Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Dickins, George W. 1843 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 8, 2013, 11:49 pm

Source: See Below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

HON. GEORGE W. DICKINS.

The name of the Hon. George W. Dickins is closely associated with the political
history as well as with the agricultural development of Wapello county, for he
has twice represented his district in the state legislature and has otherwise
done much to mould public thought and action in relation to affairs of general
moment.

He was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, on the 18th of September, 1843, a son of
Martin and Elizabeth (Staley) Dickins and a grandson of James and Alary
(Haskell) Dickins. The father was born in North Carolina, March 12, 1802, and
was but four years of age when his parents removed to Ash county, Virginia. He
was left an orphan at the age of fourteen years and was bound as an apprentice
to a man who eloped with the wife of another man of the neighborhood, and thus
Martin Dickins was released from his apprenticeship. Thinking that he might
secure employment at Kanawha, he walked to that place, a distance of one hundred
miles, and secured work in the salt works, remaining there for a number of
years. He afterward removed to Ohio and in the latter state was united in
marriage to Miss Elizabeth Staley, who was born in 1807, her parents being
Malachi and Elizabeth (Coons) Staley. In the year 1845 Martin Dickins removed
with his family to Iowa, settling in Wapello county, where he purchased a claim,
and thereafter was occupied with general agricultural pursuits to the time of
his death, which occurred March 2, 1890. He had survived his wife, who passed
away in 1863. His farm comprised three hundred and twenty acres in Competine
township, the greater part of which was still unbroken when it came into his
possession. He turned the sod and prepared the land for cultivation and in due
course of time gathered rich crops. He long occupied a creditable position among
the representative farmers of the district and contributed in substantial
measure to the pioneer development of the county.

George W. Dickins was one of a large family and was next to the youngest. He was
but three years of age when his parents came to Wapello county, where he was
reared amid conditions and environments of pioneer life, sharing with others in
all of the hardships and privations which fell to the lot of the frontier
settler. He was a youth of nineteen years when, being unable to longer content
himself at the plow, he went to the front in defense of the Union cause,
enlisting on the 12th of August, 1862, at Davenport, Iowa, as a member of
Company I, of the First Regiment of Iowa Cavalry, of which he afterward became
quartermaster. He was with his command for three years and eight months,
participating largely in campaigns in the west, and he was mustered out of
service at Austin, Texas, on the 14th of February, 1866. He was with the army of
sixty thousand men sent to the Texas border to watch Maximilian and Marshal
Bazaine and there remained until the collapse of the French scheme to establish
a monarchy on American soil and place Maximilian on the throne.

With the close of the war Mr. Dickins was mustered out in Davenport, after which
he returned to his home in Wapello county, where he began farming and settled
upon the tract of land which he now owns and occupies, on section 17, Competine
township. As his financial resources increased he added to his holdings until at
one time he was the owner of nine hundred and twenty acres. Of this he has sold
some and has given parts to his children until he now retains possession of but
one hundred and sixty acres of land. It was in 1868 that he made his purchase
from B. Randall, paying twelve dollars and a half per acre for property that is
today worth two hundred and fifty dollars per acre, owing to the highly
cultivated condition of the soil and the many improvements he has put upon the
place. In addition to his agricultural interests he is known in financial
circles as president of the Farson Savings Bank, with which he has been thus
connected for eight years.

On the 2nd of June, 1864, Mr. Dickins was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth
Hawthorne, who was born in Washington county, Virginia, a daughter of Reed T.
and Mary (Reed) Hawthorne, who were also natives of the Old Dominion, coming to
Iowa about 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Dickins became the parents of four children:
Wilbur T., who died in June, 1871; Anthony, who died in infancy; Mary, who was
born July 10, 1869, and is the wife of O. E. Dickey of Competine township; and
Hiram H., who was born October 7, 1871, and married Vinnie Ulry, their home
being in Competine township. Mrs. Dickins passed away on the 22nd of June, 1874,
and Mr. Dickins was married, March 30th, 1875, to Miss Martha C. Eller, who was
born in Jefferson county, Iowa, a daughter of Harvey and Caroline (Vannoy)
Eller, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. They came to Iowa about
1851, first settling in Jefferson county, where they lived until 1855, when they
came to Wapello county, where their remaining days were passed. They had a
family of fifteen children, of whom eleven are living and of whom Mrs. Dickins
is the eighth child in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Dickins have become the
parents of a son and two daughters. Scott M. married and both he and his wife
passed away, leaving two sons, Earl and Lloyd, who now make their home with
their grandfather Dickins. Rilla May is the wife of C. A. Dickey, a farmer of
Competine township. Katherine, the youngest member of the family, is the wife of
C. B. Baldwin, and they reside on the old homestead. There are nineteen
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Dickins hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and
he belongs also to the Grand Army post, of which he is a past commander. His
political indorsement is given to the republican party, and he has been called
to a number of public offices. After serving in various township positions he
was elected to the nineteenth general assembly of Iowa in 1881 and in 1897 was
again chosen to represent his district in the house, serving in the
twenty-seventh assembly. He gave to every question which came up for
consideration due attention, and his support of measures was always the outcome
of his belief in their efficacy as features in good government. His life has
been well spent. Through all of his experiences he has never lost his faith in
his fellowmen nor his belief in the ultimate triumph of good. He has sought to
the extent of his ability to improve conditions and to promote the public
welfare, and his worth is widely acknowledged. Both he and his wife are well
known and where best known are most highly esteemed.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914


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