Dixon Lion stands in park
Anna Krejci/Events
From left, Dave Hall and Bud Gussel stand next to the newly refurbished Dixon Lion on the Bowman House lawn Wednesday.
A lion stands in Bowman Park next to the Bowman House.
The lion has been in Wisconsin Dells for more than 130 years and is known as the Dixon Lion. In 2007, the Dixon descendants loaned, on a permanent basis, the lion to the Dells Country Historical Society, asking that it be placed in Bowman Park along with a historic marker and a stone carriage step with the family name set in tile.
This year, Dave Hall of Dave’s Welding, restored the lion to its former glory. Hall donated half the restoration cost and Bud Gussel donated the other half.
According to an article by Kathy Walch in the May 15, 1980 Events, the Dixon family came to the Dells from Cornwall Canada by way of New York in 1857. Here James Edward Dixon set up a dry goods store known as Dixon’s Canada Store.
“No one is sure how the lion got here or when it came. It was used in newspaper ads as early as 1871 but may have been brought here even earlier than that. Most family members feel that the lion definitely came from Canada and had been used in the store which the Dixons had there. Some feel that the lion, symbolizing Tory sympathies, may even have come from England.”
The lion stood outside the Dixon’s store, sometimes facing west, sometimes east.
In March 1866, fire, which started in the rear of Dixon’s store, destroyed the store and 16 other businesses in the Dells as well as some homes. “The Dixons reportedly lost close to $100,000 in merchandise.”
A year later, Adam C. Dixon helped his father build a brick building on Broadway. “The Dixons’ new business included a grocery store and a drug store in addition to mercantile sales.” Later the building was sold to Henry Luettgerodt, who operated Luettgerodt’s Quality Market there.
The lion continued to stand in front of the store until automobiles began to replace horses. “Due to the constant bumping by the new horseless carriages, the lion was moved to the Dixon residence, located on the corner of River Road and Washington Avenue, across from the Crandall Hotel.”
A.C. Dixon went on to own a number of other properties in the Dells including Glen Cottage which later became the Crandall Hotel. Dixon sold the property to George Crandall in 1914.
In 1974, fire destroyed both the Crandall Hotel and the Dixon residence, which was then owned by the Dells Boat Company. The lion survived the fire and moved to the Dixon’s home on Cedar Street. It is from that Cedar Street location that it has now moved to Bowman Park.
The article also said of Dixon, “In addition to being exceedingly well-known in the mercantile business, Adam Dixon took an active role in community affairs. For over 40 years, he served as district school treasurer, for four years he served as postmaster and for 15 years as town chairman. He also served on the village board for a number of years. He was an active member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Masonic Order.” Dixon died in 1923 at the age of 86.