The Girls Camp on Big Bass Lake and Dr. Frederica Baker

Most people probably don’t realize that there was a second camp on Big Bass Lake, which at the time of that camp, was known as Lake Na-Tah-ki (By an act of Legislature in 1907). Dr. Frederica Baker purchased land from William P. Jones and she named her cottage Okwa Lodge (Welcome). She came up with the idea to create a camp for little girls from both families she knew and also from clients she had as a obstetrician.

She was the all in all at that camp. They traveled to that camp on the Goodrich Steamship Line across Lake Michigan from Chicago to Muskegon. They then took the Pere Marquete train to Peacock where they were met by Anton Matson with his horse and buggy. Quite a trip! It seemed that Anton then owned the Lakeview Resort and many of the campers had their meals either there or at the Old Homestead Resort.

The last time Dr. Baker brought the children up to Okwa Lodge, she collapsed from the intense heat, on the Chicago pier, but she managed to get her charges up to the camp where she soon succumbed to her final illness.

Dr. Baker is buried in Lakeview Cemetary in a plot surrounded by an iron fence (1866-1917). The inscription on the headstone reads: Frederica R. Baker, August 12, 1866 – August 7th, 1917, Physician – Friend”. In truth this was the first camp on Big Bass Lake. One has to wonder if Martin Johnson was inspired to start his own camp from Dr. Baker.