Oregon, Illinois

Coordinates: 42°00′52.59″N 89°19′57.13″W / 42.0146083°N 89.3325361°W / 42.0146083; -89.3325361

Oregon
City
The historical business area of Oregon.
Motto: Gem of the Rock River Valley.
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Ogle
Township	Oregon-Nashua
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Coordinates	42°00′52.59″N 89°19′57.13″W / 42.0146083°N 89.3325361°W / 42.0146083; -89.3325361
Area	2.1 sq mi (5 km2)
- land	2.0 sq mi (5 km2)
- water	0.1 sq mi (0 km2)
Population	3,721 (2010)
Density	1,998.5 / sq mi (772 / km2)
Founded	1833
Mayor	Thomas R. Stone, Sr. (R)
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	61061
Area code	815
Location within Ogle County
Location within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Oregon, Illinois
Website: http://www.oregonil.com/

Oregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County^[1].

History

The land Oregon, Illinois was founded on was previously held by the Potawatomi and Winnebago Indian tribes. In fact, later, settlers discovered that the area contained a large number of Indian mounds, most 10 to 12 feet in diameter.^[2] The name Oregon means "River of the West".^[3]

The first European to visit the land was pioneer John Phelps^{[disambiguation needed ]}. Phelps first visited the area in 1829 and returned in 1833 hoping to find a suitable site to settle.^[2] Phelps found a forest and river-fed valley which impressed him enough that he built his cabin there. Other pioneers followed Phelps to this site, and Phelps helped create the first church, school, grocery store, blacksmith shop, and post office in Oregon.^[3] By December 4, 1838, due in large part to the efforts of Phelps and his brothers B.T. Phelps and G.W. Phelps, the land was claimed, subdivided and certified by the Ogle County clerk as Oregon City.^[2]

In 1839 Oregon City was renamed Florence after a visitor compared the scenic beauty of the Rock River to the Italian city of the same name. Florence was used for only about three years when the city opted to revert to its original name, sans the word "city," in 1843. By 1847 the town had a general store, sawmill, ferry, 44 households and a population of 225.^[2] The population continued to grow through the 1850s and 1860s, a fact demonstrating by the increasing number of churches in those decades and the building of a railroad in 1871. Industry followed the railroad and Oregon became home to an oatmeal mill, furniture factory, chair factory, flour mill and a foundry, Paragon Foundry, which operated until the 1960s.^[2]

The city of Oregon was first organized under an act of the Illinois General Assembly which was approved on April 1, 1869. By the 1870s the town of Oregon and nearby area was home to around 2,000 people.^[2] James Gale was elected the city's first mayor on March 21, 1870 and four other men, Christian Lehman, W.W. Bennett, George M. Dwight and George P. Jacobs, were chosen as aldermen. On March 29, 1873 the city was reorganized because of an act of the Illinois legislature which allowed municipalities to incorporate as cities and villages. In 1920 the Oregon City Hall was constructed on the perimeter of the city's commercial district and it has been the center of city government ever since.^[4]

The Ogle County Courthouse was built in 1891 on the corner of Washington Street and Fourth Street (Illinois Route 64 and Illinois Route 2). Sculptor Lorado Taft designed and erected a 50-foot-tall (15 m) statue on a bluff overlooking the Rock River valley just north of the city. Originally named The Eternal Indian, it is now known as the "Black Hawk" Statue after the chief of the Sauk Indian tribe that once inhabited the area.

The city merged with nearby Daysville, Illinois in 1993.

Culture

Arts

In 1898 sculptor Lorado Taft founded the Eagle's Nest Art Colony on a bluff overlooking the Rock River, north of Oregon. Taft and his art colony began to exert an influence on the city of Oregon and its culture. The artists who gathered during the summer at Eagle's Nest would leave a mark on the city below them. One result of the colony's location near Oregon was the inclusion of a second story art gallery in the Oregon Public Library when it was built in 1908. Art colony members were required to contribute to the local culture by giving art shows, lectures and plays. In 1904 Taft created The Blind and then began focusing on more monumental works including The Eternal Indian located just north of Oregon in Illinois' Lowden State Park. Several other Taft works are located in and around Oregon, including The Soldiers' Monument on the courthouse lawn.^[5]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	1,088		—
1890	1,566		43.9%
1900	1,577		0.7%
1910	2,180		38.2%
1920	2,227		2.2%
1930	2,376		6.7%
1940	2,825		18.9%
1950	3,205		13.5%
1960	3,732		16.4%
1970	3,539		−5.2%
1980	3,559		0.6%
1990	3,891		9.3%
2000	4,060		4.3%
Decennial US Census

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there are 4,060 people (approx. 5,500 as of 2004), 1,667 households, and 1,066 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,998.5 people per square mile (772.2/km²). There are 1,789 housing units at an average density of 880.6 per square mile (340.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.03% White, 1.01% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 2.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,667 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% are married couples living together, 10.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% are non-families. 31.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.91.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $34,842, and the median income for a family is $41,250. Males have a median income of $35,247 versus $20,652 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,019. 15.9% of the population and 10.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

See also

• Burlington Chicago and Quincy Railroad Depot
• Chana School
• Lowden State Park
• Oregon Public Library
• Pinehill Inn
• The Soldiers' Monument
• Mt. Morris, IL

References

• Behrens, Marsha, et al. "Oregon Public Library," (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 27 March 2003, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
• Novak, Alice. "Oregon Commercial Historic District," (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 12 July 2006, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
• Ogle County Chamber of Commerce.

Notes

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Behrens, pp. 13-14.
3. ^ ^{a b} Oregon History," City of Oregon, official site. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
4. ^ Novak, pp. 34-35.
5. ^ Novak, pp. 55-56.
6. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Oregon official website
• Oregon Public Library website
• Oregon School District Homepage
• Oregon-Mt. Morris School merger