Lodge History - It all started in 1919

At the time the Champaign-Urbana Council was formed in 1919, the Council used a small facility at Weldon Springs called Camp Hatetokwitit, for a majority of its Scout camping. In 1932 the Council name was changed to Arrowhead and a tract of land outside of Oakwood was acquired for the new council camp.

The Camp was named after Robert J. Drake. Drake came to the council as a college student, and was a member of Troop 7 in Champaign. Drake was a Scout Executive with the council and while serving in this position was stricken with scarlet fever, and died at the age of thirty. The camp, which had been one of his greatest endeavors, was dedicated to his memory.

The Council initially used the Firecrafter Organization and program to recognize outstanding campers but in 1936 decided to switch to the Order of the Arrow program because of it's year round camping and program emphasis. The Firecrafters were inducted as charter members of the OA lodge along with that year's newly elected members.

The first official induction of members took place at Camp Robert Drake and was performed by members of the Waukheon Lodge 55 from Danville. The new lodge name became Illini Lodge 92. "Illini" meaning brave men in the Algonquian tongue. The totem of the lodge became moon feathers, a central feather in an Indian headdress.

Waukheon Lodge 55 was chartered with the "Grande Scribe" (now the National Order of the Arrow Director), in early 1933, to the Piankeshaw Council. The original name of the lodge was Swastika Lodge 55. The totem was the Indian swastika, a symbol of peace and good luck. The name was changed to Waukheon around 1937 due to the similarity of the symbol used by the unpopular Nazi Germany. The new name is the English spelling of a Dakota Sioux word WHA-KIN-YAN, which means thunderbird or bird which causes thunder. The Piankeshaw Council camp was moved from Portland Arch to newly purchased land outside of Georgetown and named Cherokee Hills. Waukheon Lodge helped develop the property including constructing buildings, planting trees, building the campfire ring, and carving totem poles.

Prairielands Council was created in 1991 with the consolidation of Arrowhead Council and Piankeshaw Council. (A temporary council name of Illiana was initially used.) Illini Lodge 55 was created after the councils were consolidated, through the consolidation of Waukheon Lodge 55 and Illini Lodge 92 in May of 1994. The current lodge chiefs of each lodge were co-chiefs for the remainder of that year.