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==History== Around 1828, Joseph Ogee, a man of mixed French and Native American descent, established a ferry and a cabin along the banks of the [[Rock River (Mississippi River tributary)|Rock River]]. In 1829, an employee of Ogee was named postmaster at the newly constructed post office. John Dixon, the eponymous founder, bought Ogee's Ferry in the spring of 1830 and brought his family to his newly purchased establishment on April 11 of that year. Shortly after, the name of the post office was changed to [[Dixon's Ferry]].<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=https://www.dixonil.com/history.htm |title=History |publisher=Dixonil.com |access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> On May 4, 1873, the [[Dixon Bridge Disaster|Truesdell Bridge collapsed]] resulting in the deaths of 46 people. About 150-200 people were on the bridge in order to watch a baptism ceremony in the river below.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/whatyouresaying/x919542180/Guest-Column-Dixon-s-Darkest-Day-revisited|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201132130/http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/whatyouresaying/x919542180/Guest-Column-Dixon-s-Darkest-Day-revisited?zc_p=0|archive-date=February 1, 2013|title=Guest Column: Dixon bridge collapse was city's 'Darkest Day' - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star|access-date=April 19, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Dixon Illinois 1919 Automobile Blue Book.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Dixon in 1919]] Running by [[Interstate 88 (Illinois)|Interstate 88]] is a road named Bloody Gulch Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1440&bih=703&q=bloody+gulch+road+dixon+illinois+location&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8809aeba27499465:0x961b6db833feabc5,Bloody+Gulch+Rd,+Dixon,+IL+61021&gl=us&sa=X&ei=irJIULTQDe3U0gH7joGIBw&ved=0CCEQ8gEwAA|title= Bloody Gulch Rd, Dixon, IL 61021|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> The road is named after a [[murder]] and body disposal. On September 12, 1885, two young men walked along a county road south of Dixon, one a [[Farmworker|farm hand]] named Joseph M. Mosse and the other, Frank C. Thiel, a [[Door-to-door|traveling salesman]] from Elgin, IL. The unemployed farmhand told the salesman of a place he could sell his [[Bible]]s and proceeded to take him to a farm where he had worked. As the two men passed a [[gulch]] the farmhand struck and killed the salesman with a knife and a [[walnut]] [[baluster]] he was seen carrying under his arm. He then buried the body in the [[culvert]]. The body was later discovered when [[cattle]] refused to use the underpass en route to a milking barn. An overnight rain had washed away some of the dirt exposing a limb. When the sheriff arrived to question the farm hand, since he was seen leaving Dixon with the deceased, he pretended to get a drink while throwing a watch chain taken from the salesman in the bushes. The evidence was found and the farmhand was eventually put in jail for life, while the road over the underpass began to be called Bloody Gulch Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leecountyhistory.com/articles/930805.htm|title=Bloody Gulch Road and Early Justice|publisher=Lee County Historical Society|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> In April 2012, Dixon Municipal Comptroller [[Rita Crundwell]] was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for embezzlement. She used the embezzled funds to pay for her lavish lifestyle and what became one of the nation's best-known [[American Quarter Horse|quarter horse]]-breeding programs, among other things. Crundwell's crimes, thought to be the most substantial municipal theft in U.S. history,<ref>{{cite news|last1=McDermott|first1=Kevin|title=Big theft, little city: Dixon's former comptroller is accused of stealing $53 million from Ronald Reagan's hometown|url=http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/archives/2012/11/theft.html|access-date=June 5, 2014|agency=Illinois Issues|publisher=University of Illinois Springfield|date=November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528101310/http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/archives/2012/11/theft.html|archive-date=May 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Jenco>{{cite news|last1=Jenco|first1=Melissa|title=Ex-Dixon comptroller gets nearly 20 years for theft|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/02/15/ex-dixon-comptroller-gets-nearly-20-years-for-theft/|access-date=June 5, 2014|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=February 15, 2013}}</ref> impacted Dixon's finances severely. Federal prosecutors estimated the amount embezzled at $53 million since 1990.