Preston County, West Virginia Biography of Earl DIXON This file was submitted by CJ Towery, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pages 226-227 EARL DIXON is cashier of the Bank of Masontown, has been an executive officer of that institution for the past ten years, and prior to that was a successful merchant of Reedsville. He was born near Reedsville, March 20, 1885, and in that community his father, Emanuel Dixon, is still living, active as a farmer. Emanuel Dixon was born in Washington County, Maryland, in 1859, and acquired a common school education. He was one of eight children, and when he was twenty years of age the family moved to Preston County, West Virginia, the Dixons locating in the Reedsville locality. Emanuel Dixon has lived there for over forty years, and has been a successful farmer and stockraiser. For about sixteen years he was a member of the Preston County Court and was part of the time chairman of the court. He is a stanch republican in politics. Emanuel Dixon married Miss Anna Loar, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Kirk) Lear. Her mother was a daughter of Capt. Isaiah Kirk, who served in the Union army during the Civil war. Anna Loar was born near Reedsville. The children of Emanuel Dixon and wife were: Earl; Loar, who died unmarried in 1920; Ella, wife of Homer Riggleman, of Reedsville; James, of Masontown; Nora, wife of Lee Turner, of Masontown; while the younger children are Charles, Howard, Harry, Ford, Theodore and Lucile. Earl Dixon grew up on a farm, sharing in its working responsibilities until he was eighteen. He attended country schools and summer normals, and from the farm he became a clerk for S. L. Cobun, a general merchant at Masontown. With the equipment derived from this experience he engaged in business for himself in 1906 at Reedsville as a member of the firm Wheeler & Dixon. Three years later he accepted an offer to become an active official of the Bank of Masontown as assistant cashier. At that time Homer Andrews was cashier and the president was S. L. Cobun, who is still the head of the bank. Fourteen months after becoming assistant cashier Mr. Dixon was made cashier, in January, 1911. He is also a member of the board of directors and associate vice president, having been thus connected with the bank before he left his mercantile interests at Reedsville. Mr. Dixon is also a stockholder in the Rosedale Coal Company, the Lick Run Collieries Company and is president of the Valley Lumber Company of Masontown. He is a member of the board of education of his district. In politics be has been satisfied to vote the republican ticket, first supporting on the presidential ballot William H. Taft. He was reared in the Methodist Church and is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, having joined Preston Lodge No. 90 at Kingwood. he is affiliated with the Royal Arch Chapter and Knights Templar Commandery at Morgantown, also the Lodge of Perfection of the Scottish Rite there, being a member of the Scottish Guard of this lodge, and is affiliated with West Virginia Consistory No. 1 at Wheeling. He is a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Masontown and has represented that lodge in the Grand Lodge. During the war Mr. Dixon was chairman of the bond sales in the Valley District, and was member of the Executive Committee of the Red Cross for Preston County. At Reedsville, November 22, 1911, he married Miss Gertrude Arthur, who was born at Pittsburgh, May 5, 1885, daughter of Richard M. Arthur, of Arthurdale Stock Farm near Reedsville. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon have one son, Richard Arthur, horn in April, 1918.