Presidents Park in Dixon is the historic location of the Dixon Blockhouse, a frontier fort constructed during the Blackhawk War of 1832. In that year, General Henry Atkins' army constructed Fort Dixon on the north bank of the Rock River. Among the militia volunteers who stayed at the fort were young men who later became well-known politicians: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Zachary Taylor. To mark Lincoln's association with this history, sculptor Leonard Crunelle created a bronze statue. The statue was commissioned by the City of Dixon and dedicated on August 23, 1930, during a centenary program for the founding of Fort Dixon. Also in the park is the Old Settlers Cabin. It is a reconstruction of a historic pioneer cabin that was prominent during the early settlement period of Northern Illinois (c. 1830-1850). It was constructed in 1894 as a tribute to the area's early non-indigenous settlers. In 1969, the cabin was relocated to the state-owned park and is maintained by the Lee County Historical Society.

 

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