When James Dickson, Jr., was a boy, he moved with his familty to Hayfield, Pennsylvania. As a boy, James witnessed his father fighting and being shot by Native Americans. His brother Joseph, a regular customer of James, wrote a memoir about it. The memoir gives the flavor of what life was like; how local folk, including the Dicksons, spoke; and colloquial phonetics. The small journal is a small piece of a puzzle that gives a voice to the early settlement north of Pittsburgh. Also included with this manuscript is a card stock photograph of Dickson as an elderly man.
James Dickson Jr. papers, #10000, Special Collections Library, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Terms of Use and Reproduction:
Photocopies of original materials may be made available for research purposes at the discretion of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. Photocopies or reproductions of original materials may be subject to fees as outlined by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries reproduction policies. Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Patrons seeking advice on the availability of unpublished materials for publication should consult relevant copyright law and laws of libel.
Source of Acquisition:
Purchased from Dan Casavant Rare Books; 2019. Purchased with funds from the Charles L. Cost Libraries Endowment; 2019.
Administrative History:
James Dickson was born near Dumfries, Scotland, in 1754. He was married December 12th 1782 to Barbara Brown and in the fall of 1785 he landed at Philadelphia with his wife and to children. He resolved to secure a home under the provisions of the act of the Legislature passed the previous year, and accordingly traveled afoot from Pittsburgh to Meadville, and located a tract of 400 acres on the west bank of French Creek, four miles above Meadville, in what is now Hayfield Township. He also located 400 acres just south of it for his eldest son, Robert, and afterward purchased it. He remained at Meadville during the summer of 1793 cultivating, in connection with William Jones, a field of corn and potatoes on the island, and in the fall returned to Pittsburgh.
Action Note:
condition reviewed. Brittle, highly acidic, or heat sensitive papers.
