| O'Fallon Historical Society O'Fallon, Illinois |
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| O'Fallon Historical Society Museum 101 W State St, PO Box 344 O'Fallon, IL 62269-0344 |
| Office Phone: 618-624-8409 Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat 1 - 4 pm and by appointment |
| Email |
Founded in 1988, the O'Fallon Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation of the history of O'Fallon, Illinois
and the surrounding area. O'Fallon is located in St. Clair County on I-64 just east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Since 1996, the Society has operated a museum at 101 W. State St. in downtown O'Fallon. Located in the historic
First National Bank building (erected in 1904 and remodeled to its current exterior appearance in 1922), the
museum is staffed exclusively by dedicated volunteers and boasts two floors of exhibit and storage space. The
Society also operates a satellite museum, the Scale House, at 214 E. First St. and oversees the maintenance of
historic Rock Spring Cemetery. Admission to both museums is always free. Tour groups are welcome but advance
notice is appreciated.
The main museum features permanent exhibits on local schools, railroads, coal mining, industry, sports and military
service. Two famous native sons, illustrator Bernie Fuchs and Academy Award winning actor William Holden, are
celebrated in permanent exhibits, as well.
The Society meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm at the main museum at 101 W State. Interesting
programs are often featured and the public is always welcome.
The Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and is 501(c)3 tax exempt. It is a member of the Illinois
Association of Museums.
We welcome you and invite you to learn more about our town by exploring our selection of online resources.
and the surrounding area. O'Fallon is located in St. Clair County on I-64 just east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Since 1996, the Society has operated a museum at 101 W. State St. in downtown O'Fallon. Located in the historic
First National Bank building (erected in 1904 and remodeled to its current exterior appearance in 1922), the
museum is staffed exclusively by dedicated volunteers and boasts two floors of exhibit and storage space. The
Society also operates a satellite museum, the Scale House, at 214 E. First St. and oversees the maintenance of
historic Rock Spring Cemetery. Admission to both museums is always free. Tour groups are welcome but advance
notice is appreciated.
The main museum features permanent exhibits on local schools, railroads, coal mining, industry, sports and military
service. Two famous native sons, illustrator Bernie Fuchs and Academy Award winning actor William Holden, are
celebrated in permanent exhibits, as well.
The Society meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm at the main museum at 101 W State. Interesting
programs are often featured and the public is always welcome.
The Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and is 501(c)3 tax exempt. It is a member of the Illinois
Association of Museums.
We welcome you and invite you to learn more about our town by exploring our selection of online resources.
| Welcome to the new website of the O'Fallon Historical Society! We are always adding new content so we hope you will come back often. |
| updated 6/25/2009 |
| Copyright 2009 O'Fallon Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Click here for copyright information. |
| Visitors since 10/16/2007 |
| Preserving the history of the O'Fallon area since 1988 |
| Celebrating our 20th Anniversary |
| A very brief history of O'Fallon Though Native American settlement dates back centuries, O’Fallon’s first modern-day settlement was made in 1802 by Revolutionary War veteran Capt. Joseph Ogle. Others soon followed, lured by rich land well suited to agriculture. It was here that John Mason Peck founded Rock Spring Seminary in 1827, the first college in Illinois. Within 25 years, coal mining had begun and the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad was built. The town began as O’Fallon Station, a depot of the O & M Railroad, named for railroad president Col. John O’Fallon of St. Louis, a nephew of George Rogers Clark and William Clark. The first lots were sold at public auction on May 13, 1854. The first public school was built in 1861. O’Fallon was incorporated as a village in 1874 and converted to city government in 1905. The Community Park was established in 1924 and a public library in 1930. Scott Air Force Base, founded in 1917, contributed to much of O’Fallon’s growth and I-64 fueled its rise as a commercial center. O’Fallon is the birthplace of actor William Holden and illustrator Bernie Fuchs. Today, at over 25,000, O’Fallon is one of the fastest growing cities in the St. Louis area. |
| O'Fallon, Illinois Time |
| Next Meeting Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Andree Swanson, O'Fallon Historical Society Quarterly editor, will talk about her interest in genealogy and its role in her new book, A Family to Die for. News and Upcoming Events Current -- Exhibit celebrating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Includes copies of the life mask and hand casts of Lincoln from 1860 by Leonard Volk and the Lincoln life mask by Clark Mills from 1865. Also on display are original election tickets from 1856 & 1860, newspapers from Lincoln's era that mention him, an 1833 Illinois law book used at the state house in Vandalia when the state capital was there and Lincoln was a state representative as well as Lincoln books and other memorabilia. Admission is free. |
| About Us |
| Bulletin Board |
| The museum building was named a St. Clair County Historic Site by the St. Clair County Historical Society on Oct. 19, 2008. |
| Built in 1904, the building was originally home to the First National Bank until 1960. It was the site of the O’Fallon Public Library from 1930 to 1945 (second floor) and 1962 to 1995. Since 1996, it has been the home of the O’Fallon Historical Society Museum and is owned by the City of O’Fallon. The second floor originally housed the Smiley Brothers Telephone Exchange as well as a wide variety of businesses and professionals including city offices. |
| Be sure to check out their website and learn about the "other" O'Fallon! www.ofallonmohistory.org |
