Dixon's Ferry was the former name for

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 R ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was located on the bank of the Rock River near present-day

Illinois Route 26 Illinois Route 26 (IL 26, Illinois 26) is a north–south state highway in central and north-central Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 just north of East Peoria to Highway 69 at the Wisconsin border near Orangeville. This is a distan ...

. John Dixon operated a rope ferry service to transport mail from Peoria to

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

, and he also established the first post office. The surrounding settlement was known as Dixon's Ferry.Gibler, Bob
History of Dixon
, ''City of Dixon'', official site, accessed January 18, 2011. There was a fort named

Fort Dixon Fort Dixon, located along the banks of the Rock River in present day Dixon, Illinois, served as a military base during the Black Hawk War. History While currently known as Dixon, Illinois, the town was named Dixon's Ferry at the time of the ...

by the town which served as the town's protection during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...

References

Dixon, Illinois {{LeeCountyIL-geo-stub