DIXON – City officials this week got a glimpse of the Dixon Memorial Arch’s bright future.

“If you’ll take a look at the back of the room there, we do have a mock-up of the potential neon letters for the arch, which, frankly, I’m pretty excited about it,” Dixon City Public Works Director Matt Heckman told the City Council at its meeting Tuesday night.

“If you’ll take a look at the back of the room there, we do have a mockup of the potential neon letters for the arch, which frankly, I’m pretty excited about it.”

—  Matt Heckman, Dixon public works director

Using a remote control to change its hues, Heckman demonstrated an example of the LED lights, a project the city is now vetting. If selected, the lights would spell out Dixon’s name on the arch and replace the current neon lights. The two-sided lighted letters could even be set to red and green at Christmas.

“Pink for petunia time,” Dixon council member Dennis Considine said.

Heckman said the mock-up was made at a Polo business, and the letters are the same dimensions as the arch’s existing letters.

Arch’s history

The original wooden arch was constructed in May 1919 to commemorate Lee County soldiers who fought in World War I, and it welcomed the return of hundreds of servicemen June 12. The grand celebration included band performances, wrestling and boxing matches, as well as a hot air balloon flying across the river accompanied by one-armed trapeze and acrobatic stunts, according to a historical presentation on the arch in 2019 by historian Duane Paulsen.

Arches were a common piece of parades for those returning from the war. But unlike Dixon’s, most were temporary. Interest grew in making the arch a permanent fixture, but there were arguments over how to pay for it.

By 1949, there were accounts of it being an “unsightly hazard,” and it was rebuilt and rededicated. It was then widened, heightened and rededicated in about 1965, when Galena Avenue was expanded to four lanes.

The Victory Memorial Arch Committee was formed in 1979, and the arch once again was fixed up and rededicated. In 1984, it was decided to take down the arch and replace it with a fiberglass structure. That was built in 1985 and is what greets visitors and community members today.

In 2019, the arch was the topic of the annual Founders Day historical program, and it also was recognized by honorary resolution by the Illinois House of Representatives.

There was a push for improvements from some community members in 2019 when the arch hit its 100-year milestone – although the structure itself has been rebuilt a few times – and repairs were made to the electrical system with the goal of doing bigger renovations in the future.