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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
moved into a log cabin which occupied the site of the home in which he lived until his death, which occurred Oct. 15, 1898. He was a successful farmer, a capable manager, and a man of influence in the community. An ardent opponent of slavery, he was known for many years as one of three Abolitionists in Sugar Grove Township, and in the days of the "Underground Railway," he was in close touch with its operations and had a personal acquaintance with some of the noted Illinois Abolitionists. In later years he was an active member of the Republican party. He taught the first school in Sugar Grove Township, helped erect the first school-house, and was always interested in I he advancement of educational work. In the later years of his life he set on foot, with other early settlers, a movement to preserve the pioneer history of Sugar Grove Township, and much valuable information was gotten together in this connection, but unfortunately it was destroyed before it was put into print. He married first in 1836 Miss Katie Densmore, who died in 1851, leaving one daughter, Mrs. James Carter. He was afterwards married to Miss Mary J. Mather, who died in 1888. The children of the second marriage were Charles M., Mrs. Grace (Densmore) Lee, Mrs. Jane (Densmore) Benjamin and Mrs. Jessie (Densmore) Paul.
SHELDON DICKINSON (deceased), farmer, born at Hatfleld, Canada, in 1832, and grew to manhood in his native country; came to Kane County, Ill., in 1854, locating on a farm near Dundee; married Catharine Hodges and their living children are: Charles S. and Frederick S. Dickinson; removed to Minnesota where he met his death by drowning in 1860. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Dickinson returned to her old home and still resides at Dundee.
THOMAS A. DILLON, retired miller, Carpentersville, Kane County, Ill., born in Vienna, N. Y.( March 17, 1823, son of Thomas A. and Lucy (Spike) Dillon; attended school until thirteen years of age, when he started work for himself; learned the miller's trade and followed that occupation at different intervals in New York, Ohio and Michigan until 1849, when he joined a gold-hunting expedition sent out from New York to California by Dr. Townsend. Mr. Dillon engaged in mining in California and later went to the Sandwich Islands. He came to Illinois in 1853 and located permanently at Carpentersville in 1856, where he took charge of a flouring-mill, which he operated for twenty-six years. He retired from active business in 1882, but has lived continuously in Carpentersville, being at the present time (1903) one of the oldest residents in the village. He was married in 1853 to Malvina Knowles, of Sullivan County, N. Y.
CHARLES B. DODSON (deceased), pioneer settler, born June 5, 1809, and died in Geneva, Ill., in 1891; came west in 1833, locating near the site of Batavia in 1834, where he platted the town of Clybournville; in company with Archibald Clybourn he built the first docks in the city of Chicago. Between 1835 and 1837 he removed the Pottawatomie Indians from this part of Illinois to Iowa am, Kansas under contract with the Government; built the first store and saw-mill in this region at Clybournville in 1834; was one of the most widely known of the pioneers and was leading citizen of Geneva until his death. His wife was Harriet Warren before her marriage, and she was a daughter of the pioneer after whom Warrenville. Ill., was named.
CHARLES H. DODSON, Geneva, Ill., born in Chicago, Ill., Dec. 1, 1838. His education, "if any" (quoting himself), was obtained in the Geneva public schools, and at Bell & Stevens' Commercial College, Chicago, Ill., in 1858. The "only distinction acquired," (according to the same authority) is in having had his home in Kane County for sixty-two years continuously, excepting five years spent on the Pacific Coast, and five years in South Dakota, the only event in his life, out of the ordinary, being a journey across the plains to California in 1860. He writes himself down as an old-time Abolitionist and a rock-rooted Republican.
WILSON H. DOE, Bank Cashier, Elgin, Ill., born in Janesville, Wis., Feb. 2, 1858; came to Elgin Feb. 8, 1882, and accepted a position as bookkeeper with the Home National Bank, in which he became Assistant Cashier in 1885, and in 1890 was elected Cashier. In 1892, when the Home Savings Bank was organized, he was elected Cashier of that institution, and is still filling that position. Mr. Doe was married in September, 1882, to Miss Maude G. Palmer, of Chicago.
Dundee Area History
