Oswego Village Board members recently approved a resolution to designate North Madison Street in the village in honor of James Detzler, a former Oswego fire chief and village president of the town.
The Historic Preservation Commission earlier this year received an honorary street name designation application from Detzler’s granddaughter, Gracie Heinz.
“I feel this street is fitting to honor his name,” Heinz wrote in her application. “It would be right where he can see it every day on his way home.”
Detzler’s family relocated to Oswego in his youth from Missouri in 1952. He graduated from Oswego High School in 1957 and went on to have a career in leadership positions and as a business owner.
His work life began as a mechanic and salesman at Zentmyer Ford. He later opened Detzler-Zentmyer Used Cars and Detzler Pontiac. He also owned Detzler John Deere in town.
Detzler oversaw Oswego’s growth in the ensuing years both as a business owner and as an elected village official.
He served two terms as a village trustee, he was elected village president in 1984, where he served another two terms, village officials said.
As village president, he annexed land on Route 30, established two industrial parks, worked to define the village’s borders, and ultimately nearly doubled the size of Oswego, according to village officials.
Detzler served as a volunteer firefighter for 10 years and went on to become fire chief for another 20 years, officials said. He continued to be president of the Oswego Fire Protection District for an additional 20 years. He served a total of 50 years at the Oswego Fire Station, retiring in 2011, according to officials.
He served as chief deputy coroner for Kane County as well. He served in other roles including Fox Metro Board president, Waubonsee Community College Board member and Oswego Township supervisor.
The Historic Preservation Commission recommended placing the honorary street sign at the southeast corner of North Madison Street and Elmwood Drive, just outside of Detzler’s home, where he has lived for more than 60 years, village officials said.
“His spot on the corner of North Madison and Elmwood has stood as an icon of the area with his signature old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon,” Heinz said in her application for the street designation. “The wagon has now been replaced after many years with an old-fashioned John Deere tractor, reminiscent of his days when he owned Detzler John Deere.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
