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57-771: Camp Ondessonk started as a summer program in 1957. Known as Camp St. Philip, the program is part of the Diocese of Belleville. Having no facilities of their own, camp administrators rented out Camp Piasa in Grafton, Illinois in 1957 and Camp Vandeventer in Waterloo, Illinois in 1958. Each summer, the camps were staffed by seminarians and college students all under the direction of Monsignor John T. Fournie. Camp St. Philip offered participants outdoor activities such as riflery, archery, swimming, and handicrafts, as well as other activities such as cooking, housekeeping, and axmanship. The camp also offered

114-433: A camping honor society. Campers at St. Philip spent their nights in one of five units; Marquette, LaSalle, Lalande, Brebeuf, and Hennepin. Led by a desire for a permanent location for a Catholic youth camp, Monsignor Robert DeGasperi oversaw the effort to gain leases of the land that would become Camp Ondessonk. Volunteer crews began construction at the current site in the spring of 1959. 481 campers and 52 staff attended over

171-612: A fall festival and work weekends to help improve the property. Third party organizations use the camp for events such the Southern Illinois Fat Tire Festival Grafton, Illinois Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County , Illinois , United States . It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. As of the 2020 census , the city had a total population of 626. Prior to

228-498: A four-week period that the camp was open. Campers were grouped into four units – Brebeuf, Chabanel, Goupil, and LaLande. Activities included swimming, archery, riflery, horseback riding, nature hikes, and camp crafts. In the 1960s, additional camping weeks were added to the schedule because of demand. More space was added with the construction of more units - Daniel, Garnier, Tekakwith, Amantacha, Ahatsistari and Lalemant. Some units were tents while others were cabins. An adventure program

285-509: A lifetime." The Loyal Lodge of Ondessonk & Tekakwitha is modeled after the honor camping society first established during Camp St. Philip in 1957. Induction into Lodge is open to campers, staff, and volunteers who demonstrate loyalty and dedication to camp in an exemplary way, and takes place each Thursday night during the summer in the Lodge ceremony. In order to be considered for Lodge, candidates much show these qualities as well as being at least

342-425: A long bunkhouse style cabin as well as two smaller cabins. Frontier Dorms - fully enclosed bunkhouses. St. Noel - year-round lodging and retreat center. The dining hall is a modern facility that can serve all of camp at one time. The building is heptagonal and has a fireplace in the center. It is located away from main camp, on top of the same hill as the stables. Most meals are served family style. The dining hall

399-572: A more in-depth experience through a two week program. The Pioneer Sessions led to the formation of Frontier Units in the 1970s. Although they were referred to as units, the Frontier program was a separate experience from camp, during which participants traveled to places offsite. In the late 1970s the Silver and Golden Frontier Program was added. Inspired by the original Frontier units, the Silver and Golden Frontier trips catered to adults wishing to travel around

456-405: A particular area for an entire week. The main areas of focus are horsemanship, rock climbing, backpacking, mountain biking, and canoeing. The programs take a limited number of campers and provide them with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills of a particular area. Campers are assisted by two or three specially trained staff members. High school students learn to become counselors at

513-420: A second year camper or staff member. Participants of both traditional camp and adventure programs are eligible. Members are divided geographically into councils for administrative purposes to give back to Ondessonk through fundraisers or service. Members of Lodge may also attend Fall and Spring Lodge Reunions each year. A member of Lodge is signified by a sash they wear, containing a patch of a simplified version of

570-678: A unit choice. Coed sessions were added in 1989. Specialty Camps were introduced in the summer of 1992. In 1995, Teondecoren was reintroduced as a tepee unit for one summer. In 1996, the camp was accredited by the American Camping Association (later renamed the American Camp Association). A minicamp program was introduced for younger campers in 1999. Camp Ondessonk was also accredited by the Certified Horsemanship Association in 2003. A new dining hall

627-573: A unit made up of other Lodge members and led by a Lodge Official on staff. As part of their experience Lodge Campers participate in rock climbing at Pakentuck, the High Challenge Course, and an extended horseback ride. They also perform a service project for Camp. Campers must be a member of the Loyal Lodge of Ondessonk and Tekakwitha in order to be eligible to attend. The program is open to campers meeting this requirement ages 11–16. Beginning in

