Lowden State Park

About Lowden State Park

Lowden State Park, one of the largest and most popular parks in the state, is located in Ogle County, north of Oregon.

The park serves as a memorial to Governor Frank O. Lowden, who served Illinois during World War I.

The best view of the statue is from Illinois Route 2, but there are many wonderful views of the Rock River throughout the park. When Chief Black Hawk left the area after the Blackhawk War, he spoke of the "beauty of this area" and exhorted his captors to take care of them, which took the form of a statue of him at the entrance to the National Park. Lowden State Park was founded to preserve this land and give visitors the opportunity to share in its beauty.

In northern Oregon, cliffs are adorned with a statue of an Indian looking out over the Rock River Valley. This ordinary statue is not an ordinary statue, however, as it is important for the history of the park and its history as a national park.

The statue was designed by sculptor Lorado Taft and is a tribute to the Indians, but is more often associated with Chief Black Hawk. The statue seems to be brought to life by the setting sun and to be a spectacular sight at any time of the day. This wonder is both empowering and awe inspiring for the beauty of the Rock River Valley and its surroundings.

Chicago attorney Wallace Heckman, who was also deputy director of the University of Chicago, bought the land in 1898, which would later become Lowden State Park. Through his studies, he and his wife developed a great love of nature, and with Chicago society, the Heckmans became patrons of art.

For nearly 50 years, the Eagle's Nest has been a favorite home for creative people, and the artist colony founded on the Rock River property brought together artists, musicians, writers, photographers, sculptors and other artists. The original group included artists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Irving, Irving Berlin, James Joyce and many others. This colony was called the "Eagle's Nest" to indicate the tall dead cedars that hang high above the riverbank.

The colony flourished under the leadership of Taft, who was the colony's moving spirit. Governor Lowden died in 1953, just as the last artists and their families were leaving the colonies, and the Legislature provided $25,000 to build a monument to him. This amount was raised by Oregon residents to purchase the former Eagle's Nest property for the memorial park.

In 1945, the 63rd General Assembly declared Lowden State Park a National Historic Landmark, and in 1946 the actual Eagle Nest Colony, which was located on 66 acres, was transferred to Northern Illinois University in DeKalb for outdoor teacher training programs. The site, called Lorado Taft Field Campus, has been renovated by NIU Industrial Art Classes and is used for an outdoor science course every year. There is only one group campsite, but electricity is limited to two hours a day, seven days a week, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Please contact the park staff upon arrival to obtain a camping permit. A snack stand offers cold drinks and snacks in summer.