June 2025

There will be several community events at Camp Nelson in the coming months. Look for the “Calendar of Community Events” flyer from the Communities of the Giant Sequoias Group. The next events are the All Mountain Community Picnic on June 7 th ; The Camp Nelson Volunteer Fire
Department BBQ and 4 th of July Parade on July 5 th ; The Corn Roast on July 19 th . These events are at the Conservancy Yard. Our annual Camp Nelson Mountain Festival will be August 1, 2, 3 in the Meadow.

As early as 1913 Emma Smith had advertisements published in the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times newspapers. These ads explained that Camp Nelson is situated on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains among the pines, elevation 4800 feet. There is good
trout fishing and hunting near the Camp, and it is the most assessable route to Kern River fishing, which is admitted as the best in the world. The ad goes on to say that Camp Nelson is 275 miles from San Francisco and 250 miles from Los Angeles. Reached by the Southern Pacific Railroad; South from SF and North from LA to Porterville, California. Then take the Porterville Northeastern Railroad to Springville. Take the stage coach (Fare $1.50 each way) 8 miles to the forks of the Tule Rivers. Then, horseback 7 miles to Camp Nelson. The ad continues to list the costs of saddled horses, pack burros, packers and hotel facilities, meals, campground sites, etc. The Conservancy
Museum has this great historical item from 1913 as well as many other pieces of our history.

The Meadow Trail begins at the gate by Nelson Drive and Smith Drive. Go inside the gate and follow the signs around the meadow for a half mile stroll. There is a bench at the high side of the trail for your comfort.

The JMNC Live Streaming Webcams with views of the meadow and conservancy yard can be accessed on the Conservancy website.
We invite you to check the current weather conditions in real time by using the Weather
Underground app on your smart phone or go to www.wunderground.com on your computer. Our station’s designation is “KCACAMPN10”.

The Camp Nelson RV Park is open. Vacation time is here. If you have friends or relatives that enjoy RVing/camping, invite them to make their reservations for the upcoming months. Call 559.542.2471 for information.

Visit our website to volunteer, make a donation, read the monthly Conservancy Article, buy a memorial brick, or purchase a copy of “The Tule River Middle Fork and its People” written by Malcolm Sillars. Read about the Tule River communities on the middle fork and see for yourself the history of
this wonderful mountain home for many people. Here is an excerpt from Chapter Nine of the book for your enjoyment:
Chapter Nine; Kramer’s Sheep Meadow, Quaking Aspen, and Pete’s Ponderosa. 

“Alexander S. Kramer came from Pennsylvania in 1874, filed on a homestead about two and a half miles south of what is now Earlimart and began raising sheep about 1878. His brother, Howard, later joined him in a partnership. They eventually had 10,000 head of sheep that ranged on open
land near Earlimart. They needed summer pasture, however, and found it on property near Johnsondale said to be owned by a “George Flitz” (undoubtedly the same person, or from the same family as John P. Fleitz who owned the land that is now Alpine Village and many lumber claims between there and Johnsondale, and who was one of the founders of Mount Whitney Lumber
Company that built the mill at Johnsondale).” Page 124.

As members of the conservancy, our common interests include the Meadow, Conservancy Yard, buildings and the RV Park. It takes the dedication of volunteers who serve willingly to insure that we preserve and maintain these areas for the enjoyment and use of the community and visitors.
Thank you to everyone that continuously serves. If you are interested in helping, contact any JMNC Board Member. Such purposes for why our corporation was organized are to acquire, preserve and maintain for public enjoyment those natural and historic features of the Upper Tule Region of the

Sierra Nevada Mountains. We work closely with Communities of the Giant Sequoias, Volunteer Fire Department, Camp Nelson Ambulance Association, Camp Nelson Women’s Club, Camp Nelson Chapel and the local businesses to promote the communities. Please support your Conservancy and
Museum. Donations from community members are one of our sources of funds.

The John M. Nelson Conservancy is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation and your donations are tax deductible. We want to express our sincere thanks to all those who have donated to the Conservancy and thank you for your continued support. You may send your contribution to 801
Highway 190, Box 110, Springville, CA 93265 or log-on to the JMNC website. Thank you.

For more current information and events, you can follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/jmnconservancy We invite you to attend our monthly Board meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00AM in the Conservancy building; 388 Smith Drive, Camp Nelson. The next meeting will be June 14, 2025.

Check-out the web page at;
www.johnmnelsonconservancy.org
Mailing Address is; 801 Hwy 190, Box 110, Springville, CA 93265
Respectfully Submitted, June 2025.
Dan McFadzean, Director; JMNC
Email; mcfadzeand@yahoo.com phone.661.978.4679