the present site was located by Mr. Scholl and endorsed by the staff people, the arrangements were completed and ground-breaking occurred in the spring of 1954. The camping programs for a couple of years were make-shift, as the new site was developed, buildings erected, and the headline in the Baptist Bulletin "CAMP JUDSON IS NOT DEAD" was ringing true.
The Rev. Ray Schroeder, Director of Evangelism and Christian Education for the South Dakota Baptist Convention, prophetically remarked after some of the early structures were completed, "I believe with all modesty that we built the finest camp that is to be found in the American Baptist Convention." Attendance of nearly two hundred in Roger William’s Lodge marked the dedication of the new Camp Judson in July, 1955. The evening meal cost $1.25 and lodging was $0.50 in one of the shining cabins. Wide-spread support from across the state was shown by gifts of money, linen, housekeeping supplies, one chore girl, and one fly swatter. Another example of support was in 1959 when the Minister's Council voted to give $20.00 towards debt reduction at the camp. Over the years, though blessed with generous gifts, it was the cumulative effort of the smaller gifts that made Camp Judson what it is today.
Many new buildings now dot the original site - building and remodeling never seem to cease. With additional land purchases and trades the main site is composed of approximately 80 acres with an additional plot of 80 acres in the valley north of Cross Rock - all fully deeded to the American Baptist Churches of the Dakotas.
Before the construction of the Knight Memorial residence, a variety of summer employees took charge of things season-by-season. This 1968 permanent home provides housing for a full-time Director of Camping.
When Dr. W. H. Bayles spoke at the dedication in 1955, a part of his feelings was expressed and are just as appropriate now. "The camp is dedicated to the glory of God and the training of Christian lives. It is our hope that this beautiful camp, located in the heart of the Black Hills' majesty, will serve our people well for many years and that it will help all who come into contact with it to walk more closely with God."
The namesake of this camp (Adoniram Judson) was called God's Catalyst. God needs catalysts who are ready to be used to enable, to cause things to happen for the Lord, and then to seek new guidance - ready to begin again wherever he leads.