The first newspaper was the "Oswego Register", established in 1868 by E.R. Trask. The first church was the Congregational, which was organized in May 1868, and the Presbyterian church was founded in July of the same year. The first school was taught in 1867. The public library association was organized in 1877 and continues in the form of Oswego Public Library[http://oswegolibrary.org], a Carnegie Library, today. The telephone system was put in operation in 1882; the waterworks in 1887; and the first electric lights were turned on July 12, 1888, but were turned off a few months later.