A. B. C. Dickenson was one of the early settlers of the First District of Sumner County. He was born in Virginia in 1817, and is a son of James I. and Nancy (Brown) Dickenson, being the fifth of six children born to their marriage, only the youngest two surviving. The father was of English descent, born in Virginia in 1774; was raised and educated in that State, and married there in 1801, moving to Sumner County in 1818, settling on the farm where our subject now resides. He died September 11, 1827. The mother was born in Virginia in 1785, and died February 21, 1864, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Our subject was raised by his mother, and educated at Rural Academy and at Hart College, then spent several years teaching. He remained on the farm with his mother until his marriage to Miss Susan, daughter of Ephraim and Susan Pussley, December 7, 1846. Five children were born to them; one son and two daughters are living: Nancy V., wife of J. W. Whiteside; Ephraim P. and Leonora A., wife of Walter Boensch. Mr. Dickenson owns 180 acres of rich and well improved land, two miles northeast of Castalian Springs. When he first built his present home it was almost a forest, but is now under a high state of cultivation. He is one of Sumner County's most enterprising farmers, and is a man of strict integrity, and an ardent advocate of education and prohibition. His first presidential vote was cast for Van Buren in 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Dickenson are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. He was elected steward of the Bethpage Church April 7, 1849, and was elected recording steward of Green Grove Church in August, 1853, and has attended every quarterly meeting but four for thirty-two years. He is a man of influence and fine moral character.