Notable Towns | Oregon, Illinois | Population 3,721

Sometimes, social media can be a great place to meet fascinating travelers.

That was the case when we were scouring threads in X and stumbled upon Illinois Enjoyer. We’re glad we did. The travel content Illinois Enjoyer publishes features stellar small-town photography, civic landmarks, monuments, old movie theaters, plenty of mom-and-pop coffee shops, and hot dog stands. It is Illinois, after all. You'll love this account if you enjoy old marquees, landscape photography, and yesterday's classic neon signage.

The Illinois Enjoyer is on a mission: He strives to visit every town, village, and city in the state. So far, he’s tallied 268 visits out of 1,299. The Illinois Enjoyer is our inspiration for this week’s Notable Town, and we’ll follow up with the entire conversation in an upcoming issue featuring a forty-minute podcast.

The Illinois Enjoyer stopped through town on May 16, 2024. He snapped some photographs of downtown architecture and the beautiful town square.

Notable Town #2: Oregon, Illinois

There are nine towns in the United States named Oregon. Most of them are in the Midwest. None are west of the Mississippi. The meaning of “Oregon” is literally “River of the West” and is an homage to the Rock River, a tributary to that mighty river boundary that bisects the continent and separates the Midwest from the Western plains.

This week’s Notable Town is located in Northern Illinois. The county seat of Ogle County is Oregon, home to just under 4,000 people. Today, it’s a quaint place in the country where people can live, work, and play. Their community website plays off on contemporary themes of living a quiet life while working remotely and enjoying access to inexpensive housing and a wealth of outdoor pursuits.

The city was originally home to the Potawatomi and Winnebago tribes. For over a hundred years, Native Americans' legacy has drawn legions of tourists to nearby Lowden State Park, where they can gaze at The Eternal Indian, the second-largest monolith statue in the world. 

The first European to visit the land was pioneer John Phelps, who settled there in 1833. He found the forested land perfect for a homestead cabin, and soon, others followed him. In a few years, the town had a church, school, grocery store, post office, and blacksmith shop. With the help of Phelps, the land was officially certified by the Ogle County clerk as Oregon City in 1838.

Illustrating the influence of European visitors to the Midwest, one story notes that in 1839, the city briefly lost its name to “Florence” because a visitor had compared its Rock River vistas to be reminiscent of the famed Italian city. That name stuck for just three years until the city officially became Oregon. It experienced a population boom from the mid-1840s to the 1860s, welcoming settlers with various churches, stores, mills, and even a ferry. When industry arrived in the 1870s, the town became known for its oatmeal mill, flour mill, chair factory, and furniture factory.

Oregon: A Town That Thrived on Railroad

Like many other American towns, the success was dependent on the arrival of the railroad. A number of businesses thrived in Oregon because of the railroad, including:

• The Paragon Foundry found its biggest success during World War I and remained in business until the 1960s.

• In 1895, Oregon was the origin city of the E.D. Etnyre Company. They manufactured automatic hog watering machines. By 1900, they expanded their offerings to container tanks to supply water and fuel for steam-operated threshing machines, as well as water sprinklers for dusty streets and roads. In the early 1910’s, the company attempted to develop a motor car business; this endeavor was unsuccessful, however, as only about a dozen touring cars were produced. Etnyre went on to develop and distribute oil sprinklers, asphalt distributors, and street flushers. By the 1920’s, the asphalt distributors had become their primary product. The company earned the Army and Navy “E” award in 1944, for their manufacturing performance during World War II.

• The National Silica Company called Oregon home, and in 1909, their own railroad spur was built to the company facilities in 1909.

• Frederick G. Jones, a piano maker, established roots in town and eventually expanded to become the Schiller Piano Company. At its peak, they were shipping more than 5,000 pianos a year. In 1936, Schiller merged with the Cable Company, producing pianos under the moniker, Cable and Conover. Thousands of pianos were constructed in its factory, reaching schools, churches, and homes across the Midwest and beyond. At one point, Schiller was the largest industry in Ogle County. Today, the 120,000-square-foot stucco-clad building was renovated as an indoor mall in 1975 and currently operates as the Conover Square Mall.

• In 1911, the Carnation Company opened a milk condensing plant in Oregon.

Oregon is a small town that packs a lot of sights into its boundaries. Here are some of the places we plucked from online sources and Google Maps that we highly recommend visiting or learning more about:

🏛️ Places of Interest & Historical Import

• Courthouse Square: It would be difficult to miss the imposing grandeur of the Ogle County Courthouse. It was built in 1891 in the Romanesque Revival style by Chicago architect George O. Garnsey. It was preceded by two other buildings, one of which was destroyed by a group of outlaws. The public square facing the courthouse is notable because it contains several historic places, including “The Soldier’s Monument,” sculpted by Laredo Taft. It serves as a permanent record and reminder of the contribution of the men of Ogle County who served in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. A plaque reads, "Ogle County Honors Her Sons." Flanking the dominant sculpture are two soldiers atop pedestals, one facing north and the other facing south. Tafts's soldiers were cut from Georgia marble.

• Oregon Train Depot: Visit a relic of railroad history that has been lovingly restored by a passionate crew of historians interested in preserving its past.

• Oregon Music Garage: There is a soundtrack to Oregon called “Livin’ On The River,” and it was written and directed by town legend John Lindhorst. He has taught music and art appreciation in Hawaii and California but returned to Illinois — a place he calls home. He also owns Ukelele Station and Washington Street Mercantile & Coffeehouse. Today, OMG is a stunning space to find instruments, get lessons, get repairs, and see live music.

🍔 Places to Eat & Drink

• Jay’s Drive In: A Midwestern town without a drive-in is incomplete. Thankfully, Oregon has one in Jay’s, a beloved staple serving up burgers, Chicago dogs, and ice cream for over 35 years. It’s the type of place that hosts car shows on muggy summer nights.

• Bela’s Cafe: This place has that lived-in feel of a diner that makes you feel attached to the place. It strongly delivers on the cafe side of things and is a place to get your fix of skillets, pancakes, omelets, and french toast. Frequented by locals and tourists alike, you’ll feel at home.

• VFW Post 8739: I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a local VFW. They are legendary spots for meeting locals, hearing stories, and meeting heroes.

🥾 Places to Explore

• Lowden State Park: Most visitors here come to experience the natural beauty but are drawn by the 48-foot statue of a Native American quietly watching the beauty of the River Rock Valley below. The Eternal Indian Statue, commonly known as Black Hawk, was created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1911. Taft created the 48-foot tall figure, which weighs 536,770 pounds, with the help of John Prasuhn, a German sculptor who had experience working with concrete, the medium Taft proposed to use. It is said to be the second-largest concrete monolithic statue in the world. On December 20th, 1910, workmen began pouring the concrete. Pouring continued night and day for 10 days with up to 28 men working on the project. It was then left until spring to set. The statue's body is hollow, but the head contains the ends of 24 steel rods and is cast in solid concrete. Although the statue is called Black Hawk, it does not represent any one man. It is a tribute to all Native Americans, especially those who lived along the Rock River.

📍Map It: Your Itinerary to Oregon

To view the places mentioned in this article on a map, click and follow our PamPam Guidebook.

To follow and use our Oregon itinerary, check it out here.

We hope you enjoyed this drive through another remarkable and notable American small town. Let us know if you would like a town featured here — we will cover one every week of the year.