In 1942 Mary Teel, a former school teacher from San Lorenzo, donated her house and property to the Oakland Area Council for use as an overnight camping area and training facility.  The donation of the property also included the understanding that she would continue to live on the property until her death.  Mary Teel was the niece of William Meek who at one time owned a large portion of land in San Lorenzo from Mission Blvd to Hesperian and from A Street to Lewelling Blvd.  The Meek Estate, adjacent to Meekland blvd and next to the San Lorenzo creek was the home of William Meek and who the camp was named after.  

The Camp Meek property was small and only consisted of four acres, two acres on either side of the San Lorenzo creek which bisected the camp.  On the property a mammoth bay laurel tree shaded a large two-story house with eight rooms built from lumber that came around Cape Horn in the 1870’s.  The property also included seven other small residences.  The bay laurel tree was estimated to be about 1000 years old and 70 feet in circumference.  The native California tree, which predated Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World, was designated by the University of California as the world’s largest laurel tree.  The tree still exists in 2009 but is currently surrounded by apartment buildings.  In the base of the tree are entombed the cremated remains of Mary Teel’s mother and sister.  The location of the Camp Meek property was directly across the street from the current site of San Lorenzo high school.