The village of Dawson is near an old Native American trail that ran from Clear Lake to Buffalo Hart. The village itself was incorporated in 1883, two years after the Wabash Coal & Mining Co. opened a mine shaft in the area. Mining continued until at least 1924, when the Dawson Coal Mining Co. closed.
Named: John Dawson was one of the “Long Nine” (along with Abraham Lincoln) who persuaded the General Assembly to move the state capital to Springfield.
Today: Dawson, which had 509 residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census, is off Old Route 36, 14 miles east of Springfield.
Original content copyright Sangamon County Historical Society. You are free to republish this content as long as credit is given to the Society.
Back in 1962 to 65, my family had an opportunity to rent a huge brick farmhouse just south of Dawson Illinois that was built in 1880. The name I remember hearing was Mr who built the house with Mr Waters. We were the third family to live in it. There was an elderly woman who was living there and moved to an assisted living situation and we moved in after she had us checked out. We we moved to Michigan in 1965 and it seems like it wasn’t but a few years later we heard that the house burnt down and that the locals were coming in and taking the important chandeliers from Italy Etc. I have a picture of that house not to mention that I also have a VHS video of a Christmas we had inside the house and other events. It had a mahogany winding staircase that went all the way up to the Attic. I would like to know if you would be interested in this picture that I have which is actually a painting that my brother-in-law did. I actually have the photograph of it however black and white. We had many great memories there and cherish the opportunity that we had to live in this beautiful home which had 12 fireplaces. I slept in the maids bedroom with a back staircase that went down to the kitchen.