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       HISTORY OF PLATTEVILLE ACADEMY
February he wrote to Rev. Stephen Peet, the General Agent of the
Society in Milwaukee, 'that he "had cut Iqose entirely from the
Academy" and that he was moving his family to Fairplay "next
week". 6
        Whether he would remain there as the settled minister of
the church would of course depend upon the outcome of the So-
ciety's action on the recommendation for his appointment as an
"Itinerant". But he was definitely out of the educational work,
and had committed his life to that of religion and the church. Two
years later he was studying in further preparation at Lane Theolog-
ical Seminary. 7 Succeeding years found him filling charges at
various places in Ohio and Illinois till his return to Wisconsin in
1856 as pastor of the Congregational church at Bloomington and
Blake's Prairie where he remained till 1865. Later still he was at
Glen Haven, Patch Grove, 8 and Trempealeau, Wisconsin. 9  He
died December 11, 1887. In personality and character Mr. Dixon
was well qualified for either field of work, for it seemed the general
testimony that he was well adapted to the "western population," in
all his contacts.
       The Academy needed the supporting hand of Mr. Dixon
and the three years immediately following (1843-1846) were
critical. Apparently there were three main difficulties in these
years. One was that of management and is mentioned in a letter
written by Mr. Pickard some time later 10 in which he says: "The
institution was chartered with a list of stockholders and Trustees
from the different Christian denominations of the Village. Un-
fortunate divisions arose and for two or three years it was managed
almost entirely by Presbyterians and Congregationalists, but in due.
time it returned to its original purpose and was under the control
of a Board of Trustees representing all the Christian denominations
of the place."
       Another difficulty was the lack of funds and equipment
with which to carry on the school 11 but which happily was met
by generous friends in the East. This was gratefully acknowledged
by the Trustees, in the catalogue of the school for the year 1846-
1847, in these words: "The Trustees take this opportunity to
acknowledge the obligations they are under to those benevolent
individuals, who though far removed from us, have nevertheless,
taken a deep interest in our enterprise, and by timely aid in money,
Books, etc., etc., have not only saved the Institution, when in peril,
but have done much to prepare it for extensive usefulness." This;
was signed: James Shinn, President, J. W. Clark, Secretary. 12
       Still another difficulty was in securing a permanent princi-
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