Revolutionary War veteran William Jenkins in 1794 established a stagecoach inn five miles (8 km) north of the town's present site on the old Indian trail between Nashville and St. Louis.

The town was incorporated on February 6, 1861, and was named after Archibald Dixon,[3] lieutenant governor of the state from 1844 to 1848 and U.S.

The notorious Harpe brothers, murderous outlaws, terrorized the area in the late 18th century.

The downtown area has several historic homes and was the site of a number of Civil War skirmishes.

32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Webster County Middle School serves students from grades 7 and 8.

Webster County High School serves 680 students from grades 9 to 12.