HISTORY OF SHADY REST RESORT

Shady Rest Resort has been around since the earliest days of automobile traveling. For most of it’s life it has been a combination farm/resort. We have heard stories from our guests of how, many years ago, they would awake to find cattle grazing outside their cabin or how kids would be fascinated by the daily milking of the dairy cows.

Post card of Shady Rest Resort from the 1920’s courtesy of the Thomas Reep family.

It all started when folks that were traveling through the area and asked if they could rest and spend the night by the lake. Originally that just involved putting up a tent, but then the farmer decided to build some cottages and rent them out to subsidize the farm income. Travelers and vacationers have found it to be a popular place to spend the night or a week or two and enjoy the great fishing and recreation Lake Amelia has to offer.

Originally called Reeps Lake Amelia Farm and then Reeps Shady Rest Resort, the resort changed hands only a few times. In 1977 Ron and Eleanor Langhoff purchased the resort and immediately began remodeling and upgrading the facilities. Where old one room cottages stood there are now new 2, 3 and 4 bedroom, full size, lakeside cabins. In 1998, Dan and Dave Langhoff joined the resort and are part of it’s operations today.

Each year we continue to improve the resort in order for you to have as an enjoyable vacation experience as you can and we promise to do our best to keep up the wonderful tradition that the resort has had over the years.

The Office and store from the 60’s and 70’s