Glen Lake Children's Camp is a former children's camp for victims of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. The camp was part of the

Glen Lake Sanatorium Glen Lake Sanatorium, a tuberculosis treatment center serving Hennepin County in Minnesota, opened on January 4, 1916, with a capacity of 50 patients, and closed in 1976. In 1909, the Minnesota State Legislature had passed a bill authorizing the ap ...

on the border of

Minnetonka Minnetonka ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Twin Cities, Minnetonka is located about west of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 53,781. Minnetonka is the ...

and

Eden Prairie Eden Prairie is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 16th-largest city in the State of Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 64,198. The city is adjacent to the north bank of th ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. Although the main sanatorium buildings were demolished in 1993, the children's camp portion remained intact. The camp is Minnesota's only known surviving camp for children who had tuberculosis, and it reflects the philanthropic efforts of its founders, George H. and Leonora Christian. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on August 5, 1999. Tuberculosis was becoming a major health problem in Minnesota around the turn of the 20th century, with more than 20,000 Minnesotans dying of the disease between 1887 and 1899. The Minnesota Legislature created the Minnesota State Sanatorium for Consumptives on

Leech Lake Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir. The lake ...

near

Walker, Minnesota Walker is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 941 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cass County. Walker is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area. Minnesota State Highways 34, 200, and ...

, in 1907. The sanatorium at Leech Lake wasn't able to handle the increasing demand for tuberculosis patients, so the Legislature passed a bill allowing counties to build their own sanatoria.

Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapo ...

began construction of the Glen Lake Sanatorium in 1914, and it opened in 1916. The children's camp was established by George H. and Leonora Christian. George H. Christian was a flour buyer who partnered with Governor

Cadwallader C. Washburn Cadwallader Colden Washburn (April 22, 1818May 14, 1882) was an American businessman, politician, and soldier who founded a mill that later became General Mills. A member of the Washburn family of Maine, he was a U.S. Congressman and governor o ...

. Leonora dedicated herself to the fight against tuberculosis, and in 1906, she established a summer camp in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

for children with tuberculosis. The camp moved to Glenwood Park (now

Theodore Wirth Park Theodore Wirth Park is the regional park managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The park land is shared by Minneapolis and the neighboring suburb of Golden Valley. Formally named Theodore Wirth Regional Park, it includes two golf ...

) in 1909, staffed by the Visiting Nurses Association. In 1925, the Visiting Nurses Association determined that they could no longer operate the camp. The Children's Aid Society, a foundation established by George H. Christian in 1916, offered to build a permanent children's camp. Glen Lake Sanatorium was willing to provide land and management. Glen Lake Children's Camp opened on June 12, 1925. When antibiotic treatments became available for tuberculosis in the 1940s, the era of tuberculosis treatment began to draw to a close. The children's camp ceased operation in 1950, and the Leech Lake Sanatorium closed in 1962 and transferred its patients to Glen Lake. The last tuberculosis patient was discharged in 1976. The sanatorium complex, with the exception of the children's camp, was demolished in 1993. In 1997, most of the land became the Glen Lake Golf and Practice Center operated by

Three Rivers Park District Three Rivers Park District is a special park district serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Ramsey counties. Three Rivers's mission is "To promote environmental stewardship through ...

. The children's camp is still in operation, leased to True Friends and operated by Eden Wood Center.

References

{{Registered Historic Places Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Buildings and structures in Hennepin County, Minnesota Tuberculosis sanatoria in the United States Summer camps in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Hennepin County, Minnesota Temporary populated places on the National Register of Historic Places