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684-744: A west–east route through the city. It is part of the Great River Road and the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway . Also, Illinois Route 3 has its northern terminus in Grafton at Illinois Route 100. There are two ferries that serve Grafton. The Grafton Ferry takes travelers across the Mississippi River to St. Charles County, Missouri , while the Brussels Ferry takes travelers across

741-699: Is Pere Marquette State Park , which is Illinois' largest and most popular state park. Grafton experienced modest economic growth from 2000-2010, including some new housing and restaurants, the Grafton Elementary School, the Grafton Harbor marina, and a lighthouse located along the Mississippi River. Grafton has seven places and sites that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Grafton Historic District , Grafton Bank ,

798-459: Is a boulder in a stream that is popular for cannonball and other jumps into the water. Pine Lake and Kane Lake are locations for swimming and camping. Phantom's Canyon is near the west camping areas. Program areas include an archery range, riflery range, handicrafts building, stables for horseback riding, a boating area for canoeing and kayaking, a swimming lake, a chapel, and other outdoor clearings for other programs such as woodsmanship. Many of

855-515: Is a natural area that includes a waterfall and the remnant of a Boy Scout camp. Cedar Falls is the largest single, free-flowing waterfall in Illinois. The Pakentuck name comes from a Boy Scout group from Paducah, Kentucky . Lake Echon drains via a small waterfall known as the Spillway. Formerly known as St. Catherine falls after St. Kateri Tekakwitha who took St. Catherine of Siena as her patron when she

912-426: Is air conditioned, and has windows on all sides to allow for ventilation. It is decorated with art work depicting camp that was created by current and former staff members as well as friends of camp. The dining hall had air conditioning installed for the summer of 2013. The Health Center is equipped to handle guests throughout the year. It is staffed by medical professionals and on-call pediatric physicians every day of

969-566: Is lined with restaurants, antique, craft, and wine shops, which make Grafton a popular stopping place for bicyclists on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail or for visitors in search of fall foliage color and bald eagles. During the warmer months, visitors can take advantage of the two rivers with boating, canoeing and parasailing activities. There are two river ferries in the Grafton area that provide transportation to St. Charles County, Missouri and Calhoun County . Five miles west of Grafton

1026-566: Is the name that the Huron gave to St. Issac Jogues when he was serving among them as a Jesuit missionary, because of his black robe. Jogues came to this country from France in the early 17th century in an effort to bring the Gospel to the American Indians. He ended up giving his life to this task when he was tortured and later martyred. Several Jesuit missionaries were martyred while working among

1083-480: Is the wettest season and produces severe weather ranging from tornadoes to snow or ice storms. Summers are hot and humid, and the humidity often makes the heat index rise to temperatures feeling well above 100 °F (38 °C). Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the first snow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters can be cold at times with periodic light snow and temperatures below freezing. As of

1140-509: The Great Flood of 1993 , Grafton had enjoyed a stable population of nearly 1,000 residents. Grafton is a part of the Metro-East region and Greater St. Louis . Founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County . Described as having "a post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families" in 1834, the area was being settled as early as 1812 when a blockhouse

1197-507: The Illinois River to Calhoun County, Illinois . Utility companies serving Grafton are Ameren ( natural gas and electricity ), Grafton Telephone (landline telephone service and internet ), and PC One Cable ( cable television ). Water services are no longer provided and maintained by the city and are currently purchased from another source. St. Gabriel Lalemant Gabriel Lalemant SJ (3 October 1610 – 17 March 1649)

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1254-989: The John and Amelia McClintock House , Ruebel Hotel , the Slaten-LaMarsh House , and the Paris Mason Building were all added in 1994. The Charles Brainerd House was added to the Register in 1998. Grafton uses a city council form of government and consists of a mayor and six aldermen from three wards. The city's current mayor is Michael Morrow. Grafton is served by the public K-12 Jersey Community Unit School District 100 . District schools in Grafton include Grafton Elementary School . Nearby colleges and universities include Principia College , in Elsah , and Lewis and Clark Community College , in Godfrey . Illinois Route 100 runs along

