Kerrville in Kerr County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Texas Lions Camp
Located on land once owned by Kerrville founder Joshua Brown, this has been the site of rehabilitative facilities since the 1920s, when the American Legion established a sanitorium here, followed by a United States Veterans Administration hospital in 1925. In 1948, as a nationwide polio epidemic raged, local Lion Jack Roe, working with the Kerrville Lions Club, promoted the concept of a special camp for children afflicted with the disease. A social worker with the Texas Department of Public Welfare, Roe had seen handicapped children turned away from other summer camps, and in response he made it his mission to create a place where they could experience the joys of nature at a camp designed for their unique needs.
Roe and the local Lions Club members worked with other clubs around Texas to promote establishment of the camp, and in 1949 they received endorsement from the Lions International Convention. A statewide fundraising effort and the assistance of then-U.S. Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson led to the purchase of 504 acres of land at this site from the federal government in 1950. The camp officially opened on June 8, 1953, with 40 campers who participated in the formal dedication celebration on July 3, 1953. The camp also provided training facilities for clients of the Texas Commission for the Blind from 1958 to 1984, and since 1971 has included special programs for children with diabetes. It celebrated a milestone in 2003, marking service to a total of 50,000 children since its opening.
The Texas Lions Camp has served as a place of education and respite for children with special needs for more than half a century. Its programs, still supported by Lions clubs throughout the state, reflect the Lions motto "We Serve" by providing campers with education, entertainment and memories to last their lifetimes.
Erected 2005 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13248.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas • Science & Medicine. A significant historical date for this entry is June 8, 1953.
Location. 30° 0.378′ N, 99° 6.381′ W. Marker is in Kerrville, Texas, in Kerr County. Marker is at the intersection of Happiness Road and Memorial Boulevard (State Highway 27), on the right when traveling east on Happiness Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4100 San Antonio Highway, Kerrville TX 78028, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Brown Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); Gus F. Schreiner Home (approx. 2.1 miles away); Remembering Pearl Harbor Day (approx. 2.2 miles away); POW-MIA (approx. 2.2 miles away); Schreiner University War Memorial (approx. 2.2 miles away); The Fabled Bull Ring (approx. 2.2 miles away); Schreiner College (Schreiner Institute) (approx. 2.3 miles away); Glen Rest Cemetery (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kerrville.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 116 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 11, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.