History of Oregon Village Name
Excerpted from A Walk Back in History: Did you Know? by Florice Paulson * Post ScriptFlorice Paulson’s book says the railroad was involved in the naming of Oregon, but subsequent research has shown that not to be true. Once the railroad was established here in 1865, that reinforced the name of Oregon. However, in 1847, […]
Village Presidents
Manuel Wolfe 09/12/1883 – 05/13/1884 Charles Netherwood 05/13/1884 – 05/08/1889 Manuel Wolfe 05/08/1889 – 05/08/1890 Charles Netherwood 05/08/1890 – 04/06/1897 Herbert Haskell 04/06/1897 – 04/07/1898 Charles Netherwood 04/07/1898 – 04/04/1901 E.D. Main 04/04/1901 – 04/02/1903 William Prichard 04/02/1903 – 04/07/1904 Charles Netherwood 04/07/1904 – 04/05/1906 J.C. Shampnor 04/05/1906 – 04/07/1910 Forest B. Cowdrey 04/07/1910 – […]
Hallelujah Camp Grounds
In the early 1920’s, a large interdenominational, evangelistic complex, known as the Hallelujah Camp Grounds, was built on the corner of Janesville St. and South Perry Parkway (See Google Map). Hundreds of people attended the religious gathering run by former Congregational minister, Rev. Jack Linn and his wife Sophie Nelson Linn each summer. By 1941, […]
1877 History of Oregon, WI
This article entitled “Oregon,” was written by Dr. Isaac Howe and published in 1877 book History of Madison, Dane County and Surrounding Towns. The Oregon Area Historical Society owns a copy of the 1977 reprinted book that can be viewed during museum hours or a digitized copy is available online. Access the digitized book on […]
Oregon Pump House & Water Tower
The Restoration of Oregon’s Pump House & Water Tower was completed on June 6, 2017.
Fire Chiefs – Oregon, WI
Fire Chiefs
Library
The first public library in the village of Oregon was in 1908, started by Mrs. Jean Mennes Bennett, and was located in the front room over the old Oregon Drug Co. at 113 South Main Street. The rent was $5.00 a month and the village population at that time was 700.
Electric Company
In 1906 a petition was received by the Village Board requesting the village be bonded for $8,000 to provide an electric power plant. It took ten years for the Oregon Electric Company to become a reality.
Village Hall
The first town hall was formerly the center section of a two-story school building built in 1867-68. It was carefully detached from two single story wings on each side of the structure and moved to a location on South Main Street behind the Netherwood Block Building in 1895.
Police Department
n 1922, a 24-hour service was established in the village with cooperation of the Business Men’s Club. Before this, someone patrolled the village only during the nighttime hours.