Children's Summer Resort, Castle Hot Springs Brochure
The town is actually an unincorporated community 3 miles south of Whispering Pines, CA, that has been known by several names over the years, such as Verdant Vales, Camp Houdd Gibson, Castle Springs, Mills Hot Springs, Noble's Springs, and currently Castle Rock Springs.
The Lona Hazzard School was started in or around 1921, and in 1927 after a generous donation from C. W. Gibson, they opened the Houdd Gibson School, named for Gibson's son who died during WWI. The summer camp, which actually was also used as the grounds and buildings of the Houdd Gibson School during the rest of the year, appears to have been another business venture of the Hazzard's, in order to provide year around boarding for the children attending both schools
It appears as though the Hazzard's only ran both this camp and and second school for a year before donating it to the Salvation Army by the summer of 1928, when it was then renamed the Houdd Gibson Camp. It operated then both as a summer camp for underprivileged boys and a resort for "opulent citizens" (presumably to help pay the bills) until a fire in 1944 burned down most of the buildings (Napa Journal Article, Sept. 15, 1944). As for the Lona Hazzard School, there is little to no record of it after 1932, and presumably it went out of business around then.
Price: $100.00
Item #28001306