WE RECENTLY VISITED THE HIGH SCHOOL BIDDING WHERE
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN ATTEND.
THAT BUILDING IN DIXON NOW
HOUSES A HISTORY OF THAT AREA.
>>MRS. WIMES, THE PEOPLE WHO
FINANCED THIS BUILDING AND
EVERYTHING, SHE WANTED TO HELP
CARRY RONALD REAGAN'S LEGACY ON.
THE ROOM IS ACTUALLY IN THE
ORIGINAL STATE, BACK BOARDS AND
HER IDEA WAS WE COULD BRING
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE KIDS IN
HERE AND TELL THEM ABOUT THIS
LITTLE BOY WHO GREW UP IN DIXON
, ILLINOIS, AVERAGE STUDENT, HE
HAD NO CLUE SOMEDAY HE WAS GOING
TO MAYBE BE A OF WHO I STAR OR
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
ACROSS THE HALL IS A ROOM FILLED
WITH MEMORABILIA AND PICTURES
FROM RONALD REAGAN'S TIME AS
PRESIDENT, PLUS A MURAL TRACING
HIS LIVE FROM TAMPECO AND DIXON
TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
MOST PEOPLE REMEMBER THE
PRESIDENT'S FAVORITE SNACK WERE
JELLYBEANS.
JELLYBEANS. DOWNSTAIRS, GREETING VISITORS AS
THEY ENTER IS A LARGE PORTRAIT
OF THE PRESIDENT DONE IN JELLY
BELLIES.
BELLIES. YET, THERE IS MORE TO DIXON'S
PAST THAN JUST MR. REAGAN.
>> THE WALL GREEN FAMILY, THE
DRUGSTORE CHAIN, THEY HAVE AN
ESTATE HERE IN DIXON. WE HAVE
SOME HISTORY IN THERE OF THE
WALL GREEN FAMILY.
>> THE FAMILY WAS THE SPONSOR OF
ONE OF ADMIRAL BIRD'S
EXPEDITIONS TO THE AND ARCTIC.
THERE IS A MAP FROM ADMIRAL BIRD
HE GAVE TO MR. WALL GREEN, AND
HE MADE A NOTE THANKING THE
WALGREENS AND SHOWING THEM THE
COASTLINE HE NAMED AFTER THEM.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS THIS MODEL OF
THE SECOND LARGEST CHATAUQUA
BUILDING IN THE COUNTRY WHICH
WAS LOCATED IN DIXON AND THE
STYLE HAD BEEN CONCEIVED BY AN
ARCHITECT FROM DIXON.
IT WAS AN ENGINEERING MARVEL
BECAUSE THERE WERE NO POSTS IN
THE MIDDLE OF THIS BUILDING.
THIS BUILDING ACTUALLY WOULD
HOLD 5,000 PEOPLE.
IT HAD A DIRT FLOOR IN IT.
THE STAGE WOULD HOLD 500 PEOPLE,
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF FAMOUS
SPEAKERS LIKE BILLY SUNDAY THAT
CAME HERE TO SPEAK.
THIS MODEL IS AN EXAM REPLICA.
WE GOT THE PLANS FROM THE PATENT
OFFICE.
OFFICE. THIS BUILDING WHEN IT WAS BUILT
COST $7,000.
COST $7,000. THIS MODEL COSTS US $20,000!
(LAUGHING).
(LAUGHING). >>THERE IS ALSO A DIORAMA
DEPICTING THE GROUNDS
SURROUNDING THE ASSEMBLY
BUILDING.
BUILDING. CHATAUQUA GATHERINGS LASTED TWO
OR THREE WEEKS ATTRACTING
FAMILIES HAVE ACROSS THE AREA
AND OFFERING A VARIETY OF
SPEAKERS AND CLASSES IN ART,
BIBLE STUDY, AND ORATORY.
>>THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF TENTS
AND A LOT OF THEM HAD WOODEN
FLOORS. YOU COULD RENT THEM TO
STAY IN THERE.
ALSO ON THE GROUNDS THERE, THERE
WAS A BIG HOTEL AND A
RESTAURANT.
THIRD FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IS BASICALLY WE FINISHED IT ALL OFF
TO BE A RESEARCH CENTER.
THERE IS STILL A GYMNASIUM UP
THERE THAT'S BEEN RESTORED.
WE ALSO BUILT A LOFT IN THE
GYMNASIUM.
GYMNASIUM. THAT'S WHERE THE BOARD ROOM IS
AT, BUT IT IS STILL THE OLD
GYMNASIUM WILL RONALD REAGAN
PLAYED BASKETBALL.
PLAYED BASKETBALL. >>MUSEUM'S NEWEST EXHIBITS ARE
REFLEX OF ITS MISSION, AS
NORTHWEST TERRITORY CENTER.
>> THE WHOLE SIDE OF THIS
BUILDING ON THIS FLOOR IS A TIME
FRAME.
FRAME. THE FIRST OF IT IS THEY TELL US
THE LARGEST BLACKHAWK EXHIBIT IN
THE COUNTRY, ALL ON THE
BLACKHAWK WAR AND THE HISTORY OF
THE SETTLERS AS THEY CAME IN
HERE.
HERE. THERE IS ALSO IN THE BLACKHAWK
WAR STARTED, THERE IS DEPICTION
OF WHAT HAPPENED INN WHAT IS
STILLMAN VALLEY TODAY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE THE
BLACKHAWK WAR STARTED IN 1832,
APRIL OF 1832.
THEN A WHITE SETTLERS CAME IN
HERE AND STARTED SETTLING, AND
THEY STARTED FARMING THE LAND
AND EVERYTHING. THIS EXHIBIT IS
A LOT OF ANTIQUES.
IT IS ACTUALLY THERE IS A
KITCHEN YOU WALK IN, YOU WALK IN
THE KITCHEN, AND EVERYTHING IN
THERE IS PERIOD.
THEN INTO A BARN AND WE HAVE A
LOT OF EXHIBITS IN THERE OF
ANTIQUE STUFF BACK IN THAT ERA.
YOU CAN PICK UP A SHEET.
IT HAS NUMBERS ON THAT SHEET,
AND THERE IS A NUMBER BY EVERY
ANTIQUE THAT IS IN HERE SO YOU
CAN LOOK UP FOR YOURSELF.
>>FROM THE FIRST SETTLERS TO THE
WHITE HOUSE, TODAY A BUILDING
THAT WAS SAVED BECAUSE OF ONE OF
ITS STUDENTS IS STILL TEACHING
HISTORY.
NOT TOO FAR FROM THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE IS A BOYHOOD HOME OF
RONALD REAGAN WHICH IS ALSO OPEN
TO THE PUBLIC.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY HISTORIC
CENTER, GO TO THEIR WEB SITE AT
WWW.NTHC.ORG OR CALL
(815)288-5508.