Oregon

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 in diameter. The first European to visit the land was pioneer John Phelps. Phelps first visited the area in 1829 and returned in 1833 hoping to find a suitable site to settle. 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. The name Oregon means "River of the West". 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, without the word "city," in 1843. By 1847 the town had a general store, sawmill, ferry, 44 households and a population of 225. The Ogle County Courthouse was built in 1891 on the corner of Washington Street and Fourth Street (Illinois Route 64 and Illinois Route 2). Between 1908 and 1911, on a site just north of the city, sculptor Lorado Taft erected a 50-foot tall statue he had designed and originally named The Eternal Indian. Located on a bluff overlooking the Rock River valley, the sculpture is now known as the Black Hawk Statue, named after Black Hawk, a chief of the Sauk Indian tribe that once inhabited the area. The city of Oregon annexed nearby Daysville, Illinois, in 1993.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Oregon has a total area of , of which (or 96.65%) is land and (or 3.35%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Oregon Elem Sch
  Elementary · Oregon · 776 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Oregon Jr/Sr High School
  High · Oregon · 663 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Mary Morgan Elem Sch
  Elementary · Byron · 659 students · 13.2:1 ratio
• Byron High School 9-12
  High · Byron · 457 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Byron Middle School
  Middle · Byron · 350 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Chana Educ Center/Rock River
  Other · Chana
• OCEC Life Skills
  Other · Byron
• Rock River Challenge
  High · Chana