1311-447: The census of 2000, there were 609 people, 265 households, and 174 families residing in the city. The population density was 150.2 inhabitants per square mile (58.0/km ). There were 293 housing units at an average density of 72.2 per square mile (27.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 99.01% White , 0.16% African American , 0.16% Native American , and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of

1368-405: The 2010 census, Grafton has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.58 km ), all land. Typically, the city's climate reflects most Midwest cities, located in the transitional zone between the humid continental climate type and the humid subtropical climate type ( Köppen Dfa and Cfa , respectively), with neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature. Spring

1425-634: The Canadian mission, intervened on his behalf. In September 1646 Gabriel arrived in Quebec , where he spent the first few months studying the Huron language and customs. François-Joseph Bressani , a fellow missionary in New France, referred to him as a man of extremely frail constitution. For the first two years Gabriel worked in and around Quebec and the trading center of Trois Rivières (Three Rivers). In September 1648 he

1482-487: The Huron and Iroquois people. These saints and their American Indian companions are honored and remembered at Camp Ondessonk with the camp units, lakes, and major land forms named after them. The lives of the martyrs and other namesakes of the camp serve as an inspiration for Christian living. The North American Martyrs are: The feast day for the North American Martyrs is celebrated as a Memorial on October 19 for

1539-1010: The Jesuits in New France: Charles Lalemant as the first Superior of the Jesuit missions in Canada, and Jérôme Lalemant as the Vicar-General of Quebec. In 1630 Lalemant joined the Jesuits, and in 1632 he took the vow to devote himself to foreign missions. He taught at the Collège in Moulins from 1632 to 1635. He was at Bourges from 1635 to 1639 studying theology and was ordained there in 1638. He taught at three different schools, being professor of philosophy at Moulins. His repeated requests to go to New France were declined by his superiors, partly because of his poor health. Eventually, his uncle Jérôme, head of

1596-490: The Lodge service organization, and the community. The John de LaLande Award is presented to a non-Lodge Member who is part of the Camp Ondessonk staff and feels that they do not meet the proper requirements for membership into the organization but have rendered meritorious service to Camp Ondessonk and the community. Lodge Camp allows campers to participate in traditional camp members with fellow Lodge members. Campers stay in

1653-595: The Old Boatworks building hosts many antique and craft stalls and is open on the fourth weekend of each month from May through October. The Great Flood of 1993 caused significant damage to many of Grafton's structures, and a third of the city's residents moved away. The effects of the flood are still evident and the city's population has not recovered. Grafton is located at 38°58′16″N 90°26′13″W  /  38.97111°N 90.43694°W  / 38.97111; -90.43694 (38.971115, -90.436818). According to

1710-585: The Pope. They also spent New Year's Eve in Venice. The 1970 trip scheduled to tour the Middle East was canceled due to conflict in the region. The trips were eventually discontinued. Camp Ondessonk is open year-round for camping, hiking, retreats, horseback trail rides and outdoor education programs for scouts and school groups. The camp also sponsors themed weekend events such as a father/son and mother/daughter camping events,

1767-456: The United States. In Canada, the North American Martyrs is celebrated as a Feast on September 26. Most campers stay in cabin groups called units. There is no electricity in most of the units. Each unit has potable water, an outhouse and campfire ring. Units are one of four designs - tree house, cabin, cave or A-frame. Tree house units have 3 walls and an open entrance with catwalks connecting

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1824-424: The activities of traditional camp. Some activities are modified to account for mini campers' age. The mini campers stay in enclosed cabin units, Aonnetta (girls) and Chiwatenwha (boys). Participants of the program stay in one of the units and are accompanied by extra staff members at all times. Mini camp explorers is for more adventurous 8 and 9-year-olds who feel capable of spending the entire week at camp. Because of

1881-417: The ages of 11 - 15. Campers arrive on Sunday and depart the following Saturday. Some programs have minimum age requirements. Activities are done in a centralized format where the entire unit typically participates together. Designed with 8 to 10 year old campers in mind, mini camp is meant to be an introduction to the camp experience. The program is three days and three nights long while still including many of

