It's Sunday morning!! Today is our Open House from 1:00-3:00. I have been cleaning, sprucing, and really just whipping around this place like a tornado getting everything ready to greet our potential buyers! Baking muffins, blowing off the driveway, packing the car with everything from camera to water dishes (for Freeway, of course) I've decided to head over to Dixon, Ill. to my favorite spots in our sister town. It's a cold, blustery day with snow expected, and I'm afraid I will have a hard time getting the old gal out of bed!! Snuggled in with her pillow on my white bedcovers it seems I will have to use the "R" word to get her going today! "Wanna go on a RIDE?" Okay....we're ready to head out!!! First stop on our Farewell Tour...
Freeway & I began our good-byes with a visit to Ronald Reagan's boyhood home. Completely restored right down to the reproduction wallpaper! President Reagan and the First Lady visited the home right after the restoration. It was quite a celebration to have the President back here in Dixon! He visited his high school, church and Lowell Park where he worked as a lifeguard. It's a wonderful old home with tiny bedrooms, a straight up staircase, lovely sitting room, and a big kitchen!! I'm certain that with two growing boys Mrs. Reagan must have spent alot of time in the kitchen. This bronze statue sits in the yard beside the home. Lovely!
The front of the Quaint old Reagan home on the hilly street.
This is a replica of the old fort where Lincoln served in the Black Hawk War. This is where the rare statue of Lincoln stands. It is the only bronze statue depicting young Lincoln in military dress.
This is Lincoln Park where in 1832 as a young man of 23 years old, Abraham Lincoln was a volunteer soldier in the Black Hawk war. This spot was the army encampment area and sits on the bank of the Rock River. Every year in Dixon, before the Petunia Festival begins, there is a "Walk for Life" which raises money for Cancer. the walk goes through the town, over the magnificent bridges, and ends at this park. There are sodas and water, Hot Dogs and sandwiches for the participants. It is a Grand Day!
The Nachusa House, a hotel built in 1853 was quite an elegant place for the times! A rail and stagecoach stop, frequented by Abraham Lincoln as he made his rounds throughout the state as a travelling lawyer. This Beautiful limestone building held many a famous historical figures. Besides Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt and even the President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis. Lincoln however was a regular, and usually guested in the same room each visit. That room now is an apartment dedicated to the President. The location was perfect for him as the Courthouse is just across the street. In fact, grassy knoll on the left of the picture is the courthouse lawn.
The Old Lee County Courthouse built in 1901, stands on the spot of the original county courthouse where Abraham Lincoln addressed a crowd in 1856 on the Courthouse lawn a sweltering hot summer day. Of course the whole town turned out to see him and hear his speech! I'm sure they brought their picnic baskets and lemonade to the courthouse for the festivities!
A Marvelous Stonework House sits Delightfully on a corner of town~Lovely Wrap Around Porch
Another Fabulous Old Home~So Stately & Proud
The "Raging" Rock River & Lock Dam where my husband & I had funBoating. I don't think I have ever seen it this high.
I will miss these wonderful places, the rich history, the quaint small town wholesomeness...but...Marshalltown has it's own rich history, and is, itself another small town. So I end one journey, and begin another adventure. God has been so good to my hubby & I. We are so blessed!
Next on my farewell tour will be Sterling, IL., my town.
Blessings Friends!
Looks like you had a good day sight seeing. It must have been a nostalgic trip.
ReplyDeleteHope you had good luck with the open house.
((hugs))
Joni
I must tell you that there are numerous statues of Lincoln without his beard that portray him as a young man. There is even one in Dixon inside a school that depicts him as a young boy reding a book. There is a statue on Hodgenvill, KY that shows him as a young boy of around 7 years of age with his dog.
ReplyDeleteI have visited over 200 statues of Lincoln and there are just about as many without a beard as there are with a beard,
Thank You so much for your correction Lincolnphotog, you are absolutely right! This statue is the only known statue of young Lincoln in Military dress. I appreciate your interest and applaud your involvement to keep the record straight. I'm afraid at times, my fingers move quicker than my mind :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings~Sharon
Great photo's. I love seeing the olde buildings in any town. I remember going down to louisville Kentucky for spine surgery and the buildings were amazing. Very olde, gothic & victorian.. it was well worth spending the day before just driving around the city.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSharon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for following my Lincoln Buff 2 blog.
Thanks, too, for a very nice blog post yourself today about Dixon, a community with a history much richer than just the Lincoln connections for which it is best known.
Best wishes with your move.
Ann
I meant "... Reagan connections for which it is best known." Maybe I'll get this right the third time around. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for that lovely tour! I loved seeing Reagan's boyhood home. :o)
ReplyDeleteso much history in the place where you are living,Sharon! I enjoyed reading this and looking at the pictures; and I like your attitude that there will be equally wonderful places in your new hometown for you/hubby to explore
ReplyDelete(thanks for the comment you left; I was going into the blog to delete it and I said "if there is just one comment, I'll keep it, and then I saw your comment, so I'm keeping it; not sure what it will be with writings, but I'm sure the Lord led you to it because I needed to hear a word of encouragement today; thank you Lord for bringing Sharon there :)
hugs to you, Sharon, you got it wrong, you are truly an inspiring person more than me for sure
betty