Rev. Dr. Carrol and Joyce Turner, owners of the Turner Camps, provided the following historic information in celebration of the camp’s 100th season of operation on Fourth Lake.

Carved out of the woods and reclaimed from undeveloped land, Turner Camps continue to offer premium vacation housekeeping cottages to families from all over the country. For one hundred years, the traditions and facilities initiated by Alexander and Ina Turner in 1914 are still maintained and operated by the same family, which makes Turner Camps the oldest continuously family-run housekeeping cottage colony on these lakes.

In the beginning, Al and Ina operated a boardinghouse, which was on the property when they purchased it. Over the years, Al used his carpentry skills to build additional cottages, sometimes combining old outbuildings with new construction to create a new lodge. Hunters, trappers, fishermen, and the random tourist frequented the Camps in the early days, prior to the construction of a good road.  Continue reading →