Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah July 15, 2020

Robert Y. Dickson, who is living on the old homestead at Glidden, was born December 4, 1862, and is a son of Robert and Sarah (McGinnis) Dickson. The Dickson family is traced to Robert and Phoebe Dickson, the former of whom was a native of Germany and the latter of New Jersey. Robert Dickson engaged in farming in Kentucky until 1822, when he removed with his family to Illinois, traveling down the Ohio river and up the Wabash in boats which were built by the men of the party from trees which they cut down on the banks of the Ohio river. They landed on the Illinois side of the river opposite Vincennes and took up their residence on wild land in Vermilion county, the first year clearing about ten acres of timber, out of which they erected a comfortable home and other buildings. Robert Dickson died about 1825, after becoming well established in Illinois. In his family were nine children: Robert, James, John, David, Andrew, Moses, William, Jane and Margaret.

Amos Dickson was born in Kentucky in 1803 and removed to Illinois with other members of the Dickson family in 1822. Six years after arriving at his new home he was married to Rachel Pettis, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Davis) Pettis, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. Mr. Pettis served in the war of 1812 and participated under General Jackson in the battle of New Orleans. Amos Dickson became a successful farmer of Champaign county, Illinois, and died in 1881, his wife having been called away in 1862. They were the parents of nine children: Robert, Sr.; Benjamin and America, both of whom are deceased; John, who is now living in Illinois; Andrew, who was a valiant soldier for the Union at the time of the Civil war and is now deceased; Nancy Jane, who is also deceased; Martha, who is living in Illinois; and Phoebe Jane and Mary Jane, both of whom have also passed away.

Robert Dickson, the father of our subject, was born in 1830 and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age. He possessed advantages of education in the pioneer schools of his native state and as he grew to manhood became thoroughly familiar with the various details of agriculture and stock-raising. He engaged in farming on his own account for two years, at the end of which time he was married and, believing that conditions were more favorable west of the Mississippi river, he and his wife came to Carroll county, Iowa, in 1855 and located on one hundred and sixty acres, which became the family homestead. In 1876 he left his wife in charge of the home farm and went to Kansas, where he proved up on two hundred and forty acres of land. He then returned home and has since made his residence in this county. He became the owner of about one thousand acres of land in Carroll county, portions of which he has sold off at various times so that now he has left two hundred and eighty-five acres, a large part of which is under an excellent state of cultivation. Mr. Dickson lost his wife in 1896 and he now makes his home with his son Robert Y. There were seven children in his family: David, the eldest, is married and lives in Oklahoma. In his family were five children, two of whom survive, his eldest daughter, Edith, being a nurse in the Methodist Hospital at Omaha. Annie, the second in order of birth of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Dickson, is married and lives in Arkansas. She has two children, Gladys and Robert. America, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dickson, is deceased. Ella had four children and has also passed away. Robert Y., the subject of this review, is the fifth child in order of birth. Sherman and Alice are both deceased. The old log house which Mr. Dickson built upon arriving in Carroll county is still standing on the home farm and is one of the interesting landmarks of this section.

Robert Y. Dickson was reared under the friendly shelter of the parental home and received his education in the district schools. He has continued on his father’s farm and from his earliest recollection has been actively identified with agriculture and the raising of live stock. For a number of years he has been in charge of the home place, which he has managed with excellent results, the appearance of the farm indicating that he understands his business thoroughly and is making a success of it.

On the 10th of November, 1887, Mr. Dickson was married to Miss Hannah M. Eilts, a daughter of Henry and Mary Eilts, both of whom were born in Germany. They had ten children: Mary; Hannah, who is now Mrs. Robert Y. Dickson; Minnie, John, Henry, Bertha, Lizzie, Annie, Tillie and Albert. All of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Eilts are living and they are all married. Four children came to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dickson: Mabel, who is married; and Clarence, Ernest and Opal.

Politically Mr. Dickson is in the thorough sympathy with the republican party, whose candidates he has supported ever since he cast his first ballot. He is friendly to all religious organizations but is not connected with any of them; his wife, however, is a sincere member of the Lutheran church. He has been an industrious, straightforward and public-spirited citizen and has set an example in life that is well worthy of emulation. He is respected by all who know him and can claim many friends throughout a wide section in Iowa.

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