Arthur Dixon (Chicago alderman)

Arthur Dixon
portrait of Dixon, circa 1900
President of the Chicago City Council
In office
1874–1880
Member of the Chicago City Council
In office
1879–1891
Serving with Swayne Wickersham (1879–1884); William P. Whelan (1884–90); Nicholas A. Cremer (1890–91)
Preceded byDaniel Kimball Pearsons
Succeeded byJohn R. Morris
Constituency1st ward
In office
1867–1875
Serving with Calvin DeWolf (1866–68); P.M. Donnellan (1868–70); Joseph E. Otis (1870–72)/ Francis W. Warren (1872–76)
Preceded byWilliam H. Carter
Succeeded byAddison Ballard
Constituency2nd ward
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 96th district
In office
1871–1873
Personal details
Born(1837-03-27)March 27, 1837
County Fermanagh, Ireland
DiedOctober 26, 1917(1917-10-26) (aged 80)
Chicago, Illinois
PartyRepublican
SpouseAnnie Carson (m. 1862)
ChildrenGeorge William Dixon
Thomas J. Dixon
Parents
  • Arthur Dixon (father)
  • Jane Allen (mother)
Occupationgrocer; transferer; bank director; railway director
Signature


Arthur Dixon (March 27, 1837 – October 26, 1917) of Chicago, Ireland, was an alderman in the Chicago city council from 1867 to 1875 (representing the 2nd ward) and 1879 to 1891 (representing the 1st ward), as well as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives

Early life

Dixon was born on March 27, 1837 in County Fermanagh, Ireland[1][2] (which is, today, located in Northern Ireland)[2] The son of the elder Arthur Dixon and Jane Dixon (née Allen), he was of Scotch-Irish (Ulster Scot) ancestry.[2]

Business career

In the United States city of Chicago, Dixon worked in the grocery and transfer industries, becoming a millionaire.[1]

Dixon served as a corporate executive and corporate board member for several companies. From 1900 through 1917, he was a director of both the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chicago & Grand Trunk Railway. He was also a director of the Metropolitan National Bank.[2]

Political career

Chicago Tribune illustration of Dixon (right) at the 1888 Cook County Republican Party convention
illustration of Dixon, circa 1880s

Dixon, a member of the Republican Party, held elected office in Chicago for many decades.[2]

Dixon served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council from 1867 to 1875 (representing the 2nd ward) and 1879 to 1891 (representing the 1st ward).[3][4] He served as president of the council[3] from 1874 through 1880.[2] While an alderman, Dixon earned a reputation for being the "watch-dog of the city treasury".[1][2]

Overlapping with his first term on the city council, Dixon was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives,[1] representing the 96th district from 1871 through 1873.[2]

Dixon was an alternate delegate from Illinois for the 1880 Republican National Convention.[2] In 1904, Dixon was a Republican presidential elector from Illinois, serving as a member of the 1904 Electoral College after the Republican ticket won the 1904 presidential vote in Illinois.[2]

Personal life, death, legacy

Dixon was a methodist.[2] He was a freemason, a shriner, and a knight templar. He was also a member of the Union League Club of Chicago.[2]

In 1862, Dixon married Annie Carson. Together, they had sons George William Dixon and Thomas J. Dixon –both of whom had careers in business and Chicago Republican politics.[2]

Dixon died in Chicago on October 26, 1917.[5] Arthur Dixon Elementary School (operated by Chicago Public Schools) is named for Dixon.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Who is your Chicago public school named for?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "The Political Graveyard: Dixon family of Chicago, Illinois". PoliticalGraveyard.com. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Encyclopedia of Chicago biography of Arthur Dixon". Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office". Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Chicago Pioneer Merchant Dead". Decatur Daily Review. Chicago. October 26, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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