Otto’s Column

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

“Kids need that part. It’s also making sure kids have a safe place and any extras like counselors or social workers. We want to make sure they’re healthy.”

Mandrell said staff was surveyed about the plan just like parents were. Staff made concerns known and a lot of them felt more comfortable after seeing the plan.

As far as school changing after 2020-2021, Mandrell thinks some things might change, but that schools will return to full in-person learning. This year, Polo is prepared to go full remote if it has to.

“It’s always in the back of our mind,” Mandrell said. “There’s some things out of our control. If the OCHD shuts us down, we have to. But we have to keep moving forward.”

Forreston

The Forrestville Valley School District will have an in-person, five-hour day option and a remote option. It’s elementary school operations will be close to normal with teachers and students. The junior high will be divided into three sections and teachers will rotate to students.

At the secondary level, there will be A and B days with four classes on Mondays and four on Tuesdays with

Oregon High School is located on 10th Street in Oregon.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

longer blocks of time for transitions. There will be mask breaks and kids will be able to go outside.

“Because we’re small, we have smaller class sizes,” Superintendent Sheri Smith said. “The main difference is teachers moving to students. For remote learning, the child will be logging in at the same time as class is happening.”

Classrooms will have Zoom stations. Kids can see whiteboards. Only distance will separate remote learners from other students. If Forreston has to go full remote learning, it will be the same process.

Early in its planning process, Forrestville Valley surveyed parents on whether they’d send their children to school. 59 percent said yes, eight percent said no and 32 percent needed more info. It was then that the twopart system was decided on.

Smith guesses that 20 percent of families will choose remote learning.

“Our hope is it will be for the first 3-4 weeks and then we’ll go to full days,” Smith said.

Teachers have had to wrap their heads around things like students not being able to share materials, Smith said. She’s fielded questions from staff about quarantine and sick days.

As far as changes that could stick around, she cited Zoom technology that could be used when kids are absent and kids not using lockers, which they won’t be allowed this fall.

Smith is not 100 percent that in-person schooling will come to be in August as planned.

“I don’t know,” Smith said. “The states around us and what’s happening, that’s my concern. We opened later in Illinois. Will we see more cases with the timing?

Health Department

Auman found the question of if school will actually happen hard to approach. He said state educational officials and superintendents are doing a “fantastic” job of planning. The OCHD has spent time recently reviewing and approving district plans.

“Everyone is taking it seriously,” Auman said. “But it’s going to be tough. It’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see exposures in schools. Plans will be put to the test. Whether we pull out individuals, whole classrooms or shut down entire schools remains to be seen.”

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