Dixon courthouse

 The Court House was located on the square because "Father" John Dixon had donated that entire block to the purpose. The first Court House was built there in 1840 and had pillars and a cupola. The next building (the one with the dome) was put up in 1900 by William J. McAlpine, arguably one of the most brilliant contractors in the state. He also put up Commerce Towers and the Dixon Public Library in Dixon and Altgeld Hall at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb. His list of accomplishments goes on and on.  I should also mention that he built what is now the Jones Funeral Home as his personal residence.  He. in fact, became the first "client" of Jones.  Mr Alpine spared no expense 

Here is an amazing photo from the Smithsonian Institution, taken about 1860, showing the US Capitol under construction. You can see the types of lift cranes and windlasses used for large building construction. Most of this equipment was invented before or during the Civil War and was steam powered.

Iold dish or ash tray of old Lee County Courthouse and thought it was really old but not sure when it was maybe given out (possibly free). On the back it shows made in Dresden Germany

Sherry, construction work from the mid-to-late 1800s into the early 1900s didn’t have the benefit of modern heavy equipment, but ingenuity provided methods, the results of which I find amazing. For instance: the railroad viaducts on First, Second, and Third Streets, along with the railroad bridge piers crossing the Rock River, were all constructed in 1855 using very large limestone slabs. 

The old courthouse was built in 1900-1901 by a very prolific and prominent contractor by the name of William J. McAlpine. He moved to Dixon in 1888, and besides the courthouse, he also built the Dixon Opera House in 1903, the Dixon Post Office in 1909, the Dixon National Bank in 1914, the Dixon Theatre and additions to the Reynolds Wire Factory in 1922, and the City National Bank in 1926. McAlpine also constructed his home on the southeast corner of Second St. and Ottawa Ave., which is where the Jones Funeral Home has been located for many years. McAlpine also built courthouses in numerous other cities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. He also built the first buildings of the State Normal School in DeKalb. William J. McAlpine died in 1930, at the age of 7. The construction work from the mid-to-late 1800s into the early 1900s didn’t have the benefit of modern heavy equipment, but ingenuity provided methods, the results of which I find amazing. For instance: the railroad viaducts on First, Second, and Third Streets, along with the railroad bridge piers crossing the Rock River, were all constructed in 1855 using very large limestone slabs. 

The old courthouse was built in 1900-1901 by a very prolific and prominent contractor by the name of William J. McAlpine. He moved to Dixon in 1888, and besides the courthouse, he also built the Dixon Opera House in 1903, the Dixon Post Office in 1909, the Dixon National Bank in 1914, the Dixon Theatre and additions to the Reynolds Wire Factory in 1922, and the City National Bank in 1926. McAlpine also constructed his home on the southeast corner of Second St. and Ottawa Ave., which is where the Jones Funeral Home has been located for many years. McAlpine also built courthouses in numerous other cities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. He also built the first buildings of the State Normal School in DeKalb. William J. McAlpine died in 1930, at the age of 78.

Info submitted by James  Higsby , Ron Pritchard , Freida Meeks