According to research by Sivert Glarum in this 1983 book "Our Land and Lakes", the site where Camp Lookout presently stands had its "camp" beginnings in 1917 when the land was purchased from the Stubbs family by the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ's Church, Winnetka, Illinois. "he choice director of the church, Ellis Chase," writes Glarum, " had spent summers in the area and induced the officials of the church to establish a camp at that location where he could bring his choir boys for summer vacations to reward them for their efforts and where he could continue their training through the summer."
"Every evening during the camping period," Glarum wrote, "weather permitting, the boys would gather on the shore of the lake and sing. The voices coming across the water were a great treat for the people around the lake."
According to county records, the operation of the camp by the church ended following the stock market crash of the 1930s and was sold to Verne Handley and Roy E. Robinson in 1934 who operated it as a private summer camp for boys, Camp Lookout. Robinson sold his interest to Handley who continued operation through 1954. it was then operated by Byron T. and Winifred Neidhamer in the years 1955-1961 and by Arthur H. and Marian M. Davis in the years 1962 - 1976. In 1976 Elizabeth Howard purchased the camp and opened it as Camp Marameg for Girls.
"Actually I bought the property for retirement. We're a small workable camp with three separate family groups coming in here with 45-50 campers each. Most of the campers came from a Christian Science camp I ran in Leelanau County," said Mrs. Howard.
"We still have about 4 or 5 visitors each summer who were Camp Lookout campers,: she mentions.
"It was not rare in the fifties and sixties to have boys stay at Camp Lookout and the girls from the family stay at Crystalaire," mentions Crystalaire's director, Dave Reid, citing the close proximity of both camps.
** After Bess Howard's death in the early 1990, Dave Reid, Kathi Houston and Fred Oeflein purchased the property and Dave Reid and Kathi Houston re-opened Camp Lookout as a camp for both boys and girls. **
If you have historical information, photos, brochures about the camp and would be willing to share them with us for an eventual donation to the Benzie Area Historical Museum, please contact the camp office.
