Camp Russell was founded in 1918 on White Lake, in Woodgate, New York. It initially served Boy Scouts from the Utica, Rome, and Ilion Scout Councils. In 1920, the Utica Council assumed camp operations. From 1927 to 1939, the newly formed Herkimer County Council (renamed the General Herkimer Council in 1934) and the Utica Council (which became the Upper Mohawk Council in 1938), jointly operated Camp Russell. In 1939, General Herkimer Council assumed full responsibility for the camp until it merged with Land of the Oneidas Council in 2001, creating the Revolutionary Trails Council. Throughout the camp's history it has seen several OA Lodges as summarized below.
Gonlix Lodge #34, chartered 1928, Madison County Council, Oneida, NY.
Kamargo Lodge #294, chartered 1945, General Herkimer Council, Herkimer, NY.
Yahnundasis Lodge #465, chartered 1951, Upper Mohawk Council, Utica, NY.
Ona Yote Kaonaga Lodge #500, chartered 1953, Fort Stanwix Council, Rome, NY.
In 1968, Gonlix Lodge and Ona Yote Kaonaga Lodge, Iroquois Council, Rome, NY, merged to form Ko-Nosh-I-Oni Lodge #34. Ko-Nosh-I-Oni Lodge and Yahnundasis Lodge merged in 1981 to form Ona Yote Lodge #34, Land of the Oneidas Council, Utica, NY. In 2002, Ona Yote Lodge and Kamargo Lodge merged to create Ga-Hon-Ga Lodge #34, Revolutionary Trails Council, Utica, NY. Ga-Hon-Ga Lodge #34 and Onterorous Lodge #402, Otschodela Council, Oneonta, NY, merged in 2016 to form the Ohkwaliha·Ká Lodge #34, Leatherstocking Council, Utica, NY.
