Wildwood Springs Lodge

Wildwood Springs Lodge 

         125 Grand Ave, Steelville, Mo 65565 

        By: Morgan Bergner 

How It All Started 

     It was a hunting trip that brought Mr. William Forester and his two sons Henry and Frank Forester to the Steelville area. They were so impressed by the bluff overlooking the Meramec River that they bought about 85 acres of land there in 1921 and made plans to build a large resort hotel. The architect, Mr. Hummel of Springfield Missouri, planned the resort and was present during the construction which began early in 1922. 

Construction of Wildwood

     Building Wildwood in the early 20’s, was a large undertaking for that time period. Construction of the building started immediately and was estimated to cost approximately $50,000. Along with the resort, plans were made for 300 cottages that would have cost $50,000. In January 1922, R.H. Hummel, contractor and members of Wildwood Springs Resort Association told the Crawford Mirror the project’s finish date would be June 22,1922. Finishing a full month ahead of schedule allowed Wildwood to hold its opening on Memorial Day of 1922.  On Opening Day, Wildwood could boast being the largest resort in the state of Missouri, at that time, and the first running water in the community. After a short six months of construction, Wildwood featured a large main lobby and two wings, each 121 feet and 44 feet deep. The wings consisted of the guest rooms, showers, and lavatories. 

     Downstairs, 16 of the rooms had shared lavatories, and originally, both floors were supposed to have the same layout, but when they ran into financial troubles, they had to make shared restrooms at the end of each hallway in the upstairs wing. Six additional rooms called the bridal chambers were added outside the wings in the Mezzanine area. This made it a total of 53 rooms that were all described by the Crawford Mirror as “finished with modern furniture, carpet, and draperies. Mr. Hummel also constructed the present-day clubhouse across the ravine for Mr. and Mrs. George Field of St. Louis.  In addition, he built a cottage at the end of the hotel and the bluff for himself.

     The surrounding acres were originally planned for development of 300 cabins, ranging from three to five rooms each. When financing failed, the land was divided into lots to be sold.  The area between the hotel and the end of the bluff was subdivided and sold to individual owners, but the steep face of the bluff was declared a public park and remains so, to this day. Dr. John Zahorsky and a new group bought and operated the resort until the late 1930’s. 

     Through the years, Wildwood has offered relaxation, entertainment, and more, to many.  Wildwood Springs had a full-time orchestra devoted to entertaining guests, a nine-hole golf course, including obstacles such as a pond, and a large in-ground pool.  Next to the resort, Dr. A.J. Barnard created the Central Riding Park and kept 20 saddle horses where townspeople and guests were able to learn to ride on the half-mile course. During WWII, Wildwood helped out, too, housing young women who created bandages for the war effort.

     After WWII, a couple from St. Louis, Ben and Sonia Finkel, purchased Wildwood Springs Lodge. In the 50’s, they remodeled the lobby and continued to operate the resort until the 1980s.

 Modern day Wildwood Springs Lodge

     In the 1970s a young boy named Bobby Bell lived across the street and started working for the Finkels. The boy became close to the couple, and to the lodge.  After seeing the lodge close and sit empty, the Bell family decided to purchase the building. In 1993, they reopened Wildwood. Over the years, Bob Bell worked to bring back the ambiance and romance of the resort. 

     Wildwood has been the first employer for a lot of young people who have gone on to varied careers.  It is impossible to measure the impact of a resort, like Wildwood, on the surrounding community; almost all of the employees were from the Steelville area.  Many young people had summer jobs which helped them through high school, or college. Some older people returned to their jobs, year after year, as if they belonged there and were part of the Wildwood family.  Steelville citizens often found themselves associating with the visitors and the resort. Others were able to take advantage of the local enjoyment the resort offered. Some families even found themselves relaxing at the lodge for the whole summer.

     Once again Wildwood has become a place for families to relax, to partake in different activities, and to enjoy music. It is such a great place to spend your summer, with its beautiful view from the back porch. It is lovely place inside and outside, with such lovely people who work there.

Enjoy your stay!