The Dixon Historical Society appreciates the generous contribution by Whiting-Turner Construction Company

DIXON, CA (MPG) - A team from the Whiting-Turner Construction Company of Sacramento led by Senior Superintendent, Jeff Clay, arrived at the Dixon History Museum at 6:30 on a recent morning equipped with tools, knowledge, and manpower. The sound of power saws, hammers, and drills was all that could be heard when the crew went to work insulating and constructing a wall from recycled lumber at the soon to be opened Dixon History Museum.

The museum is located at 125 West A Street, between Bud’s Pub and Grill and the Community Medical Center known as Dixon Family Practice.

Opening day for the new museum is Thursday, June 3, at 10 am followed by a Ribbon Cutting at 10:30 am. The museum will remain open until 3:00 pm that day for visitors. The museum will be open to the public after that from Tuesday through Saturday each week, from 10 am to 3 pm.

“These young fellas really know what they are doing,” commented Bill Schroeder, President of the Dixon Historical Society as he watched from the ground as the scissor-lift raised team members 16 feet in the air to work on the wall. The entire crew labored tirelessly and was able to finish work by 2:30 pm.

The job included attaching a windmill blade assembly that had been brought to the Schroeder Farm by Joachim Schroeder, Bill’s great-grandfather, more than 140 years ago.

A few weeks ago, local Dixon resident and Senior Superintendent, for the Whiting-Turner Construction Company, Jeff Clay, stopped by the museum to see what progress was being made and when the museum would open. He noticed the corrugated tin wall and commented on the heat transfer from the metal wall into the room.

“If you provide the insulation and materials, my crew and I can take care of that wall. Let me check with my boss,” Jeff offered. The volunteers working on the museum were overjoyed as no one was sure, if and when, that wall was ever going to be improved. As it stood, it was challenging to work in that room in the afternoon because of the heat and it was only May. How would the museum volunteers function in the August heat?

Later Jeff called and said, “We will be there on Thursday with the tools and the team.” The Museum volunteers went into high gear gathering the necessary materials. A phone call to Wes Standfill rendered some scrap fence boards, it took several trips to the Schroeder Ranch to pick up additional fence boards that had been donated by Nick Avila, owner of Dixon Fence Company. A call was made to Hoffmann Fabrication for metal work that was completed by Jerry Swails. Then, President Bill made a trip to Vacaville Lowe’s to purchase insulation and a couple of trips to Dixon Hardware and Lumber for nails as well as some bolts to hold the windmill blade assembly together.

The new wall is the focal point of the museum. The added insulation makes an incredible difference in stopping the heat transfer and the recycled wood wall truly looks better than anyone ever imagined it would, said volunteers. The Dixon Historical Society appreciates the generous contribution by Whiting-Turner Construction Company and each of the team members that shared their personal skills and knowledge to improve the Dixon History Museum.

The Whiting-Turner Construction Company has been contracted to build the multi-million dollar University of California, Davis, and City of Sacramento collaborative Aggie Square project in the Oak Park area of Sacramento near the UC Medical Center.