Dixon, Illinois

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, USA. It is the county seat of Lee County^GR6. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of the 40th president of the USA, Ronald Reagan. His family house is preserved at 816 South Hennepin Avenue, and authorized by Congress to become Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site.

Dixon is also the site of the Lincoln Monument State Memorial, marking the spot where the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, joined the Illinois militia in 1832 during the Black Hawk War. The memorial is located on the west side of Dixon's main north-south street, Galena Avenue, (U.S. Highway 52), just north of the Rock River.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 City Healthcare
4 Local Flavor
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Dixon is located at 41°50′46″N, 89°29′6″W (41.846130, -89.485115)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.5 km² (6.8 mi²). 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (6.22%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 15,941 people, 5,681 households, and 3,488 families residing in the city. The population density was 972.3/km² (2,519.8/mi²). There were 6,138 housing units at an average density of 374.4/km² (970.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.33% White, 10.48% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.30% of the population.

There were 5,681 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 110.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,720, and the median income for a family was $45,088. Males had a median income of $32,511 versus $21,777 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,630. About 5.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] City Healthcare

The healthcare needs of Dixon residents are served by Katherine Shaw Bethea (KSB) Hospital. Located at 403 East First Street in Dixon, KSB has been serving the area since 1897. The original hospital building and the land on which it was seated was donated to the city by Judge Solomon Bethea in honor of Katherine Shaw Bethea with the provision that the hospital always be named after her. KSB is a 99 inpatient bed certified facility with an emergency room, surgical wing, nursery, inpatient psychiatric ward, skilled nursing unit, and extensive outpatient services. KSB Hospital recently acquired a large clinical facility in downtown Dixon and that clinic and its Doctors now operate under the name Town Square Center.

Katherine Shaw Bethea currently owns and operates the following facilities:
-KSB Hospital
-Commerce Towers
-Town Square Center
-Edwards Clinic
-The Amboy Clinic
-The Ashton Clinic
-The Oregon Clinic
-The Polo Clinic

[edit] Local Flavor

Every summer Dixon holds the annual Petunia Festival, which includes a parade along the town's main thoroughfare, Galena Avenue (US Rt. 52). The parade features a multitude of floats from surrounding areas and the whimsical character of Pinky the Petunia. Before the festival, volunteers plant petunias all along the main streets, especially along Galena. The flowers are watered and maintained by the combined efforts of city workers and volunteers. Pink petunias are predominant, but purple and white ones, the colors of the local high school teams, the Dixon Dukes and Duchesses, are also planted. A carnival is also held in Dixon during this time, and the festival is ended with the Fourth of July fireworks. The city has an arch along Galena Ave., just south of the Rock River, that had the phrase "The Petunia Capital" in neon glasswork. This glasswork disappeared years ago but the silver arch that spans the avenue still exists today. Dixon is also home to the Jack Mabley Center and the Dixon Correctional Center.