The Dickson Family Legacy
One of the men memorialized on the Pioneer Monument at the National Register of Historic Places in Vacaville CA, The Pena Adobe, was Thomas Dickson. He, along with John R. Wolfskill and Elijah S. Silvey, are listed as pioneers that brought civilization to Solano County.
Thomas Dickson (1800-1885) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and served in the Black Hawk War in 1832. Jane Parker Hood (1813-1906) was born in Tennessee. They married May 9, 1833, in Madison, Illinois, where Elizabeth Francine was born (1834-1911) then emigrated to Iowa, which was just wilderness. They built a home, had William Billings (1836-1921), Martha Ann (1840-1919), Henry Albert (1843-1927), Nathan (1846-1922) and James (1849-1875). Thomas had gold fever. They endured great hardness coming to the promise land leaving April 19, 1853, supposedly with 3 wagons, 12 oxen, some horses and cows. "Jane Dickson gave birth to a girl, Evaline Dickson, July 12th, 1853, presumably Wyoming”, on “July 13 traveled 12 miles, water and feed for the cattle scarce.", arriving at the “journey’s end” of Hangtown, California, on Oct. 13, 1853. They settled at Diamond Springs and mined for a year.
In 1855, Thomas purchased 160 acres of land at the intersection of A and 2nd Street, north to H Street, west to almost N. Almond, south to west A to the beginning, with his military deed and cash deed. William’s deed was the 160 acres immediately north. All three were signed by Ulysses S. Grant. They first had to rid their land of great piles of white bleached elk horns before building the first home in this area, on what is now “Legacy Land”. Members of the family lived in this home continuously from about 1858 until 1922. Later sold and destroyed, it was located where the Milton Carpenter funeral home now stands at 569 N. First Street.
Elizabeth married Jonathan M. Dudley, a large landowner, State Legislator, Senator, California Constitution Delegate, Bank of Dixon and Grangers' President. Their home was on the corner of C and Fitch Streets and moved to their ranch after Elizabeth died, on land which became Walmart, the Interstate, the Auction Yard and the famous Milk Farm. William and Nathan were farmers and Road Viewers/Masters. Martha was a dress maker. Henry was an artist and business owner. James died young from Typhoid. “Eva” married DB Huff, the Road Master and builder of the CPRR. He saved the original ten acres Thomas donated to the railroad for the Town of Dicksonville. Between Thomas Dickson, his children, and his two son-in-laws, they owned almost all the land along what is now Highway 113, north of A Street to across what is now Highway 80, until about 1940.
The photos and handwritten information was given to the Dixon Library Archives many years ago by earlier family members. However, Gigi Coe and her brothers, Matthew and Bruce, whom are the 3x Great Grandchildren of Thomas Dickson donated the originals to the Dixon Historical Society in November of 2023, along with never before seen photographs of Thomas Dickson and his family. Gigi is shown above, in the photo I took while she came to visit her family's namesake town (even though it is spelled incorrectly)
Without Thomas Dickson and the railroad,
there would be no City of Dixon!
Thomas Dickson Deeds
Thomas Dickson received a military deed for 120 acres and he purchased the other 40 acres so that he owned the full 160 acres which was the Southeast 1/4 section of 14 in Township 007N 001E. You can see in the dark highlighted areas of where his original land was...both sides of Main Street (N. First Street) to the North side of H Street, west to almost N. Almond Street, south to W. A Street and back to the beginning at N. 2nd Street
Oldest son William Dickson Deed
William Dickson received the military deed from Thankful Parker and his wife of 160 acres, which was just north of Thomas Dickson's. William's was the Northeast 1/4 section of 14 in Township 007N 001E. He sold this land to Senator Jonathan Dudley and Elizabeth Dickson Dudley, his brother-in-law and sister. His land was both sides of Main Street (N. First Street) east to 2nd Street, north to the south boundary of Dixon Ace Hardware now, west to almost N. Almond Street then south to his Dad's land, east to the beginning
This map is of the original measurements of each section in Solano County in 1852. In 1855, Thomas Dickson's land was where the yellow star is shown, and his Village of Dicksonville.
Later the middle of the Town of Dixon (where A Street and First Street intersect) was the intersection of sections 13, 14, 23 and 24 (see the red X)
Note the Village of Silvey was the intersections of 9, 10, 15 and 16