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Dixon Bridge Disaster
The Dixon Bridge Disaster, also known as the Truesdell Bridge Disaster, occurred on Sunday, May 4, 1873, when the bridge across the Rock River at Dixon, Illinois, collapsed while spectators were observing a baptism ceremony in the river below. The collapse killed 46 people and injured at least 56 others. In terms of total deaths and injuries, the event may be the worst road bridge disaster in American history. A coroner's jury ruled that the Dixon City Council erred in judgment in selecting the Truesdell bridge design, which was determined to be faulty. Dixon in 1873 At the time of the collapse, Dixon was a growing town and a primary crossing point over the Rock River for those traveling from downstate Illinois to Galena, Illinois. In 1870, the population of Dixon was 4,055, almost double its population in 1860. The city was served by a mayor and eight aldermen, seven churches, and two weekly newspapers, The ''Dixon Sun'' and The ''Dixon Telegraph''. In the five years prior t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dixon, Illinois
Dixon is a city and the county seat of Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 in 2000. The city is named after founder John Dixon, who operated a rope ferry service across the Rock River, which runs through the city. The Illinois General Assembly designated Dixon as "Petunia Capital of Illinois" in 1999 and "The Catfish Capital of Illinois" in 2009. Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The city is also the site of the Lincoln Monument State Memorial, marking the spot where Abraham Lincoln joined the Illinois militia at Fort Dixon 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. Route 52, also Illinois Route 26), north of the Rock River. History Around 1828, Joseph Ogee, a man of mixed French and Native American descent, established a ferry and a cabin along the banks of the Rock River. In 1829, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
