An Oakland County summer camp also has received landmark status\u00a0from the Michigan Historical Commission.<\/p>\n
The Detroit Finnish Co-operative Summer Camp on Loon Lake in\u00a0Wixom once held a dance hall, sauna, summer school, cottages, outdoor sports\u00a0track, beach and docks. Many original buildings still stand, including the 1927\u00a0dance hall and cottages “nestled among tall trees”.<\/p>\n
“The camp draws its significance from its long-standing\u00a0association with and preservation of the Finnish culture and promotion of the\u00a0traditions of Finnish immigrants to Michigan,” according to the State Historic\u00a0Preservation Office. “Cultural events had great significance for the members.\u00a0The first building erected on camp property was a traditional Finnish sauna.\u00a0Educational courses were taught in Finnish.”<\/p>\n
Plays in Finnish were popular in the camp’s early years, and\u00a0the Loon Lake Players now perform there.<\/p>\n
The camp is home to the celebration of Finnish holidays, including\u00a0Saint Urho’s Day and the midsummer festival of Juhannus, as well as the annual\u00a0Finn Fest held each August with dance, songs and traditional foods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Detroit Sunday Journal” April\u00a019, 1998 by writer Eric Freedman An Oakland County summer camp also has received landmark status\u00a0from the Michigan Historical Commission. The Detroit Finnish Co-operative Summer Camp on Loon Lake in\u00a0Wixom once held a dance hall, sauna, summer school, cottages, outdoor sports\u00a0track, beach and docks. Many original buildings still stand, including the … <\/p>\n![\"Historic](\"http:\/\/www.finncamp.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/historic_site.jpg\")