History
OGLESBY: 75 YEARS OF PROGRESS
Why should we celebrate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the founding of Oglesby, the "Diamond Jubilee" of this, our beloved city? Well, the main reason for a feeling of pride in the city is that it really has made a giant step forward in its comparatively brief history: it is developed from beginnings as, let’s fact it, a one-horse "company town" to what it is today: a really attractive "home town". It is one good town in which to live, in which to raise a family. And what better compliment can one pay a town in these troubled times?
No responsible civic leader however, makes the absurd claim that everything is coming up roses. As any fool can plainly see, the city has a serious job problem. The recent departure of a manufacturing company (for warmer climates and 67c an hour workmen) cost Oglesby 80 to 100 jobs and is nothing to cheer about. It is the by-now familiar Northern industrial town problem: how can you hang onto your bright young men and women where there are so few attractive jobs to offer them? these same civic leaders are still optimistic however, about getting industrial firms to take advantage of the first-class industrial "shells" Oglesby has ready for them. Best of all, as far as future prospects go, is Oglesby’s well-deserved reputation for having available a rich pool of skilled, industrious workmen, 80% of whom own their own homes.
But how did it all get started, this Oglesby of ours? According to J.R. Bent’s "Early History of Oglesby", the seed which eventually bore fruit in what is now known as the City of Oglesby, was the act of a group of Kenosha, Wisconsin business men who in 1865 organized the Kenosha Coal Company in the mineral-rich virgin territory lying on the south side of the Illinois River near LaSalle. A shaft was sunk that same year, but the new enterprise met with difficulties so severe that it soon came close to being abandoned. These Kenosha business men persuaded one of their number, Mr. T.T. Bent, a manufacturer, to take over the coal mine and to capitalize the corporation. Mr. Bent was not slow about getting the coal company into profitable production by means of a system he introduced in the mines all over northern Illinois.
At the start the company employed but a few miners and "surface" workmen, and they, almost exclusively English-speaking men--English, Scotch, and Irish. The few dwelling places were located close to the mine on company property and were owned by the company. Because these workmen impressed Superintendent Bent as safely conservative, he enabled the various families to build their own homes, under long-term leases covering the sites, at "nominal" rates of interest. The result was that Oglesby very early earned a reputation among mining towns of the middle west as a "conservative" and home-making community with comparatively low labor turnover, and few, in Superintendent Bent’s phrase "labor problems" such as miners banding together to demand a living wage, a halfway decent place to work, and some form of compensation for injuries or death suffered while working in hideously dangerous coal mines.
The paternalistic Mr. Bent soon organized a Sunday-School, the meetings were held in a company-owned shed. The company opened a small grocery store-general store near the mine. This same store, separately incorporated later, grew to be the second largest department store in LaSalle County. A few years later, the prospering company built a new store and office building near the mine site, which building’s second story provided a meeting hall for the use of the Sunday School, afternoon religious services, and other community meetings. the three Protestants churches of LaSalle took turns in sending preachers to the Oglesby meeting house. One of these preachers was Moses Gunn, so prominent in later Oglesby history.
About the year 1866, Mr. Bent applied for the establishment of a fourth-class post office in the community. The federal authorities objected to establishing under the community’s first name, Kenosha (after the coal mine) since there was already a prominent city by that name in a neighboring state. Apparently without consulting anyone, Mr. Bent then chose the name "Oglesby" in honor of Illinois’ Civil War governor, Richard Oglesby. the government accepted this name substitution and the post office was established soon thereafter in the corner of Bent’s company store.
In 1871 the Oglesby Coal Company was organized by Mr. Bent and some of his associates, and the new company took over the interests of the Kenosha Coal Company. The new company flourished, becoming one of the leading producers of coal in northern Illinois, employing some 500 or more men in its peak years.
During the early 1880’s non English-speaking people began to come into the community. First were the French and German, and then, in large numbers the Polish, Northern Italians, Belgians, Yugoslavians, and Lithuanians.
