3 minute read
Dixon today
Dixon City Councilman Mike Venier introduces the first speaker during the Gateway Project groundbreaking ceremony on April 28, 2022.
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Dixon has much to offer its nearly 16,000 residents, including educational options, convenient access to health care, beautiful parks, historic sites and scores of activities.
The county seat of Lee County, Dixon has been a center of commerce since its inception in the late 1820s. It was named after its founder, John Dixon, who operated a ferry service across the Rock River.
Today, Dixon’s economic base is supported by government, agriculture, service and retail, as well as by major manufacturers, including Raynor Garage Doors, Bonnell Industries, UPM Raflatac Inc., BorgWarner Inc., Donaldson Co., Dixon Direct, SGS Refrigeration and Sewer Equipment Co. of America.
After years of planning and preparation, the goal of bringing new development to the Interstate 88 corridor finally came to fruition. The city is moving forward on its Gateway Project, which will bring a new hotel, gas station, restaurants and shops to the city, on a 27-acre stretch of land along South Galena Avenue, across from Walmart between Keul and Bloody Gulch roads. Plans call for the construction of a dozen buildings, and the project is expected to create more than 600 jobs and $1 million a year in new tax revenue. Work is expected to wrap up by November 2022.
KSB Hospital, another large employer, offers comprehensive health services in Dixon and the surrounding area. The 80-bed, acute-care facility is highly rated for patient experience.
Residents have educational choices in Dixon, including the public school system and three parochial schools. Sauk Valley Community College, ranked highly for tuition affordability, is located between Dixon and Sterling.
More than 30 churches of several denominations support the spiritual needs of Dixon’s residents.
Among the town’s claims to fame is its connection to the late President Ronald Reagan, who lived in Dixon as a boy.
The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, where he and his family lived from 1920 to 1923, at 816 S. Hennepin Ave., became a National Historic Site in 1982 and welcomes visitors from across the U.S.
TODAY cont’d on page 8 Get To Know Us: Dixon | 2022-23 7
In recent years, nearly 100 projects big and small have been completed at the home and neighboring visitor center. Repairs and renovations range from smaller tasks such as routine maintenance on the pair of 1890s Victorian-style homes, to larger projects, such as replacing rotted woodwork, fixing and replacing storm windows, and roofing and siding work.
In December 2020, the Young America’s Foundation announced that it would be the new caretaker and owner of the home and visitor center, with a goal of not only increasing the number of visitors but transforming the home into a place where students could come for seminars and educational retreats.
Dixon is also home to numerous parks and recreational opportunities that revolve around its picturesque location on the banks of the Rock River, including the downtown Riverfront Heritage Crossing, and historic Lowell Park north of town, as well as the beautiful surrounding countryside.
In 2021, the Dixon Park District broke ground on a $2.9 million community center, which will be home to not only the district’s administrative offices, but will also house two full-size basketball courts, two automated volleyball nets, two automated batting cages, a community room, and an outdoor patio (go to dixonparkdistrict.com/ the-facility for more information).
The district has also been busy in recent years adding a number of amenities for the the public: a half-million dollar splash pad, Water Wonderland, in Meadows Park, a disc golf course and ice rink with a warming shed in Page Park, and a new playground in Lowell Park, which features a 75-foot zipline.
Dixon’s largest and oldest festival, Petunia Festival, offers a parade, carnival, concerts, fireworks, and much more; and the city continues to show its petunia pride with hundreds of petunia baskets on display downtown from May until late fall, a tradition dating back to the 1960s, earning Dixon the designation of “Petunia City.”
Other festivals and activities throughout the year, sponsored by local organizations, as well as opportunities to join many clubs, keep residents engaged and entertained.
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