STOCKTON, Ill. — Stockton Heritage Museum will host a talk by local historian, Warren Dixon, detailing the history of Stockton’s civic organizations from the 1890s to the present day. The presentation, “Stockton Civic Organizations from 1890 to 2024,” will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Stockton Heritage Museum, 107 West Front Street. The Stockton Heritage Museum’s Annual Meeting will take place the same day, beginning at 1:30 p.m., and the presentation will follow immediately after. The event is free and open to all audiences.
There were many secret societies and non-profit organizations back in the early settlement days of Stockton. While some may remember the function and activities of the Masonic Temple, they may not have heard of or remember reading about Carpenter Hall, Schubert Hall, or the Civil War Veterans Parade; including how and when it became an All-Veteran parade.
Warren will also discuss and open for conversation on whether the activities of Stockton have changed much through the years since the 1890’s or not, and what still exist today.
A native of northwest Illinois and a graduate of Stockton High School, Class of 1964, Warren graduated from Northern Illinois University and obtained a CPA certificate in 1970. He retired after working as an accountant in the agriculture field. Warren and his wife Dianne, also a Stockton native, are now living back in Stockton after residing in various Midwest locations for 30 years.
Warren is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany from 1970 to 1972. He was assigned to the accounting headquarters of MATCOM (Material Command-Europe), where he utilized his accounting and computer background.
Warren is the Secretary and Historian for the Stockton Veterans Memorial committee. He was instrumental in coordinating the collection, organization and ongoing maintenance of database information recorded for over 1,700 veterans from the greater Stockton area. All of these names appear on the Stockton Veterans Memorial located along U.S. 20 in Stockton.
Warren has been a member of the Stockton Heritage Museum board since 2014 and currently serves on the executive board. He played a significant role in making the Stockton Veterans Memorial database available on the Stockton Heritage Museum website, making it accessible to everyone. Under Warren’s guidance, the Stockton Heritage Museum continues to research and expand the veteran’s database. The project goal is to develop a broad history of Stockton area veterans, creating a limited biography on many of them that covers their background, military experience, and personal life. This information will provide a glimpse into the lives of the local men and women who have served the U.S. The link can be found at https://www.stocktonheritagemuseum.org/veterans/veterans-
memorial-directory/.
During the past 10 years, Warren has spent many hours conducting research on the local Stockton area:
● 2016, Downtown Stockton Building History
● 2017, Stockton Grocery Stores
● 2018, Stockton Timeline of Today’s Businesses
● 2019, Stockton School History
● 2020, None — due to Covid closures
● 2021, The Wheel Stockton Stories (Automobiles & Gasoline Stations)
● 2022, Stock-Town Agriculture & Railroads (Elevators, Feed Stores, Hardware & Farm Implements)
● 2023, Stockton Highway 20 — Our Second Main Street
For more information, visit www.stocktonheritagemuseum.org, follow on Facebook: Stockton-Heritage-Museum-309324911534, email info@stocktonheritagemuseum.org, or leave a message at 815-947-2220.
About Stockton Heritage Museum
Stockton Heritage Museum is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to the preservation and teaching of Stockton area history. Visit the museum May-October, on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment. Email info@stocktonheritagemuseum.org for more information.
