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