Before 1887 the territory east of the Vermillion River from its mouth at the Illinois to the vicinity of Lowell was wild timber and brush and the Vermillion Valley itself was "the forest primeval". In that year, however, the Illinois Valley and Northern Railroad was built from Streator to Zearing passing through this unspoiled valley. This line became part of the "C.B.&Q.". Business was on the march.
In the late 1890’s another coal mine started operations--this was the Black Hollow Mine along the Vermillion River a few miles east of the Oglesby Coal Company. A settlement beside the river grew up gradually because of this mine and the Dawson mine which was across the Vermillion. There was a hotel, general store, Wells Fargo office, and a small depot. This is the spot where the suspicion bridge was built to Deer Park (now Matthiessen State Park). This settlement was later included in the City of Portland.
In the winter of 1891-1892 a small frame building was erected by a firm organized as Williamson and Wilson, at the site now occupied by the plant of the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company, for the purpose of making cement by means of small vertical kilns. the enterprise, however, did not prove successful. In 1898, the plant of the Anglo-American Cement Company (laterknown as the Chicago Portland Cement Company) near Chicago, burned down and the company managers began casting around for a suitable location to establish a larger and more modern plant. The officials of the Oglesby Coal Company sold the new cement site. the newly-erected plant was unsuccessful when it used the old stationary kiln method. the engineers then changed over to what was then a pioneer process, the rotary kiln. At about the same time, the Dickinson brothers, importers and jobbers of Portland cement in Chicago, decided to go into the production business themselves and purchased the defunct Williamson and Wilson Company property and plant. The Marquette (named for priest-explorer Father Marquette) Cement Company was launched under the supervision of Richard E. Moyle, Sr.
In 1893 the Oglesby Coal Company chartered and recorded its first subdivision for building lots, located along the north side of what is now Walnut Street extending from Columbia Avenue on the west and as far east as Woodland Avenue. Other subdivisions quickly followed, some started by the coal company and still others by private parties. These were on the south side of Walnut Street and in the vicinity that became known as "Crocketsville". The community of Oglesby, as we know it today, was fast taking shape.
On June 5, 1905, John McCann, Sr. was appointed lamplighter and patrolman. The fire department was organized February 19,1906 with Hugh McCann being appointed the first fire chief on October 15, 1906. On December 2, 1918, Otto Heilstedt was appointed fire Marshall. He served in this capacity until1968 at which time the city made him the honorary fire chief, until he passed away.
In 1906 the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad extended its line from Granville to Oglesby in order to tap Oglesby’s coaland cement products. That same year the coal company moved some twenty miner’s houses from the shadow of the mine dumps to a territory to be known thereafter as "Bent’s residence subdivision". For these few lucky people the company put in sidewalks, sanitary water mains, sewers, and electric light lines--improvements which were later taken over by the City of Oglesby.
Bitter factional disputes in the community brought about a request by one dissident group to have the Illinois Central Railroad move its depot from the mine site to a new location near the "dry bridge" area and to have the post office moved from Bent’s store to this same area. This heated, prolonged dispute led to the incorporation in 1902 of a portion of the community under the name of "City of Portland." Despite the fact of Portland’s separation from Oglesby, the railroad depot and the post office stayed right where they were, keeping the name of Ogleaby. Later, however, natural developments in the community made changes of location of the depot and the post office desirable and the railroad established a new depot near Walnut Street. At about the same time, the postal authorities decided to move the Post Office, not, however, to the "dry bridge" area, but further west on Walnut Street. In 1913 Portland renounced its name and was re-incorporated with Oglesby proper, the name that had been retained by the postal authorities.
In 1916 the Chicago Portland Cement Company brought the quarry from the now-defunct Oglesby Coal Company and then sold the newly acquired property to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company.
In 1917 and 1918 the cement companies filed a suit against the coal mining interest contending that the coal mining was injurious to the by-then far more prosperous cement operation. The courts ruled in favor of the cement companies and the coal mines were shut down for good in Oglesby, after fifty-three years of operation.
