Since 1958, Slumber Falls has been an integral part of the New Braunfels community.
The Beginning
Slumber Falls Camp is located a few miles from downtown New Braunfels on River Road alongside the shores of the Guadalupe River where the river makes a turn between two huge cypress trees.
The land was purchased in the 1890s by Joseph Landa, of Landa Park fame, for cattle ranching. History notes the use of the land by locals as a popular swimming and picnicking site. During the 1930s, Henry Landa (Joseph’s son) sold 20 acres to W. V. & Francis Schulz Lillie. Mrs. Lillie was quite a determined woman as she approached Mr. Landa four times to finally convince him to sell to her, and acquired the property for $1,545! It was then developed into a tourist court with a panoramic view of the Guadalupe River.
Mrs. Lillie and her brother, Herman Schrader, who was a carpenter, began building the cabins one at a time as they could afford them. Eventually they built ten tourist cabins: Whip-O-Will, Shady Nook, Asper Inn, Toddle Inn, Joy Within, Dun Wandering, Idle Hours, Rio Vista and Heigh Ho.
Victor Silvas was hired as the gardener and he planted and maintained the crepe myrtle along the river by the bathhouse and several beautiful flower beds around the camp. During this period, retaining walls were built as well as steps from the top of the bluff to the river. A license plate dated 1935 is embedded in the riser of the top step as well as the names Herman, Francis, and Will (referring to the Lillies and her brother Herman Schrader) inscribed in the concrete step with a date of 1932.
Across River Road from the property was a waterfall and the name of the waterfall is said to have come from Mr. Lillie who found the sound of the water so peaceful he said it would be a good place to sleep. The waterfall was then known as Slumber Falls.
The original Slumber Falls was destroyed but at the bottom of the steps leading from the camp to the river is a small, natural falls and these inherited the name Slumber Falls - justly so because the sound from these falls is just as peaceful.
The Next Chapter
In 1946, Mrs. Lillie, then a widow, sold the tourist court to her nephews and a third-party for somewhere between $20,000 and $33,000. The tourist court continued to operate until a severe drought in 1957 caused the Guadalupe River to virtually dry up. The owners closed the court and the nephews decided to sell.
This was an opportunity for the Texas Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church - now the United Church of Christ - to purchase the property. The Texas Synod acquired the 20 acres for $16,500 with the goal to fulfill a vote taken in early 1956 to seek a camp for adult and youth ministry.
Rev. Fred Woelke and his wife honeymooned at the tourist camp and when they heard the property was available, he pushed for the site to be purchased. But the nephews wanted to close the sale before the end of 1957 and there were no funds available for the Synod to make the purchase. Rev. Woelke and his wife, along with Rev. Herman Borne of Houston and his wife, and the Brotherhood Foundation in Houston pooled the money for a down payment. By midnight on December 31, 1957, earnest money was delivered and a loan was secured by Rev. Frank Horak and the Hill Bank & Trust of Weimar, Texas, to seal the purchase of what is now Slumber Falls Camp.
Slumber Falls Camp Begins
Volunteers from churches around the conference pitched in to get the site ready for the first camping season in 1958. At the time of the camp dedication on June 1, the original tourist cabins remained, but there was no lodge, no meeting space, no kitchen, no shower house. Eventually a centrally located cabin became the kitchen. Meals were eaten at picnic tables under a tarpaulin on a makeshift frame. Campers lived in screened-in cabins. Some cabins had basic lavatories and showers, but most did not. Despite the lack of amenities, there were 385 campers over seven weekly camps with 100 staff that first summer.
A dining and food preparation area was built in 1961 and was enclosed in 1964. It was renamed Woelke Lodge in 1969 to honor Rev. Fred Woelke, whose vision and generosity created Slumber Falls Camp. The original swimming pool was built in 1963 and over the years cabins were winterized (and air-conditioned). New facilities were added, including a shower house, new cabins, basketball court, meeting cabins, game room and more. A separate area on the property, Bizer Retreat Center, with meeting rooms, a kitchen area and lodging, was added in the 1980s.
The New Generation
For 65 years, Slumber Falls Camp was owned and operated by the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ. In late 2022, the Conference announced it was planning to sell the property. A small group of former campers, camp parents, and former staff members quickly formed a nonprofit organization, Friends of Slumber Falls, and sought donors to help purchase the camp from the Conference. Ultimately, the Conference voted to sell Slumber Falls to Fred and Karen Wigginton.
Through special SFC connections (and God’s guiding hand), the Wigginton’s prayerfully transferred their buyer’s contract to the Friends of Slumber Falls. A group of donors, including Wilfred Bartoskewitz, Bob & Laura Bruce, the Ward family, the Loonam family, and others, came together to provide the funding that allowed Friends of Slumber Falls to complete the purchase of Slumber Falls Camp.
On September 1, 2023, Slumber Falls was saved and Friends of Slumber Falls became new owners of the property for the first time in six decades. The organization has hired an Executive Director, Michelle Rivera, and onboarded new staff. The camp kitchen was remodeled for the first time since the original dining area was built in 1961, and other site improvements have been made.
A special place that is open to all, Slumber Falls Camp & Retreat Center looks forward to welcoming hundreds of summer campers and retreat groups this year and beyond.