1938-484: The attackers, trying to enable the elderly, women, and children to flee. Lalemant and Brébeuf remained with the warriors and were captured and taken to the nearby mission at Saint Ignace. Both were tortured before being killed: Jean Brebeuf died on 16 March 1649, and Gabriel Lalemant died on 17 March 1649. After the withdrawal of the Iroquois war party from the area on 19 March, seven Frenchmen went to St. Ignace to retrieve

1995-405: The average family size was 2.84. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males. The median income for a household in the city

2052-407: The cabins. The cave unit consists of platforms on the ground with no walls (two tree house style buildings are also in this unit). The A-frame unit has three buildings with screened in windows and doors. There are two different styles of cabin units. Lodges Teondecoren and Couture were originally designated as primitive units that gave campers an experience away from camp during which they lived off

2109-656: The camp by participating in the Ondessonk Wisdom in Leadership (OWL) program and the Counselor In Training program (CIT). According to the camp's website, these programs are designed "for high school students who want to use their experience to grow socially and emotionally at Camp and beyond. Participants have the opportunity to learn about leadership styles, communication techniques and share and identify their own ideas and values. Participants will learn skills that last

2166-451: The country. To help with the expanding interest, Ahatsistari and Lalemant were built as cabins in order to accommodate more campers. The camp program was expanded to include an all-day exploration to give the campers the chance to explore the land around them. A marathon competition was added as well. The Garnier tree houses were built up shore from the original cabins and the Amantacha bridge

2223-466: The extended nature of their stay, campers are able to participate in all the activities of traditional camp in a modified form for their age and abilities. Campers spend their nights in either Chiwatenwha or Aonnetta with staff trained to take on the challenges of younger campers experiencing their first week-long sleepaway camp stay. Camp Ondessonk offers specialized programs, referred to as adventure camp, that allow campers to focus on one set of skills in

2280-429: The land for the week. Teondecoren was later made into a tree house unit in 1973, then as a tepee unit in 1995. Couture was a tent unit as needed based on session enrollment. BOQ - officially Bachelor Officers' Quarters but colloquially called "boys only quarters," though it can be used for campers and staff, male or female. This building is a fully enclosed cabin at group level and has electricity. Lakeside - consists of

2337-558: The mid-1960s, Camp Ondessonk began organizing trips to destinations around the world as a reward for members of the Lodge of Ondessonk & Tekakwitha who sold specific quotas of advertisement space for the annual yearbook. Members were notified by a letter inviting them to participate free-of-charge. The trips took place over the Christmas holidays and went to places like Europe, Africa, and the Bahamas. They were usually 10 to 14 days long. In 1964

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2394-403: The natural areas noted above are visited during daytime and overnight hikes. Evenings include campfires, large group games, camping out overnight away from units, and an honor society ceremony. The first and last evenings of the summer program are held under a natural grotto. Mass is celebrated on Sunday evening during the summer program. Most summer programs serve children and teenagers between

2451-408: The population. There were 265 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and

2508-432: The summer. This facility has air conditioning. The Old Dining Hall is still used for various programming including breakfast on the last day of each summer session and as a rainy day location. The Trading Post sells food and items such as toiletries, camp gear, camp paraphernalia, ice cream and candy. The St. Noel Lodge hosts the administrative offices of the camp and is also used for guest lodging year-round. Pakentuck

2565-488: The symbol of Camp Ondessonk. General members wear red and blue sashes. Both are more simply referred to as Lodge members. After being absent since the 1970s, the Lodge arrowhead was reestablished in 2007 and can be earned by Lodge members over time through dedication to Lodge. There are also two other honors awarded by the Lodge of Ondessonk and Tekakwitha. The St. John de Brebeuf Award is given to an active or associate member for rendering meritorious service to Camp Ondessonk,

2622-404: The top and seven stars surrounding it representing the eight North American Martyrs . The circle represents an ‘O’ for Ondessonk, a name given to one of the eight martyrs, St. Issac Jogues , and it also represents the world. The other seven martyrs are represented with stars on the camp's symbol. The two stars on the top left represent St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant . The star on