The two industries of the town then were the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company and the Lehigh Portland Cement Company. The Lehigh closed its doors late in 1963. However, in 1942, Eicor, Inc., manufacturers of electrical motors began their operation. This factory changed hands several times, but it was always good for our city
until 1976 when this plant moved to a warmer climate. We are also fortunate to have several other smaller industries to help keep our community going.
Through the generosity of Miss Bertha K. Evans, a principal stockholder of the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company and the cement company itself, a $90,000.00 Theodore G. Dickinson House was constructed in 1941. This building was in memory of that pioneer figure in the Cement Industry. This structure houses a swimming pool, bowling a;;ey and social rooms and is surrounded by 12 acres of beautiful trees and a baseball field. This building is dedicated to the welfare and enjoyment of the employees of the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company and the citizens of Oglesby.
Also that year the beautiful new Post Office was built at the corner of Woodland Avenue and West Walnut Street. After a history which started on August 14, 1886 with Hiram Homes as the first postmaster of the Oglesby Coal Company, our post office was many times before it came to the present location.
Oglesby has made many strides in the past years. Three deep rock wells are in operation at this time. In 1956 the new water treatment plant was constructed with iron removal equipment treating more than 100,000,000 gallons of water per year.
The sewage disposal plant was also built in 1956. This new high-rate trickling sewage treatment plant is designed to care for a population of 6,000.
In April 1911 a generating plant was constructed and furnished electrical energy for eight hours a day - from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight. After three years, because of continuous engine difficulties, the plant was abandoned and a contract with Illinois Power Company was enteredinto. This plan allowed the city to purchase power from them and then resell it to the people of our city. That arrangement is still in effect, however, because of furnace, air conditioners, radios and television, a strain was put on this system again so in November 1970 the city built a much need sub-station located on South Columbia Avenue. Now with the 6,6671/2 K.V.A. transformer and the second 7,500 K.V.A. transformer our problems are solved.
The latest improvement to our city is the Iron Removal Plant which is being built at this time on Third Street. The city has been awarded a grant from the federal Capital Works Improvement Program which will pay for this project as well as making repairs to the present treatment plant on South Woodland Avenue. It is the first time Oglesby has ever received a grant of this type. The grant was for $502,000.
OUR SCHOOLS
School District No. 125 was established in 1869. One of the first schools was a wooden building built on the southeast corner of the present school site. This school was called Central School and it was a one room building at first, then later in 1888 additional rooms were added. The present school was started with only six rooms in 1908 and four more were added in 1910. The Washington School was completed in 1915. The Chicago Cement Company also built a school in the yard of their company for the children whose parents worked at the plant, but this school was closed because of the great amount of dust that penetrated the building.
The school in Jonesville was known as Columbus school and the Jackson school was in Crocketsville where the American Legion home now stands. When Lincoln school
built, the other two schools were abandoned and sold.
Deer Park location also had a one room school which was built in the 1890’s. This was for the children whose fathers worked at the Black Hollow Mine. They closed this school in 1936.
The Sacred Heart School was built in 1903 and the teachers were from the Order of St. Francis. The Holy Family school has replaced this one and was ready for opening sessions in 1961.
OUR CHURCHES
Church life in Oglesby began with a Sunday school established in 1867 and held in the loft of an unused barn at the coal mine site. During the summer, services were held outside, under the trees. Every Protestant family was represented in the Sunday School at that time. The Young People’s Society of the Christian Endeavor was organized in 1890. In 1894 the Union Church was built, eight years before Oglesby officially became a city. In 1957 the imposing new Union Church was dedicated.
The first Catholic mass in Oglesby was offered in 1880 in Miner’s Hall but it was in 1905 before the parish was assigned a permanent priest of its own. There have only been five pastors from that day to this, the longest serving 29 years from 1922 to 1951. In 1951, two separate parishes, St. Constantine’s Lithuanian and the Sacred Heart Church were merged, becoming the Holy Family Parish. The new Holy Family Church was dedicated in June 1953.