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57425873/feds-illinois-city-official-actually-stole-$53m/ |title=Feds: Illinois city official actually stole $53M |work=[[CBS news]] |date=May 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504175208/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57425873/feds-illinois-city-official-actually-stole-$53m |archive-date=May 4, 2012 }}</ref> The city sued the auditors who had failed to detect the embezzlement and the bank at which Crundwell maintained a secret account, and received $40 million in settlements.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-dixon-theft-college-courses-20150418-story.html |title=$54M Dixon theft now subject of college courses |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=April 18, 2015 }}</ref> In February 2013, Crundwell was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison.<ref name=Jenco/><ref>{{cite web|first=Don |last=Babwin |url=http://www.pjstar.com/free/x1037510749/Former-Dixon-bookkeeper-arrives-for-sentencing |title=Former Dixon bookkeeper who stole $53M gets nearly 20 years - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL |publisher=Pjstar.com |date=February 14, 2013 |access-date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> On May 16, 2018, Matthew Milby, a 19-year-old student, entered Dixon High School and fired shots during graduation practice.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Grinberg | first1=Emanuella | last2=Watts | first2=Amanda | title=This officer stopped a school shooter before anyone got hurt | website=CNN | date=May 17, 2018 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/us/illinois-dixon-high-school-shooting/index.html | access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> He was pursued by School Resource Officer Mark Dallas, of the Dixon Police Department. After firing shots at the officer, the shooter was wounded by Dallas as he returned fire. Milby was then taken into custody. There were no additional injuries.<ref>{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Craig | title=Dixon police officer who prevented school shooting honored | website=ABC7 Chicago | date=May 30, 2018 | url=https://abc7chicago.com/3541225/ | access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> Milby was diagnosed with [[schizotypal personality disorder]] and initially found unfit to stand trial.<ref>{{cite web | last=Nickeas | first=Peter |title=Man accused of opening fire in Dixon school again found unfit to stand trial, but prosecutor suggests he's 'gaming the system a little bit' | website=Chicago Tribune | date=January 28, 2020 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-school-shooting-dixon-illinois-matthew-milby-unfit-20200128-fzqqnxri6ja55fice2ezimdiwa-story.html | access-date=November 27, 2022}}</ref> On July 14, 2022, he pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm towards a peace officer and aggravated discharge of a firearm in a school building; he was sentenced to thirty years in prison.<ref>{{cite web | last=Clark | first=Marci |title=Matthew Milby Jr. sentenced to 30 years in prison for 2018 Dixon High School shooting | website=KWQC | date=October 4, 2022 | url=https://www.kwqc.com/2022/10/04/man-sentenced-30-years-prison-2018-dixon-high-school-shooting/ | access-date=November 27, 2022}}</ref> ===Ronald Reagan=== Dixon was the childhood home of the 40th [[President of the United States]], [[Ronald Reagan]]. Reagan was born in nearby [[Tampico, Illinois|Tampico]] and moved to Dixon, aged nine. In his teen years, he lifeguarded along the banks of the Rock River. His family house is preserved at 816 South Hennepin Avenue, and authorized by Congress to become the [[Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ronaldreagantrail.net/Pages/ReaganTrail.php?city=2&page=Dixon |title=The Ronald Reagan Trail: Welcome to Dixon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206105843/http://www.ronaldreagantrail.net/Pages/ReaganTrail.php?city=2&page=Dixon |archive-date=December 6, 2013 }}</ref> On February 6, 1984, during his first term as president, Reagan returned to Dixon to celebrate his 73rd birthday. He toured his boyhood residence and the city held a parade in his honor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reagan celebrating 73rd year with visit to his boyhood home|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19840206&id=8a4SAAAAIBAJ&pg=5561,864908|date=February 6, 1984 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=[[Spokane Chronicle]] |page=6 }}</ref>
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