BIO:  W. Howard DICKS, Reading Township, Adams County, PA

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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 503-504

W. HOWARD DICKS, farmer, P. O. New Chester, was born in Adams County, Penn., 
September 18, 1842, and is a son of Thomas N. and Lydia A. (Hanes) Dicks, 
natives of Adams County.  His father was a farmer, but in his younger days, when 
the railroad was yet in its infancy, he was engaged in hauling goods from 
Baltimore, Md., to Pittsburgh, Penn., taking about eighteen days to go through.  
He engaged in farming where W. Howard now resides on 137 acres, until his death, 
which occurred October 25, 1884.  Our subject was brought up on a farm, 
remaining with his parents until twenty years of age, when he attended the 
college at New Oxford, under Dr. Pfeiffer for two years.  In 1868 he took a 
pleasure trip through Illinois and Iowa, and while in the West taught three 
months, but hunted most of the time.  Previous to going West he had taught four 
terms of school, and four terms after coming home, and is a well educated man.  
He farms on the old homestead, comprising 137 acres, and makes a specialty of 
raising cattle, also buying and selling some.  He is a great lover of sport and 
spends his leisure time in hunting, killing deer, etc., and has now in his 
posession a set of eight-prong antlers, which he took from a deer he killed in 
Virginia.  There were ten children in his father’s family, nine of whom are now 
living:  W. Howard, J. W., John A., Neely, H. B., R. M., Margaret A., Kate E. 
and Mattie A.  Most of the family are members of the Presbyterian Church.  Mr. 
Dicks has held the offices of township and county auditor.  He received the 
nomination for Assembly at the Democratic County Convention on the 14th of June, 
1886, and will be elected, as this county is largely Democratic.