I believe the job of a historian is to create emotional attachments between often-forgotten events of yesterday and history-shaping events of today. That’s what I love about Dixon. The opportunities to make those comparisons are endless.

I can walk in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan, Black Hawk, Abraham Lincoln, and many other giants of historical significance while discovering new and wonderful things about the community.

I can stand on the spot of the courthouse lawn where Abraham Lincoln spoke. I might not be able to audibly hear his speech, but I can feel it in my presence.