Miakonda's Treehouse Campsite, also, Lou Klewer, Toledo Scouting Legend. ⚜️. , Miakonda's Treehouse Campsite. Camp Miakonda once had a treehouse campsite that consisted of eight treehouses that were built in the treetops along Ten Mile Creek. They were constructed in 1934 by the Federal Government as a WPA project and were designed by Great Depression era WPA architect Paul Robinette. There were originally three different designs considered with those having one, two and three rooms each. The one room treehouse design was eventually chosen and eight treehouses were built twenty feet into the air with tree trunks rising up through each of them and each one had four built in bunk beds with a rustic wood spiral staircase that wrapped around each tree trunk. They were extremely popular and lasted about twenty-three years. Eventually over the years wind storms weakened them and the wood construction decayed to a point where they were declared unsafe to use in the 1950's and were finally dismantled in 1957. The last troop to use them had to be evacuated by rowboat after Ten Mile Creek had flooded. The last residents of the treehouses were raccoons, birds and squirrels., Lou Klewer, Toledo Scouting Legend. Louis Klewer was born in Toledo in 1900 and joined Scouting in 1913 as a Boy Scout. He became a professional boxer in high school, fighting under the name "Kid Klewer". He was one of the original members of the Tribe of Gimogash in Toledo and was Eagle Scout No. 4 in Toledo Council history, which he was awarded in 1917. He was the second person in National BSA history to receive the Hornaday Gold Medal for conservation efforts. Mr. Klewer served in world war one as a U. S. Marine and in world war two as a Red Cross volunteer overseas. He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor (heroism) at age 43. one of a tiny group of civilians of decorated during world war two He had pulled people out of collapsing buildings in France to save them. Mr. Klewer was employed with the Toledo Blade for 57 years and was a nationally renowned outdoors expert and writer. He was a member of the prestigious Explorers Club in New York City. The highest award of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio Association is named the "Lou Klewer Award" in his honor. The National Council of the BSA presented Mr. Klewer with the Distinguished Eagle Scout award in 1973. He was the last volunteer director of the Toledo Zoo from 1950 to 1953 and was the first 70 year Scouting veteran in the nation. Lou Klewer was a merit badge counselor to thousands of local Scouts. The nature trail at Camp Miakonda is named in his honor.
Miakonda's Treehouse Campsite. Camp Miakonda once had a treehouse campsite that consisted of eight treehouses that were built in the treetops along Ten Mile Creek. They were constructed in 1934 by the Federal Government as a WPA project and were designed by Great Depression era WPA architect Paul Robinette. There were originally three different designs considered with those having one, two and three rooms each. The one room treehouse design was eventually chosen and eight treehouses were built twenty feet into the air with tree trunks rising up through each of them and each one had four built in bunk beds with a rustic wood spiral staircase that wrapped around each tree trunk. They were extremely popular and lasted about twenty-three years. Eventually over the years wind storms weakened them and the wood construction decayed to a point where they were declared unsafe to use in the 1950's and were finally dismantled in 1957. The last troop to use them had to be evacuated by rowboat after Ten Mile Creek had flooded. The last residents of the treehouses were raccoons, birds and squirrels.
Lou Klewer, Toledo Scouting Legend. Louis Klewer was born in Toledo in 1900 and joined Scouting in 1913 as a Boy Scout. He became a professional boxer in high school, fighting under the name "Kid Klewer". He was one of the
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original members of the Tribe of Gimogash in Toledo and was Eagle Scout No. 4 in Toledo Council history, which he was awarded in 1917. He was the second person in National BSA history to receive the Hornaday Gold Medal for conservation efforts. Mr. Klewer served in WWI as a U. S. Marine and in WWII as a Red Cross volunteer overseas. He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor (heroism) at age 43. one of a tiny group of civilians of decorated during WWII He had pulled people out of collapsing buildings in France to save them. Mr. Klewer was employed with the Toledo Blade for 57 years and was a nationally renowned outdoors expert and writer. He was a member of the prestigious Explorers Club in New York City. The highest award of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio Association is named the "Lou Klewer Award" in his honor. The National Council of the BSA presented Mr. Klewer with the Distinguished Eagle Scout award in 1973. He was the last volunteer director of the Toledo Zoo from 1950 to 1953 and was the first 70 year Scouting veteran in the nation. Lou Klewer was a merit badge counselor to thousands of local Scouts. The nature trail at Camp Miakonda is named in his honor.
Location. 41° 41.689′ N, 83° 40.62′ W. Marker is in Sylvania, Ohio, in Lucas County. It can be reached from West Sylvania Avenue 0.3 miles east of North Holland-Sylvania Road, on the right when traveling west. On the grounds of Camp Miakonda, Erie Shores Council, Boy Scouts of America. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5600 W Sylvania Avenue, Toledo OH 43623, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Lake Erie Shore and in the Toledo Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 8, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
