A Look Back to the Original Unit Styles

By Pati Egan

I thought it might be fun to revisit the way the units looked when originally built. Each cabin held six campers. There was a separate staff cabin.

The Original Four – Lalande, Goupil, Chabanel, Brebeuf

The location of these four units has not changed.

Lalande

Goupil

Chabanel

Brebeuf

The Next Three

The Camp history book notes that these three units were added by 1964. None are in their original location now, Lalemant was tents, Garnier was in a beautiful valley past Brebeuf, and Daniel was on rocks where the zip lines are located now. Lalemant’s location, like Garnier, was in what is now Lake Echon. We have no pictures of Garnier’s original site and we would love to find one.

Daniel

Garnier

This photo is taken after the unit was moved from the canyon due to Lake Echon being built.

Lalemant

Lalemant probably has the distinction of having three different homes; pre-Lake Echon, on the shore of Lake Echon, and its current location – a little higher from the road.

1967 – The First Treehouse Unit!

Lake Echon was completed, the Garner Bridge was a true marvel, and the old “Swinging Bridge” became known as the Amantacha Bridge.1967 – The First Treehouse Unit!

Amantacha

Pre 1968 – Ahatsistari originally a tent unit

I believe it was located between Lalande and Goupil but was moved with the construction of Lake Echon to an area between Goupil and Chabanel. It was no longer a tent unit but had the distinction of having no staff cabin and seven camper cabins. It was on the Camp Road.

Ahatsistari

1969 – The Birth of the Primitive Units

Couture and Teondechoren were located in Pakentuck. Teondechoren was near Pine Lake and Couture was closer to Cedar Falls.

Teondechoren – Primitives

Couture

Around 1968 – We’re looking for verification on the date Tekakwitha was built.

The basic structures in Tekakwitha have always been the same, but now the unit is part of Mini Camp Village.

Tekakwitha

The Early 1970s – Raganeau and Teondechoren

Teondechoren was built in one weekend in 1973. Its location was between Raganeau and Amantacha. Structurally, the units were identical. A new type of treehouse design.

The remains of Teondechoren in the early 2000s

The actual unit of Teondechoren

Raganeau – the last original unit structure standing

Raganeau is due for a major facelift in the future. Past inhabitants proudly call themselves the “Rag Rats.”

When former campers and staff get together, stories of fun times in the old units are always shared with the current campers and staff. They were small and cramped – Amantacha’s triple bunks were duplicated in Raganeau and Teondechoren but were never popular and eventually replaced with the three-bunk bed look. These stories of fact and fantasy live on, Camp spirit is alive and well!

Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Mission & History.