Updated: 3/25/2011 
Little White School Museum
Oswego, Illinois
Description

The Little White School Museum is located in a restored former Methodist-Episcopal Church and community elementary school. Permanent exhibits tell the story of the 68 square miles inside the Oswego School District. Seasonal temporary exhibits enhance the museum experience, while the community archives are a valuable resource for historians, genealogists and others. The building's restored main room is a venue for community civic meetings as well as available for rental for events that fit in with the museum's mission.

Mission

The mission of the Little White School Museum is to collect, procure, preserve, interpret, and exhibit materials that directly relate to the history and heritage of Oswego Township and its environs.

History

The Little White School Museum was completed in 1850 as a Methodist-Episcopal Church. The congregation dissolved in 1913, and in 1915 the Oswego Grade School District acquired the building for use as a one-room school. In 1930, the room was divided in two, and in 1936 a third classroom and main entry hall was added to the building's rear. The last classes were held in the building in 1964 after which is was used for school district storage. The Oswegoland Heritage Association was established in 1976 to preserve and restore the building, and to open a community museum. A three-way cooperative agreement by the Oswego School District, which maintained ownership of the building and grounds; the Oswegoland Park District, which agreed to pay normal operating expenses such as utilities; and the heritage association, which pledged to overseen restoration and eventual operation of the community museum allowed the project to continue. The community museum opened in 1983, and the archives and research area opened in 1992. Restoration efforts, mostly by community volunteers, continued until the project was completed in 2002. In late 2010, the school district agreed to transfer ownership to the park district, and the move was completed early in 2011. Museum operations are overseen by the heritage association, while the park district funds the building's operations and maintains the grounds, renamed Heritage Park. The project has been a model of cooperation between the nonprofit heritage association and the Oswegoland Park District.

Governance

Oswegoland Heritage Association

Library

Access: General Public

Appointment required: False

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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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