The Jonesville Tabernacle dates back to 1876, but in 1932 it was deemed necessary to build again because the original Tabernacle was considered a fire hazard. All of the work on this new building (except for one carpenter ) was donated by church members and friends. At present only Sunday School is held there.
Last to be established in the community was the Baptist Church whose beginnings were the services held in a "Chapel Car" which moved up and down the railroad lines in 1907. Following this start, the church was officially organized on April 12, 1908 and construction of the church building itself began that year. A fire in February 1937 destroyed part of the building, but the skillful repair work saved it for future use, and the building serves to this day.
LIBRARY HISTORY
Since 1890, there has been a "library" os sorts in Oglesby, the first books furnished by the Bent family and issued from the Oglesby Union Church Sunday School rooms, located on the second floor of the Bent company store at the mine site. The "library" was later moved to the Bent company grocery and drug store located at the corner of Spring Avenue and East Walnut Street (Scheri building). The service was not free; libray users had to pay $1.00 per month for the privilege of checking out books. That was quite a heavy charge for those times.
In 1902 a library association was established. After several moves the books were put in the basement of the Union Church where the library remained until about 1920, from where the books and files were moved to the Ross home at the northeast corner of Woodland Avenue and West Walnut Street. The present building was erected in that location in 1924. The library now houses approximately 23,000 volumes.
The Oglesby Historical Society was formed in 1952 with the proceeds of the Golden Jubilee Fund. Albert Moyle, for many years the president of the library board, headed the new venture.
CIVIC CLUBS
Of all the service-minded clubs in Oglesby, two deserve special mention. The first, the Oglesby Woman’s Club, was organized in 1912 by a group of far-sighted women who raised sorely needed money for improving the city’s then poorly equipped parks. After the first World War, these ladies conducted courses in the English language for the benefit of many non-English speaking immigrants. Through the years, this group has furthered the progress of culture in the community.
The second noteworthy group is the Oglesby Progressive Association, whose manin object is to create jobs by attracting industry to the community. Their pioneering efforts are largely given credit for bringing the Sunstrand Corporation to the area because they, the Oglesby Progressive Association, had the foresight necessary to provide a large industrial "shell" all ready for occupancy just at the time Sundstrand had to have a temporary plant. After a time, they moved to a much larger site outside of LaSalle, but the fact remains that the area would not have Sundstrand at all if the Oglesby Progressive Association had not been ready. The Oglesby Progressive Association was also responsible for the construction of the beautiful new bank building that is such an outstanding feature of downtown Oglesby. This group started as the Oglesby Booster Club, then the Oglesby Civic Association, who was instrumental in bringing Eicor, Inc. to our town.
"HERE WAS A MAN..."
Oglesby’s perennial leading industry, the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company, may well be described as the brain-child of Richard E. Moyle, Sr., the town’s authentic great man: engineer, inventor, supervisor, far-sighted planner, humanitarian, God’s faithful servant. Born in England in 1868, Mr. Moyle had three years of schooling before he went to work, at the age of nine, in the tin mines. Every cent of the pittance heearned he gave to his mother, to help keep the struggling family afloat. Once he asked the paymaster to pay him in that country’s heavyweight pennies so that he might "have more money to give to momma." At sixteen he sailed for America on a cattle boat, then worked his way west on a Great Lakes steamer. In Michigan, he worked as a stable boy at his uncle’s hotel. After a year, he headed south, seeking work in the then flourishing Oglesby area coal mines. After working for the Bent Coal Company for a few years, he got a much better job at the newly formed Williamson Cement Company in Oglesby. Before long his remarkable industry and ingenuity earned him the position of plant manager. When the company was purchased by the Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company, Mr.oyle was appointed plant manager by the new owners. And then the rest, as they say, is history. Under Mr. Moyle’s guidance the plant prospered, achieving by 1913 the remarkable production of over two million barrels of cement a year. Moyle guided Marquette’s fortunes right up to within two months of his death at 81, his life complete and beautiful. What Prince Hamlet said of his beloved father could as well be said of Richard Moyle: "I shall not look on his like again."
