Chippecotton Lodge (officially Chippecotton Lodge #524) was an Order of the Arrow (OA) lodge chartered in 1957 to serve the Boy Scout population of the Racine County Council. Its name is directly tied to the geographical history of Racine County where the Indigenous translation for the Root River is "Chippecotton" or "Kipi Kawi".

The Origin of the Name

• Indigenous Roots: The word "Chippecotton" (sometimes translated as "Kipi Kawi") is a Native American term meaning "chipmunk". It was also historically used by local tribes to describe the Root River, which flows directly through Racine County.

• Lodge Totem: Reflecting its name, the official totem chosen for Chippecotton Lodge #524 was the chipmunk.

• Camp Chippecotton: The name was also shares a footprint with Camp Chippecotton, a Scout camp established in 1936 on the shores of Pleasant Lake in neighboring Walworth County, which originally served the Racine Council.

Charted History & Operations

• 1957 Charter: The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) national headquarters officially chartered Chippecotton Lodge #524 in 1957.

The 1972 Merger and Legacy

• The Merger: In 1972, a structural consolidation merged the Kenosha Council and the Racine County Council to form the Southeast Wisconsin Council #634.

• Mascoutens Lodge #8 was formed: As part of this council merger, Chippecotton Lodge #524 combined with Racine's Oh-Da-Ko-Ta Lodge #153. Together, they formed the Mascoutens Lodge #8, ending the standalone use of the Chippecotton Lodge name.

• Current Status: Through subsequent council mergers—including the 2011 merger that formed the Three Harbors Council—the history and of Chippecotton Lodge #524 are preserved today under the lineage of the council's current OA Kanwa tho Lodge.

The Racine County Council (Boy Scouts of America) operated primarily at Camp Chippecotton and Camp Ka-Ha-Gon.

• Camp Chippecotton: The Racine Council received this land in 1936. It was located on the shores of Pleasant Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin. Scouts used it extensively for summer camps, canoeing, and training from the 1930s through the 1960s.

• Camp Ka-Ha-Gon: Located in Rochester, Wisconsin, this 168-acre camp was purchased by the Racine Council in 1967. When the Racine and Kenosha councils merged in 1971, the property was sold to a private foundation. In 1982, the foundation donated the land to the Racine County park system. It is now known as W.R. Wadewitz Nature Park. Today, Wadewitz Nature Park features hiking trails and year-round primitive group camping, and Scout troops are still permitted to use it.

The modern regional Boy Scouts council for this area is the Three Harbors Council.

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