from History of Washington County, Pennsylvania
Henry Dickerson was one of the earliest settlers in the limits of this [Franklin] township. In a deed that bears date
Oct. 21, 1773, he describes the property conveyed as
"containing my old improvement," which would indicate that he had been a resident some years. The land conveyed by the deed mentioned above was sold to Robert Doak, and embraced three hundred and thirty acres. It later passed to John Ralston, John McMullen, Robert Henry, William Doak, and Robert Hazlett. Mr. Dickerson took up large quantities of
lands which later were warranted and surveyed in his own name and in the names of his sons.
A tract of
three hundred and seventy-four acres was warranted Feb. 26, 1786, surveyed as Bare Hollow, adjoining
lands of William Atkinson, John Sailor, and Asa Dickerson. This tract was patented June 16, 1789.
A tract of land called Squirrel, on the headwaters of Ten-Mile Creek, was patented Aug. 20,
1790, and one hundred and twenty acres of it was sold to George Harsh, April 27, 1795, and fifty acres to Robert Cunningham, Feb. 11, 1797.
A tract called Cool Run was warranted and surveyed to Gideon Dickerson, but patented to Henry Dickerson, April
13, 1790. One hundred and twenty acres of it was
sold to Andrew Beck, June 12, 1802.
John Dickerson took out a warrant for a tract of land March 4, 1785, situated on the head-waters of Ten-Mile Creek. There seems to have been some dispute in reference
to the title to this land, as the matter was brought to
the notice of the board of property, who issued a warrant -of acceptance May 18, 1789. The survey of one
hundred and ninety-three acres was made July 20,
1770, in which the name Difficulty was given to
the tract.
John Dickerson, Jr., received a warrant
March 30, 1798, for a small parcel of land which was
surveyed Aug. 20, 1804, and named Escape.
Asa Dickerson warranted a tract, Nov. 1, 1788, which was surveyed July 29, 1790, as Dickerson's Claim.
Gideon Dickerson received a land warrant April 20, 1786. It was surveyed as Coal Hill; the patent,
however, was made out to his father, April 13, 1790.
Other tracts were warranted to John, Pontius, and
Joshua Dickerson.
Henry Dickerson died in the fall of 1823, and left six sons, — Joshua, George, Gideon,
Asa (all of whom had large farms), Henry, and
Leonard.
George followed the business of boating.
Henry married Catharine Beck, lived for some years in this
county, and then went to Illinois.
Gideon married Eliza Gunn, and settled in Ohio, as did also
Leonard, whose wife was Susan Wolf.
Joshua married Margaret McPherson and remained on his father's farm,
and died in 1853. He served several years in the State Legislature. His daughters were
Lydia, who
became Mrs. Trusell;
Jennie, who married Samuel Waters;
Ruth, who became Mrs. Barker, and
Mary and Matilda Dickerson.
Of the two sons, Alexander died in Harrisburg, Pa., and John died in this county.