SPORTS STANDOUTS
Oglesby has produced more than its share of athletic heroes. The 1952 Washington School "heavyweights" basketball team trounced everybody for fifty miles around, getting as far as the "Sweet Sixteen" semi-finals before losing to eventual champion, Carmi, in a cliff hanger. Jim Entwistle and Bob Parnisari starred. A partial list of Oglesby athletic luminaries would have to include: "Sunny Jim" Bottomley, baseball hall of famer; L-P all state gridders Don Walters and Mike Kasap; St. Bede footballers Dick Moyle and "Chink" Kozel; L-P’s Phil Brovelli wose 60-yard run with an intercepted pass broke the then state-champion Hall Township’s three-year unbeaten string, 6-0; Geno Bassetti, one of the two or three most powerful football players the area has ever produced; St. Bede cager, "Foo Foo" Alfons Bassetti, killed at 18 as an infantryman in Italy; L-P’s peerless pass catcher, "Sam" Samolitis; Sammy Virzi, all-around star at L-P, lion-hearted Larry Albani, St. Bede rebounder; Tom Lucas, most elusive back in arear football annals; Jimmy DeFilippi, who brought Oglesby Nation-wide recognition when he won the Grand American Doubles Championship in skeet shooting. He is a member of the Illinois Hall of Fame. He was only 16, the only junior ever to achieve that feat. In 1971, Lieutenant DeFilippi led 77 other clay pigeon competitors and try -out competition to become one of a two-man team representing the United States in the Pan American games in Cali, Columbia. In winning the top spot on the team for Columbia, he also won the Curtis Lee may Trophy for the United States International Championship (he died at 27). Perhaps one of the greatest of them all was ennio "Speed" Arboit, a football player so tremendous that he, almost single-handed, held off a vastly superior L-P team, enabling his undermanned St. Bede team to give L-P their toughest game of the season. At season’s end, Arboit was unanimous choice as honorary captain of the star-studded all area team, and All-State halfback, although he was only ajunior. Before his senior year, he contracted rheumatic fever as an interior lineman on the first Bron Bacevich-coached team at St. Bede. He went on to play halfback on a good Notre Dame football team. At the age of 40, this magnificent athlete and gentleman died of a heart attack/
VANISHING SIGHTS: A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
Since 1893 when the coal company began building its first subdivision on Walnut Street, right up to the present day, the City of Oglesby has undergone a remarkably successful face-lifting, from eyesores to sights for sore eyes; from ugly, jerry-built "company houses" to pretty scrubbed-clean looking homes; from muddy paths to broad, clean boulevards maintained by the many men of the city department of streets. It is, and has been, a town well-known in the area for citizens who have a fierce pride in their homes and yards.
Despite this steady improvement, through the years, in the town’s appearance, people afflicted with nostalgia still speak yearningly of "the good old days." When you could go to the show in town, see Charlie Chaplin in "City Lights" at the Times Theater (closed in November 1952). Or, way, way back, when you could but a double-dip ice cream cone for a nickel from Archie Marzetta’s truck at Sunday afternoon baseball games when the Oglesby Tigers were playing. Or when you could go for a walk in the evening and stop in at Rimmele’s Ice Cream parlor for ahuge ice cream soda or buy some penny candy. When ethnic groups lived "in their own part of town, " although this last sentiment is rarely heard any more. When you’d see old Mrs. Main pulling her wagon full of newspapers through the streets. She sold papers this way, right up to the day she died at 73. when you could stroll downtown and talk with Eddie Swords in his pool hall. Or you could think with awe that there was this wonderful old lady in town who was 103 years old and still "did for herself" - Mrs. Brinetta Sieg. Some sports fans at Balconi’s can even remember way back to the time when Ohio State’s football team dared to play Notre Dame - 1936! (Notre Dame won of course). Oh, Nostalgia! "Mixing memory and desire!
.............................................................................Roy Brolley; June, 1977.......................
©Gary Corless