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Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Putnam County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Henry C. Dickson was born in Sullivan County, Mo., October 4, 1844, and is a son of Judge George W. Dickson, a native of Miami County, Ohio, born February 1, 1820. His father, William Dickson, was born in South Carolina, June 3, 1798, and his mother, Mary (Sinks) Dickson, was born in North Carolina, in September, 1800. George W. spent his youth in his native county, and is a self-made and self-educated man, having become the latter almost entirely after reaching manhood. He was married in Darke County, at Greenville, near Old Treaty, where Gens. Wayne and Harrison treated with the Indians. Elizabeth Delk became his wife February 14, 1839. She was the daughter of Ethelred Delk, a soldier in the War of 1812. Her birthplace was in Preble County, Ohio, where she was born May 4, 1821, and she was reared in that and Darke County, Ohio. Directly after their marriage they moved to Randolph County, Ind., and eighteen months later, in November, 1840, came to Missouri, crossing the Mississippi River on the day Harrison was elected president. They spent one year in Grundy County, and about the same length of time in Livingston County. In the fall of 1843 they moved to Linn County (now Sullivan), and in 1848 came from there to Putnam County (then Dodge), locating in Jackson Township. Previous to this time Mr. Dickson had served as treasurer of the county, and after coming to Putnam County, he served sixteen years in succession as justice of the peace. He was the second county judge of the county. During the war, in 1862, he was appointed probate judge, and served two years in that capacity. He is now identified with the Greenback party, although formerly he was a Democrat, and during the war was identified with and worked for the Republicans. He located upon his present place in April, 1853, entering 120 acres of land. He now owns 100 acres, forty in timber land and the remainder in meadow and plow. He has raised a family of eight children, six of whom are living: William Dickson, married and in Wilson Township; Henry C., married and living in Jackson Township; Elizabeth E., widow of E. Hodson, of Smith County, Kas.; Ann V., wife of Joseph F. Coppock, of Kansas. Those deceased are Albina, wife of James L. Johnson, died April 12, 1863, leaving two children, and Charles, who died in September, 1862, at Helena, Ark. He was a soldier in the late war, and served in the Seventh Missouri Cavalry. Judge Dickson became a Mason in 1863, and belongs to the Unionville, Mo., lodge. He is engaged in the nursery business, in which he embarked about 1876, and now has about 15,000 trees of different kinds of fruit. His nursery is known as the “Star Nursery.” Henry C. Dickson, the immediate subject of this sketch, came to Putnam County, Mo., with his parents, when a small boy, where he grew to manhood and received a common-school education. July 11, 1861, he enlisted with the First Missouri Cavalry, as a private. He participated in the fights at Blue Mound, Mo., Snye Hills, Lone Jack, Prairie Grove, Ark., Van Buren, Ark., Clarendon and Little Rock. Near Fayetteville he was taken prisoner. He also participated in several skirmishes, and was mustered out at Little Rock, September 13, 1863, at that time being corporal of Company I, First Missouri Cavalry. He returned home in 1865, and then spent a year in Indiana, where he learned the carpenter’s trade. He then returned to Putnam County in 1867, and in April of that year married Susan C., daughter of Arthur McClure, of Putnam County. Mrs. Dickson was born in Greenbrier County, Va., and was reared and educated in her native State. In September, 1883, Mr. Dickson went with a team and his family to Eureka Springs, Ark., where he remained a year on account of his wife’s health. He has been engaged in the carpentering business for many years, and has contracted for and built many county bridges, school-houses, etc. In connection with this he has worked a farm of 193 acres. He was a strong Republican until the organization of the Greenback party, when he joined its ranks. He has served as justice eight years in succession, having first been elected to that office in 1869. In his family are Frances E., Ethred D., Arthur W., Nancy E., Charles E. and Virgil L. Mr. Dickson is a member of the G. A. R. post at Xenia. He is this year engaged in the manufacture of a kiln of brick (100,000) for his own and market use.

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This family biography is one of 139 biographies included in the Putnam County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Adair, Sullivan, Putnam, and Schuyler Counties, Missouri published in 1888 by Goodspeed Publishing Co.  For the complete description, click here: Putnam County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Putnam County, Missouri family biographies here: Putnam County, Missouri Biographies

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