| 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. 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.
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. 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. Please check out our old website, too. www.ofallonhistory.org. While it is no longer being updated, it still has much to offer. Eventually, most of its content will be transferred to this new site. |
| updated 5/19/2008 |
| Copyright 2008 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 |
| 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. |
