Dixon High School - Dixonian Yearbook (Dixon, IL)

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DHS—a rich inheritance from the Superintendent Vernon Mays 1906 Principal C.H. Anderson 1914 Principal C.D. Booher 1916 Principal H.C. Fiester Glee Club 1917 Prologue Fifty years have elapsed since the Dixonian became a part of Dixon High School. On the pages of these fifty an- nuals are recorded the hopes and achievements, the joys and sorrows, and the successes and failures of a half century at Dixon High. Only an alumnus can truly read deeper meaning into the yearbook, filling in the spaces with per- sonal memories of his alma mater. Although the Dixonian can not possibly record ev- ery event which passes, it serves to help one recall out- standing activities as they happened. The thrill of victory, the depression of defeat, the excitement of activity, and the satisfaction of learning are all tied together in a single vol- ume to attempt to recreate episodes of the student life at DHS. 8

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7 DHS is Reflecting

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past % t d First Dixonian Staff 1914 South Central after the fire 1907 Before 1914 Dixon’s first schoolhouse was a single story frame building located behind the present Dixon Theater. It was also used as a court house, a town hall, and a dance hall. In 1838 the school opened its doors to the first class which consisted of twenty-five students. The land on which the school stood was sold in 1848. Because the new owner wanted to keep the building to himself, a group of determined citizens advanced under the cover of darkness and literally moved the school to the spot where Trcin s Jewelry Store stands today. In August of 1858, a high school was established in the old Methodist Episcopal Church. Four hundred students took advantage of the opportunity for a secondary educa- tion. A three-story structure was completed in 1868 at a cost of $20,000. North Central High School enrolled 185 students on the first day. 1887 found Dixon with another high school, South Central, which was also known as the White Brick School. In October, 1907, South Central was completely de- stroyed by fire. A new building, consisting of twenty-seven classrooms, was erected on the same location. The same building is being used today as a grade school and is the location of the administrative offices of the Dixon Public School System. 1914-1919 Dixon High School began recording its achievements in 1914 with the first publication of the Dixonian. Mark Herbst was the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, and Ray Fitzsimmons was the Business Manag- Scveral administrative changes occurred during these six years. C. H. Anderson was principal in 1914; H. C. Fiest- er replaced Mr. Anderson in 1916: and W. R. Snyder be- came Superintendent of Schools in 1917. World War I limited the activities of these years. Under the supervision of Miss Dorothy Armington, a faculty member, a Red Cross Chapter was organized to make items to send to the American soldiers. At this time more than 100 students became members of a “Do Without Club” whose purpose was to donate money, which would otherwise have been spent on luxuries, to the war effort. South Central 1918 North Central 1920 9