Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, August 7, 2020
| OGLE COUNTY NEWS
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LOCAL HISTORY
Gilberts Hardware ads featured a canine “Tige” Editor’s note: Otto Dick, Oregon has researched the people, places and events important in the Oregon area’s history for the Ogle County Historical Society. The following is one of a series of the articles he has written.
BY OTTO DICK This article is in response to the unveiling of the Gilbert Hardware sign that was recently revealed on the south side of the old National Clothing House building in downtown Oregon. The sign was revealed when current owners, Kevin Wiegmann and Mark Gale, removed a awning that had been added to the historic building.
Frank M. Gilbert was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, on Dec. 10, 1849. He came to Oregon on Jan. 5, 1872 and worked for Sheets Hardware and Farm Implement Company. In 1880, he established his own hardware business located on Fourth Street (Illinois 2) east of the Ogle County Courthouse. The 1931 Oregon telephone directory shows the location of Gilbert Hardware at 402 Washington St. where this sign was painted onto the side of the building. F. M. Gilbert’s Hardware newspaper ads featured a character named “Tige”. These give an interesting insight into life during 1915. I have on file 21 “Tige” ads. Here are just a sampling a few of them.
ABOVE: When the awning was taken off the old National Clothing House building an old sign advertising Gilberts Hardware store was exposed. BELOW: These old newspaper ads tell readers what the store had to offer while using Tige as its spokesman. Images provided by Otto Dick
