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William Dickson

William Dickson was a frontiersman, farmer, storekeeper, army officer, landowner, and landowner. He was also a church organizer and builder. He envisioned Camden as a prosperous village on the south shore of the Rock River within sight of Chief Blackhawks beloved Saukenuk village.

Unlike many cities that have named buildings and streets after their founder, Milan's Dickson Ball park is the only site in Milan bearing the name of it's founder. In the early 1940's or 50's when the streets of Milan were changed to numbers and avenues, second avenue was renamed Dickson Street.

He was born in Newburg, N. Y,, March 27, 1783 . His father was a Captain in the Revolutionary war. His grandfather and grandmother were murdered by the Indians and Butler's Rangers in the famous Cherry Valley massacre. After the Revolution the father of William Dickson moved to Westmoreland County , Pennsylvania ,where William was brought up till he was eighteen, when he moved to a farm in Erie County , Pennsylvania , near the shore of Lake Erie . Here he was married and became quite a noted man of his time, being at one time a member of the Board of Canal Commissioners of the State of Pennsylvania.

He raised a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters. In the spring of 1834 he visited this portion of Illinois on horseback, and returned home in the fall. In 1836 he returned here, and was one of the proprietors of the famous '' Rock Island City " scheme. In the spring of 1837 he brought his family here, and resided on the site of the old Sac town till 1867, when he sold to D. B. Sears and moved to Milan , where he died November 25, 1869 .

William Dickson, the founder of the town, was the father of Colonel George Dickson, for many years justice of the peace in Milan

From: Travels in Time

Illinois Ancestors