Lives enriched through the years at Oakwood Park

Oakwood Park has been home to the same families since the area was purchased in 1894 by the Indiana Conference Evangelical Association of North America for $5,000 from William F. Frederick. At that time, the property was called “Conklin Hill Park.”D. Martz, D.S. Oakes, Charles W. Hansing, John Riddle, Franklin Ott, Jacob C. Hirschman and Andrew Kramer purchased the acres to provide a permanent camp meeting ground for the church. The site consisted of a large guest house on the hill, a barn down the north slope of Conklin Hill, and an ice house at the edge of the swamp, which ran from Peach Point Field east to behind the present hotel.Cottage 58, a three-story white clapboard structure, has been a presence in Oakwood Park since 1898. It has always been in the same family. It was known as “Lakeside Cottage” then and is now known as the Soltau/Rodabaugh cottage. “My great-grandfather John A. Soltau built the cottage himself using full-dimensional oak lumber. I have enjoyed coming here since I was a child,” said Edward Rodabaugh, current owner of the cottage.According to papers found following the death of John C. Hirschman, a managing committee was appointed by the Indiana Conference to have control of the grounds and empowered to make improvements, lay out lots, determine prices and make sales. At that time, the property was officially named “Oakwood Park.”John A. Soltau signed a 99-year lease for lot No. 41 (Cottage 58) on Jan. l0, 1896 for $1 soon after the 40 acres were purchased by the Indiana Conference. The lot was considered “waterfront” because there was lake water where the Oakwood Resort parking lot is now.Soltau built the four-room, two-story cabin the summer after the “big windstorm,” which occurred about 1898. The storm destroyed the original tent tabernacle used by the church and blew down most of the camping tents. “There were only leases given out by the Indiana Conference for years. The leases were converted to deeds about 1927. John A. Soltau paid $70 for his deed at that time.In the early 1900s, John A. Soltau moved the cottage closer to the lake. He added small “kucken kitchen” under the two -story cabin. “The church gave my great-grandfather the cement blocks that still are part of the kitchen for the lower level in consideration of moving the structure. The church directors wanted the cottage moved away from the tabernacle,” said Edward. A long L-shaped parkside and roadside porch was then added.

The Rodabaugh family continues to enjoy their time at the lake. “Our sons Charles (Chuck), Thomas (Tom) and Scott, along with their families, often come to the lake for long weekends and holidays,” said Edward.James S. Hook, author of “Oakwood’s First Century 1893-1993”, said that the real history of Oakwood Park is not about land, or prices, or buildings, or even about programs. “The history of the park is about lives changed, lives enriched, vows made, relationships developed, dreams encouraged, hopes renewed, prayers said and the spiritual experienced.”