A piece of Dixon history: Why they built the Nachusa House

As Dixon’s oldest landmark, the 1837 foundation of the Nachusa House reaches back almost 200 years. None of the city’s other historic buildings – religious, commercial, residential or governmental – come even close to the age and prestige of the grand old Nachusa House.

Its history reads like the history of Dixon itself. After all, Father John Dixon became the town’s first permanent settler in 1830. Only seven years later, the same Father Dixon donated the land for the Nachusa House and was among its first shareholders.

Dixon in 1837

To understand the significance of this hotel, one must understand Dixon in 1837. At that time, the state capital was in Vandalia, Dixon was in Ogle County and the town’s population was probably less than 50.

People commonly called the town “Dixon’s Ferry.” It had no bridges and no dam, only a ferry. People traveled here by foot, horse, carriage or stagecoach, arriving on paths worn down by horses and wagon wheels. But this fledgling little village had a strategic advantage.

“Dixon was the great transfer station on the stage lines that traversed the country,” said the 1881 History of Lee County. An 1838 history of Illinois confirmed that all the northern Illinois stage roads converged here. These coaches arrived from other early towns like Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, Ottawa, Peoria and Princeton, often on their way to the Galena lead mines.

To Dixon’s benefit, the Rock River halted all that traffic. Ferrying was a slow process; only a few people and horses could cross at a time. Since getting to Dixon was typically a full-day stage ride, travelers had to stop in Dixon – and often overnight – before continuing their journey.

Dixon’s first industry

Consequently, the first significant industry in Dixon was the hotel business. In 1837, travelers through Dixon were “so great at that time,” said the 1881 History of Lee County, “that frequently it was almost impossible to find room in the hotels, while many would be compelled to take a ‘shake-down’ on the floor.”

This little village had three hotels in 1837. The Western Hotel was first, followed by the Huntley House and the Rock River House. But these were small and primitive. Even John Dixon’s cabin was then used as a hotel where overnight guests were sometimes said to curl up on the floor in a corner.

The county’s first corporation

Seeing the demand, John Dixon pooled together 10 leaders from the area, traveled to the state capital in Vandalia and petitioned the legislature to grant a charter for the Dixon Hotel Company. Besides John Dixon, other shareholders included his son, James P. Dixon, his brother, Charles S. Boyd of Bureau County and two bankers from Galena.

The legislature granted their request. Thus, the Dixon Hotel Company became Lee County’s first corporation.

To jump start the hotel project, the generous John Dixon donated the land atop the hill along the Galena-to-Peoria stage trail. Two years later, Father Dixon would also donate the land on the other side of the trail to build the first courthouse for Lee County.

The location was magnificent. The 1880 History of Dixon and Palmyra called that spot “a commanding eminence (that) overlooks the whole town, as well as the course of Rock River for many miles above and below the city.”

The panic of 1837

To finance the construction, the Nachusa House issued its own currency, in $1, $3 and $5 bills, which was accepted as legal tender in the area. Some of these bills still exist today.

After laying the foundation, construction was underway in 1838 when the “Panic of 1837” brought a halt to the project. The financial crisis sparked a major economic depression that continued into the mid-1840s throughout the country.

Work might have resumed a few years later, but John Dixon himself became the victim of “the Orin Hamlin affair,” a major theft in 1839 that left Father Dixon destitute. It is unclear whether the theft had a direct impact on the hotel, but it’s clear that construction did not resume until 1853.

Dixon in 1853

Now 16 years after the initial attempt to build the hotel, Dixon had grown to about 1,000 people. But it was still the major transportation hub of northwestern Illinois.

On May 1, 1851, when the first issue of the Dixon Telegraph came off the press, the editor lauded Dixon’s advantages, noting that stagecoaches still “meet here from almost every direction.” He added, “Measures are also being taken to construct a bridge over the river at this point, which is now crossed by a good rope ferry-boat, which is in operation night and day.”

In other words, the river still detained travelers in 1853. Consequently, the town still had three hotels, but it was time to finish the major hotel project in that perfect location on the hilltop.

Completing construction

During construction, on April 16, 1853, “Some workmen engaged in excavating for our new hotel, struck upon two coffins.” Father Dixon solved the mystery, remembering that “they are the remains of two soldiers who were buried in 1832 during the Black Hawk War.”

Finally, 8 months later, on Dec. 10, 1853, the Telegraph announced:

“The Na-Chu-Sa House, named thus from the designation given by the Indians years ago to Mr. John Dixon, the founder of our town, is now open. It is very handsomely finished and neatly furnished, and said to be extremely well kept. The traveling public who have occasion to pass through our town, will, we are sure, be gratified at this announcement.”

Na-Chu-Sa means “head hair white,” which had been the distinctive color of John Dixon’s hair ever since he arrived in 1830 at age 45. The hotel’s name would continue to be occasionally spelled with hyphens until 1866 when it simply became “Nachusa House.”

But we’ve only begun to tell its story. The famous Nachusa House would come to be called “the best hotel between Chicago and Omaha,” visited by many U.S. presidents and national celebrities. Our story will continue on Jan. 9.