JOSEPH M. DICKSON, who, though yet a young man, has brought himself, by ability and acumen, into the front rank of the legal circle of Washington, was born in Buffalo township October 16, 1856. He is a son of James Dickson, a native of Maryland. who, about the year 1839, came to Washington county, where he soon after married Miss Mary E., daughter of Elisha Duvall. Her father was a blacksmith by trade, and worked in his shop near Washington, until his death, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one years. The Duvall family came at an early date to this county from Wellsburg, Va. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dickson removed to the northern part of the county, settling on a farm in Robinson township, where they now reside. To them eight children were born: Eliza, wife of D. C. Reed, in Cross Creek township; William, at New Concord, Ohio; Salem, in Jefferson township; Joseph M., an attorney in Washington; Mary, wife of George Wolf, in Robinson township; Alice and Agnes, both deceased, and I. J., engaged in the hardware business at Washington, Pennsylvania. Joseph M. Dickson was reared on his father's farm, and received a liberal education at the common schools of the district. Later he attended the Jefferson Academy at Canonsburg and the Normal School at Sewickley, in Allegheny county, after which he engaged in teaching in the common schools of this county. He then entered the Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va., where he graduated in the classical course in June, 1880, and he at once commenced the study of law at the same university, graduating therefrom with the law class of 1881. Coming to Washington county, he was admitted to the bar in 1883. Mr. Dickson is a stanch Democrat, being one of the active young workers in that party. For four years he served as secretary of the Democratic committee, and in 1884 was nominated for county prothonotary, but, his party being in the minority, he was, not unexpectedly, defeated, yet he had the satisfaction of polling the largest Democratic vote cast in the county up to that time. It was the year of the Presidential election, when James G. Blaine, a native of the county, was heading the opposition ticket. Mr. Dickson worked with untiring zeal, canvassing closely the entire county, and receiving many compliments from friends for the masterly fight he had made against certain defeat. He takes an absorbing interest in all national and local politics. He is a member of the Improved Order of Heptasophs, and of the school board of Washington borough.

Text taken from page 304 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed June 1997 by George A. and Mary Ann Plance of Gainesville, FL as part of the Beers Project. Published June 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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