Oregon Public Library

Oregon, Illinois was founded by a man named John Phelps. Sometime later, it was discovered that the site which eventually became Oregon contained many prehistoric mounds, most of which were ten to twelve feet in diameter. Phelps first visited the area in 1829 and returned in 1833 to explore in hopes of finding a suitable site to build a settlement. By December 4, 1838, because of his efforts and the work of his brothers, B. T. Phelps and G. W. Phelps, and their families, the land had been claimed, subdivided, and certified by the county clerk as Oregon City. In 1839, the name of the town was changed to “Florence”, prompted by a visitor who compared the beauty of the river area to Florence, Italy. The name was used for only about three years before the town was renamed Oregon early in 1843. The population of the town grew to two-hundred-twenty-five by 1847. At that time the town boasted a general store, a sawmill, a river ferry, and forty-four household units. The population growth was reflected in the founding of several churches in the 1850s and 1860s and the building of a railroad in 1871. 

The first Oregon library was organized in 1872. In the early years, books were housed successively in a drug store, the County Treasurer’s office, and then in rented office space in the First National Bank building. Dissatisfied with this situation, the citizens of Oregon voted in a 1905 referendum to change from a city library to a township library to qualify for an Andrew Carnegie grant. The grant application describes the library as having been forced to “occupy undesirable rented rooms”. The grant required that the site of the future library be selected prior to any funding being received. The current site at the corner of Jefferson and Third Streets was chosen for a new building. Initially, $7,000 was promised by once the referendum passed, Carnegie increased the grant to $10,000. Construction ensued, and the library began providing services in 1909. 

Prior to the library’s construction, the Eagle’s Nest Art Colony, founded in 1898 by renowned Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft, camped on the east side bluffs of the Rock River overlooking the Town of Oregon. The art camp participants were artists, other professionals, and their families who became associated with one another via their involvement in the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The Eagle’s Nest artists, interested in having an exhibition space, influenced the library design by encouraging the inclusion of a second-story gallery. In fact, the first use of the new library building was in October 1908 for an exhibition of one hundred paintings by Leon A. Makielski, a colony member. The library itself did not open until May 12, 1909.  

The library has a long history of offering meeting space and sponsoring special cultural events along with customary library services. Artist groups regularly held shows in the gallery, starting with the turn-of-the-century Eagle’s Nest Art Colony and ending with the contemporary Eagle’s Nest Art Group during the 1950s through the 1980s. In the early days, the local Women’s Club (April 26, 1910), Men’s Club, and the Junior Women’s Club met at the library. In 1958, the St. Bride’s Episcopal Church group used the facility until their church was built. That same year, the building was the meeting place for the Junior Eagle’s Nest Art Group. The Ogle County Arts Alliance now holds its regular meetings in the gallery. 

Oregon Public Library, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed January 12th 2021. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891399.

History of the Library, Oregon Public Library. Accessed January 12th 2021. https://oregonpubliclibrary.com/about/history-of-the-library/.

Oregon Public Library, City of Oregon. Accessed January 12th 2021. https://cityoforegon.org/oregon-public-library/.

Visitor Information - Library, City of Oregon. Accessed January 12th 2021. https://cityoforegon.org/visitor-information/library/.