Sunday School Johnson, a missionary with the American Sunday School Union, drove his Model "A" from Kentucky in the 30's.  He started Sunday Schools all over Northern Idaho.  One of his projects included lining up a bus to take Clearwater area children to a Christian summer camp in Valley Ford, WA near Spokane.  Finally in 1958 a closer facility was found on the Selway River.  For ten years the American Sunday School Union rented the old CCC Camp at O'Hara from the U.S. Forest Service.  By 1966 the Forest Service was talking about tearing the camp down, thus a new summer camp was needed.

 

Mrs. Ida Ferguson of Harpster (whose grandchildren attended camp) donated 21.7 acres of beautiful river front property for the purpose of building a Christian Camp.  Negotiations started October of 1966, and the incorporation papers announcement of officers for the board of directors took place in November, and were as follows: Carroll Johnson, president; Keith Hemple, vice president; Jim Englund, secretary; Tom Schuster, treasurer; and Wes Baker.

 

The incorporation is under the ALACCA (A Lighthouse And Christ Centered Always) Bible Conference Association of Lewiston and involved some 2,000 area people from 19 Sunday Schools and churches working together with the American Sunday School Union to build the camp.  Treasurer, Tom Schuster set up a fund to receive faith promises of $1.00 per month from individuals to pay for the construction. The first item on the construction agenda was a bridge across the river, as at the time, the only existing structure was a swinging foot bridge.  Following construction of the bridge was the building of the chapel, dining hall and six dormitories.

 

After much donated time and money, the camp opened in 1970 under the direction of Keith Hemple, the local American Sunday School Union Missionary.  He served until 1976 when Don Matson took over.  Tom and Jewell Colley served as camp directors from 1981 until their retirement in 2007.  The current directors, Mark & Angela Kennedy began serving in that capacity part-time in the spring of 2008 , moving full time to the camp in the fall of 2008. Mark and Angela are missionaries with Open Air Campaigners who raise their own support.  All other workers at the camp are volunteers, which allows the camp to keep fees very low.

 

Since 1983 many of the construction projects for the camp have been completed by teams from "RVICS", Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service and "MMAP", Mobile Missionary Assistance Program.  ALACCA has been blessed by and appreciates their combined talents and willingness to help.