Dixon Power Plant from the north (1945)

Rick Munson still is hoping to discover the identities of the men in a Dixon Power Plant photo taken Sept. 28, 1945.

(click on any photo in this story to get larger view)

"I haven't identified anyone in the photos so far," Munson said.

In the meantime, he has developed 25 of the 1,000 photos, which turned up in a local garage sale, for an exhibit that will be on display at The Next Picture Show from July 16-31.

"Several of the old-timers from the plant called me the morning the article appeared in the Sunday Telegraph (on March 25). Some thought one of the men in the photo was a Dixon Plant worker, but when I contacted him ... he said it was not him. He believes the workers used in the construction were 'travelers'."

Plant Workers in furnace, Unit 4 (1945)

A former plant employee himself, Munson, who took up photography in his retirement, likely is the perfect person to become the caretaker of the historic photos. They document construction of the plant built near the river at First Street and College, but now gone.

Librarians for ComEd, which owned the plant, are checking their archives for any information they might have on the men, but Munson understands it's an ambitious undertaking.

"I may not be able to track them down," he said.

Munson's search has been embraced and enhanced by others in the community. He received a grant from the Dixon Tourism Board to complete his project and present it to the public, and one of Sauk Valley Community College's photography instructors helped Munson select the photos he enlarged for the exhibit.

Poster for upcoming Show, click to enlarge

"They all developed in spectacular fashion," Munson said.

Next to each photo will hang a snippet from the Dixon Evening Telegraph, published the day each photo was taken.

One article is about the Hiroshima bombing, one is about the day Paris was liberated, another advertises five gallons of gas for a mere 95 cents. Munson also found one of his photos, taken during the installation of a 375-ton turbine, in an old Telegraph.

To honor ComEd retirees, Munson will host a reception July 20 at the gallery. "I know the old-timers will enjoy this. Everyone I have shown these photos to, coupled with the significance of the era ... (it) has piqued their interest," he said.

Story from Dixon Telegraph, June 11, 2007 by Olivia Cobiskey, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it