What’s next?: Memories of Lorado Taft Field Campus strong as outdoor education site closing date looms

OREGON – A former teacher, a former food administrator and the current director of the Lorado Taft Field Campus spoke about their experiences at the unique Northern Illinois University facility Saturday, Oct. 26, one month after a decision was announced to close the historic outdoor education facility in December due to aging infrastructure and increasing operational costs.

About 100 people gathered inside the Oregon Depot Museum on Saturday to learn more about the history of the Lorado Taft Field Campus – located north of Oregon adjacent to Lowden State Park – and see if anything could be learned about what will happen to the site.

“I really appreciate all the support we’ve received,” campus Director Melanie Costello said, referring to the 17 to 19 staff members currently employed at the facility. “We have been going through a variety of emotions. I don’t have answers as to what will happen in the future.”

NIU’s Media Relations Department confirmed Sept. 23 that the 141-acre facility will close permanently Dec. 15.

“This was a difficult decision because Lorado Taft has been a favorite destination for members of our community as well as Illinois children and youth who have enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and camp facilities,” said Rena Cotsones, vice president and chief engagement officer for NIU’s Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development.

The Lorado Taft Field Campus originally was part of the Wallace Heckman estate and Eagle’s Nest Art Colony that overlooks the Rock River Valley from a high vantage point on the east bank of the river. It is adjacent to Lowden State Park, which is owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is the home of Lorado Taft’s Eternal Indian statue, commonly referred to as the Black Hawk Statue.

NIU acquired a portion of the Heckman estate in 1951, six years after Lowden State Park was created in 1945. NIU named the campus after Lorado Taft and ran it as a field campus, offering outdoor education classes and camps for schoolchildren across northern Illinois.

NIU discontinued its outdoor education degree program in 1999, Costones said in a statement. The outdoor education program required “significant financial backing” and was further affected when “client preferences” changed after the pandemic.

“While the rustic buildings are picturesque, they are inefficient, antiquated and in need of costly repair. The aging infrastructure, including a wastewater treatment facility that has exceeded its functional lifespan, would require millions of dollars of investment to bring it to modern standards,” Costones said, adding that although the Taft campus has been “a special place and has provided great outdoor experiences for generations of young people,” it no longer aligns with NIU’s current mission and goals.

Fond memories of Taft experiences were echoed Saturday by Costello, former Oregon educator Tim O’Rourke and former Taft food administrator Andy Colbert, both of Oregon.

“When I began work there in 1980, it was the peak of the educational program,” Colbert said. “Several professors and graduate assistants were on staff, there was a waiting list of grade schools wanting to come here for residential outdoor ed, and master’s-level classes attracted students from all over the world, especially in the summer, when a full curriculum was offered. I especially remember all the Canadians.”

O’Rourke, who taught fifth grade in Oregon School District 220, said local students as well as students from the Chicago suburbs learned about the area’s history, flora and fauna during their stay at the Taft campus.

“It was an experience my students remember. The dining hall, where the view of the Rock River Valley was spectacular, the eagles, the geese,” O’Rourke said. “There was bird banding, arts and crafts, night hikes ... pioneer skills were taught in the log cabin. We studied the river and learned about river deltas and fossils. And then, we incorporated everything we learned at Taft right back into our classrooms.”

O’Rourke said teachers from the Chicago area who stayed with their students at Taft also learned about nature.

“Teachers from Chicago would grab my hand on the night hikes, concerned that there were no street lights. They were learning, too,” O’Rourke said.

Colbert, who retired in 2010, said the outdoor education aspect at Taft began to decline.

“Over the years, the educational aspect of Lorado Taft began a slow decline, with professors not being replaced and conference business beginning to take precedence,” Colbert said. “Losing its international reputation in outdoor ed, not having a faculty connection to NIU and being 40 miles from DeKalb made Taft a questionable entity for the university. Though it pains me to see Taft closing, I understand why the decision was made.

“Instead of academics, Lorado Taft evolved into a business, and that’s not what a college is meant to be. However, those of us that worked there can take heart in knowing the positive impact we had on all the types of groups that utilized our facilities.”

In her statement, Costones said NIU “must invest its resources in programs and initiatives that more directly contribute to NIU student success and our other academic priorities.”

She said the majority of the Lorado Taft staff will be able to transfer to jobs on the DeKalb campus or at a regional center.

Costello said she was not involved in the “who, what, where” in the decision to close the facility.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in that decision. I just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Costello, of Stillman Valley, told the crowd.

The Taft campus property includes works by Lorado Taft, a dining hall that overlooks the Rock River, other buildings and dorms.

A timeline for Taft

Oregon Mayor Ken Williams said the Taft campus consists of three parcels of land, including 5 acres along the river commonly referred to as “Ganymede Springs.” He said 59 acres above the Rock River – accessed through the entrance to the state park – encompasses the parking lot and all the campus buildings and other outdoor facilities.

He said a 76-acre parcel runs from the main campus east to River Road and was purchased by NIU in 1965.

Williams presented a timeline of the Taft property that outlined a 1943 Illinois House resolution to purchase the 300-acre Heckman estate and former art colony for $50,000 – after the death of the last surviving Eagles Nest Art Colony member.

“That’s $911,000 in today’s money,” Williams said. “$13,000 of that came from local donations, $237,000 in today’s money. So, if people feel like we own it out there, we kind of do. That was a big donation.”

In 1951, Gov. Adlai Stevenson signed a bill transferring 66 acres of land, including the Taft campus, to NIU to promote outdoor education, Williams said.

In August 2023, NIU contacted the city of Oregon to estimate the cost of running a sewer line from the city to the campus because the campus’ current system was failing.

“That estimate was $1.5 million and, of course, the city would not pay for that. That would have to be paid for by NIU or IDNR,” Williams said.

When Williams contacted Costones after the closing announcement, he said she estimated that $12 million to $14 million in repairs would be needed on the Taft campus property. He said he had asked for a detailed list of what those projects were in case a private investor was interested in purchasing the property.

Williams also said he contacted state representatives to make them aware of the situation and had spoken to an IDNR official to ask whether the agency would have the monetary resources to make the needed repairs.

“He just started laughing, the answer being no, IDNR does not have the money to make those repairs,” Williams said, adding that he also was trying to find out what the options were for the transfer of the Taft property back to the IDNR.

“We really won’t know what will happen until some later point in time,” Williams said.

When asked whether NIU planned to sell the property, the university’s media relations department replied in an email: “University leaders are currently exploring options for future stewardship of this unique property.”