DIXON

dixon, a city and the county seat of lee county, illinois, u.s.a., on the rock river, in the n.w. part of the state. pop. (1890) 5161; (1900) 7917 (879 foreign-born); (1910) 7216. it is served by the chicago & north-western and the illinois central railways, and is connected with sterling by an electric line; freight is shipped over the hennepin canal. the city has two parks of 159 and 6 acres respectively, and there is a chautauqua park, where an annual chautauqua assembly is held. dixon is the seat of the northern illinois normal school (incorporated in 1884), and of the rock river military academy. the river furnishes water power for the street railways, electric lighting and a number of manufacturing establishments. among the manufactures are condensed milk, boxes, wire screens and wire cloth, lawn mowers, gas engines, cement, agricultural implements, shoes and wagons. the place was laid out in 1835 by john dixon (1784-1876), the first white settler of lee county. a bronze tablet in the howells building, at the intersection of first and peoria streets, marks the site of his cabin, and in the city cemetery a granite shaft has been erected to his memory. dixon was chartered as a city in 1859.