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A rendering (front view) of the proposed new outdoor educational building at Western Illinois University's Horn Field Campus.
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A rendering (side view) of the proposed new outdoor educational building at at WIU's Horn Field Campus.
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Since 1971—when RPTA Professor Emeritus Frank Lupton (pictured here, facing the camera, at Horn Field Campus, c. 1973) first envisioned the 92-acre haven as an ideal location for the outdoor educational purpose of instructing his RPTA students—Horn Field Campus has continued to evolve. And while the large campus provides many amenities—it includes woodlands, prairie, several miles of nature trails, as well as a challenge course (that features a high ropes course) and a 40-foot climbing/rappelling wall—for the faculty, students and community members, the building infrastructure situated on the campus is close to 80 years old. Lupton will make the trek back to his beloved HFC, from his home in Minnesota, for the Sept. 27 Lodge and Libations.
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The climbing tower at Horn Field Campus is a 40-foot vertical wood structure, with three sides for climbing, complete with rock-like handholds, and one side for rappelling. One tower wall is slightly inclined for those new to the climbing experience. Harnesses, helmets and safety ropes are provided. Two or more facilitators assist with the tower.
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The high ropes course available at Western Illinois University's Horn Field Campus.
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The cost to attend Lodge and Libations is $25, and the event will feature a social, food and entertainment. WIU RPTA Professor Emeritus Frank Lupton will be giving remarks at 6 p.m. and will lead attendees on a hike before the event concludes. Online registration is available at www.wiu.com/alumni/purchase.asp?eID=634.
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The lodge at WIU's Horn Field Campus.
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Lodge and Libations at Horn Field Campus Sept. 27; Event to Kick of Fundraising Campaign for New Outdoor Ed Building

September 15, 2014

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MACOMB, IL — South of Macomb, in an area that seems tucked back and away from the urban trappings and cornfield landscapes of the hometown of Western Illinois University, is the University's Horn Field Campus (HFC). Western Illinois natives, as well as Western students and alumni who did not study recreation, park and tourism administration (commonly referred to as RPTA, the department at WIU that administers HFC), may have recollections of Horn Field Campus through its Horn Lodge. The Lodge is where many groups and individuals have gathered for professional and social events over the many years it has been part of WIU.

In 2015, Horn Field Campus will celebrate 50 years as part of the University, during which time it has served innumerable individuals as a place for learning and recreation. To kick off that celebration, the WIU College of Education and Human Services, the RPTA department and HFC staff are hosting "Lodge and Libations," starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. The event has a dual purpose: to commemorate the mission of Horn Field Campus and to start a yearlong fundraising campaign, the proceeds of which will go toward building a new outdoor education building in honor of RPTA Professor Emeritus Frank Lupton.

The cost to attend Lodge and Libations is $25, and the event will feature a social, food and entertainment. Lupton will be giving remarks at 6 p.m. and will lead attendees on a hike before the event concludes. In addition, the Western Illinois University President's International String Quartet will perform at the event.

Online registration is available at www.wiu.com/alumni/purchase.asp?eID=634.

Horn Field Campus… A Great Place to Celebrate Being Alive

Since 1971—when Lupton first envisioned the 92-acre haven as an ideal location for the outdoor educational purpose of instructing his RPTA students—Horn Field Campus has continued to evolve. And while the large campus provides many amenities—it includes woodlands, prairie, several miles of nature trails, as well as a challenge course (that features a high ropes course) and a 40-foot climbing/rappelling wall—for the faculty, students and community members, the building infrastructure situated on the campus is close to 80 years old.

According to the book "First Century: A Pictorial History of Western Illinois University" by WIU Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Hallwas, the tract of land on which Horn Field Campus sets came to be a part of WIU in the mid-1960s. The buildings located there, however, were built in the early part of the 20th century.

"[Frank J.] Horn, who owned Coca-Cola Bottling companies in Macomb and other towns, bought the property in 1946…. The tract was appraised at $96,200 when Western bought it. The state paid $56,000, and the other $40,200 represented a gift to the university," Hallwas wrote. "The property included a brick lodge, three brick cabins, which had been built in the 1930s by the former owner, William Bacon."

Lupton, who retired from Western in 1993, said his vision to use Horn Field Campus as a premier outdoor educational facility started even before he took the faculty position in the RPTA department.

"I would say my vision for it probably started when I interviewed for the position, back in 1971. I liked Western, and I very much liked the field campus," Lupton said. "I had visions of it becoming like some other outdoor educational facilities I was acquainted with around the country. It is such a great resource—an outdoor center, where a variety of groups could come and learn and enjoy—and serves a lot of purposes."

