Camp Tosebo, on the south shore of Portage Lake

Portage Lake (Michigan)

Portage Lake is a natural lake, located in Onekama Township in Manistee County, Michigan. The village of Onekama, Michigan is situated at the northeastern end of the lake.-History:...

 in Onekama Township, Michigan

Onekama Township, Michigan

Onekama Township is a civil township of Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,514 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* The Village of Onekama is located within the township on the northeast side of Portage Lake...

, was established in 1912 by Noble Hill, the headmaster of the Todd Seminary for Boys

Todd Seminary for Boys

The Todd Seminary for Boys, later the Todd School for Boys was located in Woodstock, Illinois.-History:The Todd School for Boys was an independent school founded by Reverend Richard K Todd who brought from his native Vermont the New England philosophy of "plain living and high thinking, and in...

 in Woodstock, Illinois

Woodstock, Illinois

Woodstock is a far northwest suburb of Chicago in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census. The 2010 Census shows 24,770 residents. It is the county seat of McHenry County...

, as one of the first summer camps in the United States. The name of the camp is an acronym derived from the school's name, TOdd SEminary for BOys, and meant to sound like a Native American Indian word.

History

Noble Hill was a pioneer in progressive education as a teacher and then headmaster/owner of the Todd Seminary for Boys. Hill wanted to create a summer camp program as an extension of the school program. Originally planned for a Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 site, his son Roger insisted on the Portage Lake location because of its excellent lake with access to Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

 for larger sailboats. Camp Tosebo opened in 1912 and operated until 1977. The Hill family operated the camp through three generations from 1912 to 1962. Many stories exist about Orson Welles

Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...

 attending Camp Tosebo. While he did attend the Todd School, he only visited the camp. Today the camp operates as a resort rental on its 56 acres (226,624.2 m²) wooded and fully restored buildings.

Camp Tosebo, also known as Old Camp Tosebo Inn, was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 2000 as District #00000644.