Home Comfort Resort

Home Comfort Resort as described in the brochure: Seven ultra-modern housekeeping cottages. All air-conditioned. Built separate for privacy. Electric refrigeration, gas ranges and wall heaters. Address: Pontiac, Missouri. Ph. Gainesville, Osborn 9-2179.

Home Comfort Resort sat on a piece of property that was originally patented by Jasper N. Turnbo on July 20, 1886. The original town of Pontiac was part of Turnbo's tract, which included Home Comfort Resort, Frontier Baptist Church and Pontiac Cemetery, on what is now County Road 609. Turnbo conveyed the property to J.U. Ford in 1925. It was transferred to Isaac Owen in 1927, then to Thomas Owen in 1935, then to John Hollingsworth in 1955. The Hollingsworth family built the resort. They owned several different tracts of land in Pontiac. There is an old house foundation on the south side of Hollingsworth Cove that belonged to the Hollingsworth family.

A postcard from the late 60's, early 70's. Bob Schultz won all those trophies in fishing tournaments.

Bob and Pat Schultz bought the resort in 1964, and their sons, John and Dan, moved here with them. Two more sons, David and Robbie, were born here. John was school age but just missed going to the Pontiac School across the road from the resort as it was consolidated with Gainesville in 1961. In late 1966 or early 1967, the Schultz home burned. I remember being there during the fire and hearing lots of ammunition going off. The cabins weren't damaged, and they rebuilt the house.

Home Comfort Resort as it looks today.

Bob Schultz was a very good fishing guide. He fished out of a 16-foot Richline with an 18 HP Evinrude. In 1967 he took guiding to a whole new level when he bought a Kenzie Craft with a 50 HP Mercury with thunderbolt ignition, power trim and tilt, and a tiller handle. Dan told me that few had heard of thunderbolt ignition at the time, including my dad who owned the dock at the time. Bob said the bigger motor gave him the ability to fish waters farther away while guiding and fishing tournaments. The Kenzies were typical V-bottom boats, only they were fiberglass, and they were all green. They also had swivel seats for the drivers, and a trolling motor on the transom instead of just a paddle. Bob really liked fishing with crawdads down around the Saddle. Dan told me when Bob would run down there, he would outrun all his friends. Bob's favorite bait then (and probably still is now) was a jig and eel. Bob currently lives in Bull Shoals, Arkansas.

From left: Bob Schultz, Mrs. Kelly and Vern Kelly. The fishing trip was her birthday present.
They caught the fish on crawfish.

Dan Schultz still lives on the property. The family quit renting cabins around 1984. When Dan moved back in 1991, he started renting the units on a monthly basis but discontinued that in 2001.