Untitled From the Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 600-601

Charles C. Dickinson


CHARLES C. DICKINSON, sheriff of Grant county, and an extensive stockman, cheese maker and farmer of the town of Lima, that county, was born at his present home Aug. 29, 1861, a son of Ensign P. and Fannie S. (WHITCHER) DICKINSON, old and much respected pioneers of the county.

The father of our subject was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, in May, 1819, son of Samuel and Elizabeth DICKINSON, who moved from Massachusetts to Ohio, where they found a home in the wilderness at a very early day, and reared their children. Ensign P. DICKINSON grew up in Ohio, where he was married. Fannie WHITCHER, his wife, was born Jan. 23, 1823, daughter of John and Anna (CULVER) WHITCHER, who migrated from Ohio to Wisconsin as early as 1844, and settled in the town of Lima, where they lived until their death. Mr. DICKINSON and his wife came to the town of Lima, Grant county, as early as 1843, made their first location on the property in the town of Platteville which A. REWEY now owns, and there put up a hewed log house on ground purchased from the government, making it their home for about three years. At the end of this period Mr. DICKSON bought eighty acres of good land in the town of Lima, and increased his real estate holdings from time to time until he owned nearly 300 acres of choice land. In politics he was a Republican, and for eighteen years served as treasurer of the town of Lima, also serving the people very efficiently as a member of the county board. In 1883 he was elected a member of the General Assembly, and served with distinction. During 1881 he made a journey to California, and returned with freshened devotion to his home in Wisconsin. He was a farmer, and by general consent a representative of the best farming interests of his generation. Mr. DICKINSON was more or less ultimately identified with the Methodist Church. He died Oct. 10, 1897, and his aged widow still survives, at the age of seventy-eight years. Eight children are living out of the family of eleven born to them: (1) Elizabeth, born in Ohio in October, 1842, married Eli McKEE, who died March 10, 1901, of heart failure. Mrs. McKEE lives in California with her family of seven children, Ida, John, Frank, Charles, Lilla, Flora and Anna. (2) John, born in September, 1844, was a soldier of the 43d Wis. V.I., in the Civil war. He married Clara HULING, of Grant county, and they have three children, Ensign, Fannie and Inez. He now resides at Lincoln, Neb., where he has become very prominent, and has been sent to the State Legislature. (3) Lorain, born in Grant county in September, 1846, is now the wife of Wright COWELL, of Stockton, Cal., who is an extensive ranchman. They have two children, Ensign and Francis. (4) Samuel, born in August, 1848, married Miss Luna BARSTOW, of Grant county, and lives in Stockton, Cal.; they have had three children, Frances (now married to J. JONES of that State), Rosa, and Bert (who was accidentally shot while on an outing, in 1897). (5) Phoebe, born in June, 1850, is the wife of Warren JOHNSON, of Lima, Grant county. (6) William, born in 1852, is a miner in Arizona. (7) Everett C., born Nov. 18, 1854, was married May 14, 1882, to Miss Nellie L. YAPLE, of Ripon, Cal., and they have had two sons - Clarence, born March 30, 1883, and Perry Yaple, Aug. 14, 1889. E. C. Dickinson graduated from the State Normal at Platteville. In 1878 he went to California where he still resides. He followed school teaching there for some years, and is now a member of the firm of WRIGHT & DICKINSON, wholesale and retail dealers in grain and hay, warehousemen, and manufactures of steamboats. At present they have a steam barge of 600 tons burden running on the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers and San Francisco bay. At one time Mr. DICKINSON had three general stores and three large warehouses in the State, located, respectively, at Whitton, LeGrand and Dickinson. The latter place was named in his honor. (8) Ida died in infancy, in Wisconsin. (9) Ina, born in October, 1859 married Allie GRINDELL, of Platteville, now living in California, and died in 1884, leaving one daughter, Ina. (10) Charles C. is our subject.

Charles C. DICKINSON was reared to manhood on the home farm, and had the benefit of the excellent schools to be found in Grant county, including attendance at the State Normal, at Platteville. For several years previous to his marriage he was manager of his father's farm and business. In 1881 he married Miss Eva STEVENS, of the town of Harrison, daughter of Leonard and Martha STEVENS, old pioneers of Grant county, originally from Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. DICKINSON settled on the old homestead, which had come into his possession some years previously. In 1897 Mr. DICKINSON erected a large modern dwelling, finished in hard wood, with every modern improvement, and this is counted one of the choice homes in the county. He has also erected on his farm a large cheese factory, and is doing a very extensive business in that line. To the old farm he has added 120 acres adjoining, and it is now one of the fine places in the town.

To Mr. and Mrs. DICKINSON have been born seven children: Mabel, in May, 1882; Walter C., in December, 1883; Guy E., in October, 1885; Flora P., in November, 1887; Elizabeth, in August, 1889; Edward P., in April 1894, and Susie W., in October 1897.

Mr. DICKINSON is a member of the Republican party, has been a member of the town board for several years, and on Nov. 6, 1900, was honored with election to the office of sheriff of Grant county, receiving a majority of 2,302, the largest ever given any candidate for the office in Grant county. Mr. DICKINSON is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a leading spirit in the Knights of the Maccabees. The DICKINSON family has long been held in high esteem, and our subject is one of the leading men of his town.




This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck