Whiteside County IL Archives Biographies.....Dickson, John 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 January 31, 2008, 12:14 am

Author: Portrait/Bio Album, Whiteside County IL 1885

John Dickson, watchman for the Keystone Manufacturing Company, of Rock Falls, 
was born Dec. 31, 1830, in Scotland. He was the second child of William and 
Ellen (Tunna) Dickson, natives, also, of that country and members of the 
agricultural class, who died in their native land. Mr. Dickson remained at his 
parental home until he was 26 years of age, receiving a common-school 
education and assisting upon the farm. In 1855 he emigrated to America, 
landing at New York, taking a steamer up the Hudson to Albany and going out to 
Sharon Springs, where he worked nine months in a hotel. He then came to 
Sterling and worked a year in a hotel; next he was employed a mile west of 
that place until the spring of 1859, when he went to Pike's Peak, where he was 
successful in gold-mining. In 1861 he returned to Sterling, and went on to 
England, where he visited from August to November and married Miss Anna 
Campbell, a native of Scotland. Coming again to this country, he commenced 
keeping house a mile west of Sterling, and lived in that neighborhood five and 
a half years. The last six months of this time he was engaged at work on the 
second bridge at that point, below the dam. Since 1863 he has been in the 
employment of the Keystone Manufacturing Company. His first purchase in this 
county was a lot in Sterling, and the second was a lot of A. P. Smith at Rock 
Falls, for which he paid $100, and on which he built a residence. After 
residing there a short time he made a trade with Mr. Smith for another lot and 
moved his house upon it. Since then he has bought another lot, adjoining, for 
which he paid $350. In 1884 he purchased a house and lot joining north of him, 
paying for it $900. Politically, Mr. Dickson is a Democrat, casting his first 
vote for Stephen A. Douglas, after taking out his naturalization papers. He is 
a member of the Board of Aldermen of Rock Falls, is a member and treasurer of 
the Keystone Fire Company, treasurer of the Keystone Aid and Relief Society, a 
member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Presbyterian Society of Sterling, 
to which latter body his wife also belongs. They have four children—E. Ella, 
Anna L., William G. and John A. Dickson.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois, Containing Full-
page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens of the County. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1885.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/whiteside/bios/dickson2002nbs.txt

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