DICKERSON, JOSEPH, blacksmith and justice of the peace, Curran, was born in Madison county, Ohio, April 30, 1838, son of Wells and Cina (Bessett) Dickerson. His father, was a native of Delaware, and mother of German descent, both of whom are now dead. Joseph Dickerson was educated in the common schools, and raised on a farm, until seventeen years of age. He then commenced to learn his trade in the town of Newtonsville, Muskingum county, Ohio, and served three years under G. J. Keyes, for whom he continued to work for one year. He then started for a new field of labor, and located, first at Keokuk, Iowa, where he continued to work at his trade six months, and from there to Carthage, Illinois, where he remained six months, and from there to Springfield in search of a better location. Failing to find employment there, he took the train for Indianapolis, then Richmond, Indiana, thence to Newark, Ohio, and from there to Hanover Ohio, where he spent the winter of 1858. From there he made several trips to New Orleans, by steamboat, after which he again returned to Sangamon county, Illinois, in January, 1860, where he engaged as a hand on a farm during the summer, and in the winter worked at his trade for Elias Babcock, and in August, 1861, he came to the village of Curran, and commenced his trade, which he has continued, building up a large business. He first married in November, 1861, Jennette Sims, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1839, and the daughter of Jefferson and Julia (Babcock) Sims. By this marriage they had six children. Only two are living, Lewis G. and Walter B. He lost his wife in 1872, and in 1873, married Alice Sims, a sister of his first wife, who was also born in the same county and State, in 1847. She died in 1877, and in 1878 he was again married to Clara A. Ralston (Conkling,) who was born in 1849, in Butler county, Ohio, and was the daughter of John and Mary Burch. They have two children, Charles and John Leroy. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in the spring of 1869, which office he has continued to hold since and also school treasurer in the spring of 1875, which he holds, and served the township as supervisor in 1879. He is the owner of eighty acres of good land, beside town property in Curran. In politics he is Republican.