Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Dickinson, William T. 1860 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 25, 2006, 10:09 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) WILLIAM T. DICKINSON. William T. Dickinson is so well known as a worthy citizen of West Creek township as to need hardly any introduction to the readers of this volume. He has spent all his life in the county, and in farming and stock-raising has found the proper sphere for the successful direction of his energies, but in addition is also a public-spirited man and willing to serve the common weal wherever possible. He was born in Lake county, July 26, 1860, and is the sixth of nine children, six sons and three daughters, born to Thomas and Rachel (Miller) Dickinson. Of this family the six yet living are as follows: Minerva, wife of E. L. Watson, a farmer of Cedar Creek township; Susie, widow of G. H. Baker and a resident of Lowell; William T.; S. E., a farmer of Cedar Creek township, and married; P. B. and E. G., residents also of Cedar Creek township. Thomas Dickinson, the father, was born in Yorkshire, England, December 30, 1821, and died December 16, 1892, and followed farming during most of his career. When about eight years old he accompanied his mother to America, the voyage being made on a sailing vessel and being protracted forty days on account of storms. For three years he and his mother lived in Philadelphia, and then moved to Ohio, where he lived until the spring of 1860, when he came to Lake county and took up his residence on a tract of land two miles south of Lowell. He was reasonably successful in his life work, and was held in high esteem by his fellow men. He always supported the Republican party until his death. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Lowell for many years before his demise. He was baptized in the Established Church of England. Rachel, his wife, was born in Ohio in February, 1825, and is now living at a very advanced age in Cedar Creek township, being a very bright old lady. Mr. William T. Dickinson was reared to the life of farming. After completing the work of the common schools he took a literary course at Valparaiso College, and also taught a year in West Creek township. His first purchase of land was eighty-six acres at his present place, which he has since increased to ninety-four acres. He keeps his farm in fine condition, and has a very comfortable residence and all necessary improvements. October 3, 1881, he was married to Miss Lida Miller, and three sons were born to them, one of them now being deceased. Thomas A. is a boy who has shown unusual talent in school work and made remarkable advancement. He completed the common school course of study on April 29, 1898, when he was twelve years old, then took three years' high school work in the Lake Prairie high school, and in 1902 graduated from the Lowell high school, at the age of sixteen. He entered Purdue University as a student, but after two months was compelled to forego his further education for the present on account of failing health. The younger son, Charles E., graduated from the common schools May 9, 1901, and is now a student in the Lowell high school. The parents may be very proud of what these youths have accomplished in their preparation for life's duties, for they have shown capacity and industry which will at some day rank them among the successful men of the world. Mrs. Dickinson was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, April 10, 1863, and was reared in that county and in Iroquois county. Her parents were Uriah and Catharine (Jones) Miller, and of the four children in the family, Mrs. Dickinson has two brothers living: John A., who is a general merchant at Pittwood, Illinois, and Charles U., a resident of Lowell, Indiana. Mr. Dickinson and his wife spent the first two years of their married life on his father's farm in Cedar Creek township, and he then located on his present place. He had to begin in the world without capital, and it has been through industry, careful economy and wise management that he and his wife have made for themselves a comfortable home and pleasant surroundings. Mr. Dickinson has supported the Republican party since his first vote went for Blaine, and he has at various times been selected as a delegate to county and district conventions of his party. He has fraternal relations with the Masonic lodge No. 378, at Lowell, and with Camp No. 5500 of the Modern Woodmen at the same place. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church at Lowell. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/dickinso571gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb