Historical Society History

The forerunner of what we know today as the Lee County Historical Society was undoubtedly the Old Settler's Association of Lee County. That early organization was comprised of many of the early settlers that staked their claim in the new land known as Dixon and the surrounding areas which later became Lee County, Illinois.

In 1894, members of the Old Settler's Association decided to build a log cabin as a lasting memorial to the spirit, will and perserverance of the early pioneers. That old log cabin, owned and maintained by the Lee County Historical Society, still stands today, over 114 years later as a symbol and remembrance of those early settlers to our area.

In 1902 the Dixon Telegraph newspaper suggested that Dixon and Lee County needed the formation of a historical organization to collect and preserve the events and records of the area. And so it was, that in January 1903, the formation of the Dixon Historical Society later to be named the Lee County Historical Society was officially organized.

Through the ensuing years, the historical society has collected numerous items which pertain to the history of Dixon and Lee County. While the original concept and purpose of the Lee County Historical Society has been steadfast through the years, we seem to be at a period of time, whereby there is an increased awareness and a quest for knowledge of our past local history.

In 1994, the Historical Society acquired an old home and remodeled it as a research center. In Septemeber 2003, it was officially named the Stella Grobe Research Center. The Historical Society has an abundance of microfilm, books, plat maps, personal stories, Sanborn maps and a large collection of Ronald Reagan books from the Helen Lawton collection.