2679-419: The top right represents St. Jean de Lalande . The four remaining martyrs and represented with stars on the bottom right, St. René Goupil , St. Antoine Daniel , St. Noël Chabanel , and St. Charles Garnier . The cross represents a world dedicated to Christ. It also serves as a reminder of Camp Ondessonk's mission as a Catholic camp for children. The name "Ondessonk" is the Huron word for "Bird of Prey." It

2736-470: The trip left from Miami, Fl., on a yacht and sailed to the Bahama Islands for a Christmas vacation of swimming, beach combing, shopping, and relaxation. The 1971 trip took participants on an Iberian tour through Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. During one Lodge trips, which was in 1968 and went to Italy and Switzerland, the group attended Christmas Mass with the Pope and sat in ambassador seats just 20 feet from

2793-561: Was $ 34,706, and the median income for a family was $ 44,250. Males had a median income of $ 35,000 versus $ 22,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,989. About 9.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over. Grafton's main industry is tourism. The city is at the center of the region's bald eagle watching area and proudly calls itself "The Winter Home of The Bald Eagle." Main Street

2850-649: Was a French Jesuit missionary in New France beginning in 1646. Caught up in warfare between the Huron and nations of the Iroquois Confederacy , he was killed in St. Ignace by Mohawk warriors and is one of the eight Canadian Martyrs . Gabriel Lalemant was born in Paris, 3 October 1610, the son of a French lawyer and his wife. He was the third of six children, five of whom entered religious life. Two of Gabriel's uncles served

2907-399: Was added to replace the various methods of getting campers across Lake Echon. Chabanel was moved to its current location in 1979. The Lalande cabins were rebuilt into tree houses in 1981. Other units were rebuilt in this period as well. A new barn was added in 1983 and a new health center was added in 1986. By 1989 the units of Teondecoren and Ahatsistari were no longer available to campers as

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2964-444: Was baptized. Split Rocks are common hike destinations. One of the split rocks is Augustine's Agony. Some others are Big Split, Little Split and Fat Man's Misery. Hogg's Bluff is natural, stone peak jutting high above a lake. It was allegedly used as a trading post for Native Americans. Bush's Garden is swimming hole downstream from the Spillway, popularized by a counselor with the last name Bushong, nickname Bush. Cannonball Rock

3021-494: Was based in the unit of Teondecoren. The swimming lake – Lake St. Isaac – was added as well as Lake Echon, a separate lake for watercraft. A bridge was built over Lake Echon and was dedicated to the memory of Larry Garner, a former staff member who was killed in action in Vietnam. Awards in the form of arrowhead-shaped patches were added for skills mastery for the various activities. Pioneer sessions were introduced in 1965 to give campers

3078-455: Was built at the confluence for protection. The city was named after Mason's birthplace of Grafton, Massachusetts . Grafton was incorporated on May 16, 1907. Grafton's population reached its peak at approximately 10,000 in the 1850s with employment opportunities coming from the local stone quarries, boat building and commercial fishing. At one point, there were five quarries in or around Grafton that employed nearly 2,000 men. The local limestone

3135-451: Was opened for the summer of 2004. Camp Ondessonk acquired an American Black Bear named Tommy 1966 from Omar's Bikini Club near East St. Louis. Tommy lived at the camp for 28 years. The camp acquired another bear in 1995 and named him Yonah. "Yona" in Cherokee means "bear." Yonah lived at the camp until his death in 2001. The symbol of Camp Ondessonk is a circle with a cross coming out of

3192-542: Was sent to Wendake, the land of the Wyandot (Huron), as an assistant to Jean de Brébeuf , and posted to the mission at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons . In February 1649 he replaced Noël Chabanel at the mission of Saint Louis. In March 1649, while most of the Huron warriors were away, 1,200 Iroquois attacked the settlement of Saint Ignace. A few survivors escaped to warn the village of St. Louis. Its eighty warriors fought to delay

3249-711: Was used to build the Eads Bridge in St. Louis , government buildings in Rock Island , and the Jersey County Courthouse in Jerseyville . The Shafer's Wharf Historic District was one of the largest commercial fishing centers along the Mississippi River in the late 19th century. The Old Boatworks, located south of Main Street, once housed a paint house and a machine shop where paddle wheelers and later PT boats were built. Today,

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