In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1897) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1816
From The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; (1882), Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897)
R. R. DICKEY, President of the Gas Light and Coke Company, Dayton, was born near Middletown, Ohio, October 26, 1816, and is the son of Adam and Mary (McKee) Dickey who are spoken of in the sketch of William Dickey, deceased. Our subject was che youngest of a family of eleven children, and is to-day the only survived. At the age of eleven years, through the death of his father, he was thrown upon his own resources, and at this tender age he became employed in a brick yard, working fourteen hours per day at $4.87 per month, and, afterward worked upon a farm at $5.00 per month, where he became imbued with that spirit of industry which has characterized him through life. Under those circumstances his advantages for an education were very limited, but by observation and rough contact with the world he acquired that knowledge of men and affairs that cannot be gained in the school room. When but a lad, he began working upon public works in Ohio and Indiana, for his elder brothers, who were prominent contractors, and at the age of seventeen he was made superintendent of a large gang of men, continuing for several years on the public works of those States. In 1842. he became a resident of Dayton, where he engaged with his brothers, John and William, in quarrying stone, which he followed until 1853. In 1847, he was Connected with the firm of Dickey, Doyle & Dickey, in placing a line of packet boats on the Wabash and Erie Canal, and under the firm name of Doyle & Dickey built the 'reservoir lock at St. Mary’s, and the locks at Delphos. In 1845, he was one of the organizers of the Dayton Bank, and for several years was one of its Directors. In 1852, he became a partner in the Exchange Bank with Messers. Jonathan Harshman, V. Winters and J. R. Young, and in 1853, became one of the largest stockholders in the Dayton Gas Light & Coke Company, of which he has ever since been a Director. Mr. Dickey served as President of the Gas Company from 1855 to 1858, retiring on account of ill health, but at the annual election in August 1880, he was again elected President, and is at present filling that position in such a manner, as to reflect much credit upon his business capacity and integrity. In 1852, he became identified with the Dayton Insurance Company, and also held an interest in the Dayton & Western R. R., being President of the latter company from 1854 to 1856, inclusive. In 1856, he went to Kansas and invested largely at the first sale of the Delaware Indian trust lands, and the following year put two hundred acres under cultivation, raising the largest crop of corn grown in the State up to that time. Mr. Dickey was one of the organizers of he Dayton National Bank in 1865, and, since 1868, one of its Directors. By this it vill be seen that R. R. Dickey has been one of the most active and prominent business nen of this city for nearly forty years, doing his full share toward building up its moral md material interests. He was married June 27, 1850, to Miss Martha J. Winters, daughter of Y. Winters, Esq., of Dayton, of which union three sons have been born, the eldest, William W. and Valentine B., being now extensive stock-growers in Colorado. From the rough experience of his early life Mr. Dickey learned the virtues of self-reliance, industry and frugality, clear-headed, shrewd and cautious in business affairs. Seis, withal, a man of genial manners and generous impulses, one who is trusted and /expected throughout the community of which he has been so long a leading citizen.