Many who know Lupton—his students, colleagues and friends—likely remember his signature saying, "The sun is shining and the birds are singing; it's a great day to be alive!" Mindy Pheiffer, who started as the Horn Field Campus program coordinator in 2005, said the over years, hundreds of his students (including herself) embraced his attitude and his vision for Horn Field Campus.

"Even before Western acquired Horn Field Campus, some were using the area for outdoor education. In a conversation I had with WIU Professor Emeritus Maurice Kellogg, I learned that as early as 1958 Dr. Kellogg had used the field campus for science education," Pheiffer said. "Then, Dr. Lupton started the evolution of the outdoor field campus for outdoor education in the '70s, which is when the trails were built, the native prairie was restored and the early beginnings of the teams course started. That continued to grow in the 1980s."

That's when Pheiffer said she was first introduced to Horn Field Campus—during her undergraduate years at Western in the late '80s.

"I joined the RPTA master's program in the early '90s, as I had fallen in love with the entire concept of outdoor education. Horn Field Campus was my utopia. Being outdoors surrounded by nature is where I think we all need to be at some time or another. Then, add to that the concept of human growth and development, which the challenge course activities provide. We don't often talk about values in the classroom, but the activities at Horn Field Campus embody and extend value-driven concepts to all who participate," she explained.

Pheiffer has continued to tell the story of Horn Field Campus and promote its value for WIU, as well as for the western Illinois community. The Lodge and Libations event and the fundraising campaign are the culmination of her, her colleagues' and HFC advisory board members' plans to increase awareness of the need for a new outdoor educational building at HFC.

"The lodge is a focal point of Horn Field Campus and conjures up memories for many people. We want Horn Lodge to retain its rustic feel. It is a place for people to gather, converse and promote collegiality," Pheiffer said. "But our biggest constraint for growth is deferred maintenance and outdated facilities."

One specific program that a new outdoor educational building would benefit is the RPTA department's Environmental Conservation and Outdoor Education Expedition, frequently referred to as ECOEE. ECOEE is a semester-long field studies program, which was started by Lupton in 1976. Jeff Tindall, a WIU alumnus, an instructor in the RPTA department and the leader of ECOEE, noted the lack of storage facilities and proper educational facilities require the faculty and students to engage in a lot of "work-arounds" when it comes to utilizing HFC for the course and in general.

"A larger, updated facility would not only help us with our needs for ECOEE, but it could also help take Horn Field Campus to the next level," Tindall said. "More programming could take place and larger crowds could be accommodated for classes and banquets. Storage of gear and outfitting for courses would be much more efficient, too. Currently, gear is stored in a shared space in Horrabin Hall. Canoes and kayaks have to be moved to have access to the rooms in which the gear is stored, and often gear has to be moved in order to get to other gear. In general, outfitting for a course can be problematic because of the shared space," he added.

"I think it would be wonderful to build additional facilities so they could have some larger kind of events, which would attract people from across the country. It has that kind of potential," Lupton noted.

According to Pheiffer, her students and her RPTA colleagues continue to help make the buildings at Horn Field Campus work even in the face of having to use outdated facilities.

"The lodge is currently used for RPTA classes, Wilderness First Responder Certification courses, as well as by several academic units at WIU and Spoon River College. We also accommodate many types of conferences, workshops, meetings and social gatherings—and not only for WIU groups, but also community groups, churches, Macomb Youth Leadership, several scout groups and service organizations," she explained. "This is the only facility and academic program of its kind in the nation; RPTA was recently designated as one of WIU's 'signature' programs, and the challenge course is the only facility of its kind within at least a 100-mile radius. To be able to serve more current students and potential students with upgraded, expanded facilities makes sense."

With the assistance of HFC's advisory board (also known as the "Friends of Horn" leadership team), many years have been devoted to creating a master plan and drawing physical plans for a building.

"The dream of the committee, the faculty and everyone involved at HFC is to have a state-of-the-art facility equipped with the basics of restrooms, showers, laundry and food-prep area, along with a staging facility for experiential trips and classrooms," Pheiffer said.

On the precipice of its golden anniversary, HFC has received a bit of upgrade to its woodlands, Pheiffer added. Last year, a successful Arbor Day Foundation grant application (written by RPTA Assistant Professor Rob Porter and David King, executive director of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.) resulted in a $10,000 award for a reforestation project at Horn Field. The award provided for more than 16,000 saplings, which were planted near the challenge course area and in the surrounding woodlands.

Reservations for the fundraising event will be accepted until the day of the event.

For more information about ways to get involved to help Horn Field Campus, contact Pheiffer at (309) 833-5798, MJ-Pheiffer@wiu.edu or the RPTA office at (309) 298-1967.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing