Hobsons to helm Bunker Hill Retreat

A couple with ties to the Willow Springs School District will take over as managers of the Bunker Hill Retreat, the resort announced last week. 

Matt and Stefanie Hobson are taking over as managers of the 2,080-acre resort outside Mountain View this week. Matt, a school board member, began work full time at Bunker Hill on Feb. 6. 

Stefanie, a teacher at the R-IV school district, will complete her contract this academic year before transitioning to work on the resort.

"It was one of those things," Matt told Howell County News. "We've always done stuff differently. We've never been afraid to try new things. You've only got one shot at life. Why not try as many things as you can?"

The adventure will encompass the whole Hobson family. Their two daughters, ages 15 and 10, are excited for this new chapter, Matt said. 

The Hobsons are filling the shoes of Greg and Mary Howell. The Howells are retiring after managing Bunker Hill Retreat for seventeen years. 

According to Matt, the retreat is a resource that is "truly underappreciated" by the locals. 

Bunker Hill Retreat began as a reclusive recreational area open only to teachers when a Sedalia-based cigar maker gave the land to the Missouri State Teachers Association, according to literature from the retreat.

In July of 1947, the land officially changed hands. Teachers and families by the hundreds traveled to the Ozarks to enjoy the great outdoors at the rate of $3.50 per day. It blossomed from rustic fishing cabins to a robust resort quickly.

In 2013, the resort opened to the public. Today, it boasts 19 cabins that can accommodate 120 people and a full-service dining hall. Available activities include canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, horseshoes, swimming, ping pong, basketball, volleyball, tennis, pickle ball, mini golf, and shuffleboard.

For more information, see their website bunkerhillretreat.com.