Governor Oglesby Mansion

10/16/2026

Senior night! Come out and support this great group of student-athletes tonight at 7pm. GO BRAVES!!

10/16/2026

Located at 421 West William Street in Decatur! Watch our page for our Christmas Tea details!

10/15/2026

Save the date!!

10/14/2026

General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s famous captured prosthetic leg artifact is on display in the Governor Oglesby Mansion Museum. It is on display in the Governor’s library. It is always a popular artifact during our tours.

Illinois volunteers from the 4th Regiment seized the wood prosthetic limb during the Mexican-American War at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847.

10/13/2026

Our historian Bill Horton in the dining room.

10/12/2026

The Bridge Built in Loving Memory of John Parke Gillett by his sister Emma Gillett Oglesby, who was married to three time Illinois Governor, Richard James Oglesby. Elkhart (Logan County Illinois) 08/2019.

The gates (second photo) lead to a bridge built in 1915 in loving memory of John Parke Gillett by his sister, Emma Gillett Oglesby. John passed away in 1901 at the age of 40. He left the valuable Gillett farm to his nephew Hiram Keays Jr, Emma's son with her first husband, much to the dismay of John's other sisters who wanted the farm very much. A lawsuit was filed by the sisters (not Emma) and went to trial.... the sisters lost.

Emma, who was undoubtedly happy about the trial outcome, had the $2,029.80 bridge built in memory of her brother. The bridge was built between July and October 1915 by Porter-McCully Construction of Mackinaw. The bridge was an engineering marvel for its day, one of the first concrete poured bridges in Illinois (the last photo is the thru bridge tunnel). The bridge is no longer used. - Logan County Illinois

10/11/2026

Yesterday, Mikito Muroya presented “Uncle Dick: Richard Oglesby, a Governor, General, Senator, and Traveler.” Muroya is a site interpreter with the State Historic Sites.
We appreciate the great presentation and our attendees. He then toured the mansion and saw what artifacts we have from the legacy of the Governor.

10/10/2026

Oglesby School third graders in Miss Betty Stoutenborough's class presented a play on October 10, 1934, exactly 92 years ago today.

Standing are Kenneth Price, Betty Ptomey, Jack Cochran and Bobby Wilson.
Sitting are Barbara Litchenberger, Wilda Daniels and Colleen Adams.

Photo: H&R

10/10/2026

Today at the Mansion !!!
Mikito Muroya will present "Uncle Dick: Richard Oglesby, a Governor, General, Senator, and Traveler" at 2 p.m. in the mansion's parlor. Muroya is a site interpreter with the State Historic Sites at Springfield and has worked at several historic sites, including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

10/09/2026

In the news…. Tomorrow at 2pm!!

October 8, 2026 - The Governor Richard James Oglesby Mansion in Decatur will host a special presentation Satur...