As printed in The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
OBERT R. DICKEY, president of the Dayton Gas Light & Coke company, has been a citizen of the Gem City for over half a century, and for the greater part of that time has been closely identified with the business interests of the city. Mr. Dickey was born near Middletown, in Butler county, Ohio, on October 26, 1816, and is the son of Adam and Mary (McKee) Dickey. Adam Dickey was a native of county Antrim, Ireland, where he was born in 1768. He came to America in about 1784, and located near Mc- Connellstown, Pa., where in the year 1790 he married Mary McKee, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and was second cousin to George Washington. In 1799 Adam Dickey, with his wife and three children, and in company with an uncle, whose name was Doyle, came to Ohio and settled at Cincinnati, then Fort Washington. They made the trip down the Ohio river in two flat boats built by Mr. Dickey, on which he brought two four-horse teams and two wagons. He lived in Cincinnati for four years and while there was joined by two brothers, who came over from Ireland. While in that place he was engaged in making brick, and the first brick house erected in Cincinnati was built from brick made by Mr. Dickey. In 1803 he removed to Butler county, and settled near Middletown, where he engaged in farming, milling and distilling, building his own flat boats and shipping his produce to New Orleans markets. His death occurred in 1828, his wife surviving him until
Robert R. Dickey was but eleven years of age when his father died. Although a successful man, his father, toward the close of his life, met with reverses through fires and other misfortunes, and left his family in poor circumstances. Thus it was that at the above tender age the son was thrown upon his own resources and was compelled to begin the struggles of life at a time when he should have been at school. However, his lack of early schooling was compensated for by an experience with the world and with people, that stood him in good stead in afterlife. Following the death of his father young Dickey was employed in a brick yard, where he worked an average of fourteen hours a day, receiving the sum of $4.87 per month for his labor. Afterward he worked upon a farm for $5 per month. In 1830 he was employed upon the public works of Ohio and Indiana by his brothers, who were contractors, and at the age of seventeen was made superintendent of a large gang of men. In 1842 he located in Dayton, and in connection with his two elder brothers — John and William — was engaged in quarrying stone until 1853. In 1847 he was connected with the firm of Dickey, Doyle & Dickey in placing a line of packet boats on the Wabash & Erie canal, and later, under the firm name of Doyle & Dickey, he built the locks at St. Mary’s and at Delphos. In 1845 Mr. Dickey was one of the organizers of the Dayton bank, and was for several years one of its directors. In 1852 he became a partner in the Exchange bank with Messrs. Jonathan Harshman, Valentine Winters and J. R. Young. In 1853 he became one of the largest stockholders in the Dayton Gas Light & Coke company, of which he was elected president in 1855. Three years later, ill health compelled his retirement from the presidency of the company, though he continued as a director. At the annual election in 1880, however, Mr. Dickey was again chosen president of the company and has held that office continuously up to and including the present time. During the years 1854-55-56 Mr. Dickey was president of the Dayton & Western Railroad company. He was one of the original stockholders of the Dayton National bank in 1865, and has been one of the directors of that concern since 1868. Since January 1, 1894, Mr. Dickey has been president of the Dayton Globe Iron works, one of the leading manufacturing institutions of the city.
On June 17, 1850, Mr. Dickey was married to Martha J. Winters, who was born in Dayton and is descended from one of the leading pioneer families of the city. Her father was Valentine Winters, who was one of the most prominent citizens and successful financiers of the community during his life, and her grandfather was the Rev. Thomas Winters, a pioneer minister of the Miami valley. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Dickey three sons have been born, as follows: William W. Dickey, born in 1852, died on July 15, 1896; Valentine Winters, born in 1855, died March 30, 1890; Robert R. Dickey, Jr., the only survivor, is one of the prominent young business men of Dayton.
Both in point of residence and in age Mr. Dickey is one of Dayton’s oldest citizens. He is likewise one of the most prominent representative men of the city. During his residence of fifty-five years he has witnessed the growth of the Gem City from a small place of about 6,000 people into one of the largest and most prosperous and beautiful cities in Ohio, and towards this growth and development he has contributed his full share. His life has been a most active and successful one, and his efforts have all been made along lines that have proved of material benefit to the entire community, so that success to him has meant something to the city. His business career has been a most remarkable one and points a moral, demonstrating what can be accomplished by man’s efforts, energy and perseverance when supported by native ability. Beginning life’s battle at the age of eleven years, with no capital save his energy, pluck and determination to get on in life and better his condition, Mr. Dickey has succeeded in gaining a place in the very front rank among the leading and successful citizens of Dayton. All of this has been accomplished by his own unaided efforts. As a financier, Mr. Dickey is considered one of the ablest and most sagacious in the city. Shrewd and courageous, yet careful and conservative, his management of the affairs of the concerns of which he has been the head has been both strong and wise. As a citizen he has always discharged to the fullest extent the duties incumbent upon all good citizens. As a man he is kind and considerate, genial in disposition, with a desire to do justice to all men, and his many sterling traits of character have won for him a large circle of warm friends.
As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Valentine Winters (b. 1807) William Dickey (b. 1805)
Their biographies name R. R. Dickey: Newton Thacker (b. 1844)
The printed record stops around 1882. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.