Jefferson Street In Oswego Will Honor Zentmyer Family's Legacy

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego Village Board unanimously voted Tuesday night to designate Jefferson Street in honor of Earl Zentmyer and his family.

Historic Preservation Commissioner Shaunna Barrow submitted an application to designate the street in honor of the family's long legacy in Oswego, according to village documents.

The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously voted to name a street in honor of the family and recommended placing the sign on Jefferson Street, near the library and close to Main Street, where WWII Navy veteran Earl Zentmeyer owned several businesses.

Barrow completed the application that was started by the late Historic Preservation Commissioner Amanda Olson, Zentmyer's great-granddaughter.

The Zentmyer legacy began when Earl Zentmyer, born in Aurora in 1900, moved to Oswego in 1922 and opened Zentmyer Garage, later Zentmyer Ford, Associate Planner Rachel Riemenschneider outlined in a petition to the Village Board.

Zentmyer went on to serve on the Village Board, was elected for one term as village president in the 1940s, and was the first president of the former Oswego Township Library and Oswego Community Bank, both of which family members say were established through his leadership and efforts, according to the application. He was also the first bus driver for the Oswego school district and donated the first driver's education cars.

Zentmyer died in 2003 at the age of 103.

Earl's son, Jim Zentmyer, who lived from 1923 to 1987, followed in his father's footsteps, running the family business and serving as trustee and president of the Village Board. Jim Zentmyer was instrumental in bringing streetlights to downtown Oswego, Riemenschneider said. He similarly purchased and drove a school bus for the district.

The tradition of public service continued with Amanda Olson, born in 1986, who served on the Policy Advisory Committee for the school district and served on the Historic Preservation Commission. She began the application for an honorary street name before she died in 2023.