Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 754-755; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Stephen E. Dikeman. How pleasant after a long life well
and prosperously spent it is to look back over the vista of years that
intervene between old age and childhood, and in memory live again the
triumphs and joys. Above all, how enjoyable it is to possess the
consciousness of having benefited both one’ self and others in the
struggle essential to the busy commercial world. Mr. Dikeman is
conceded to be one of the wealthiest men in Fulton County, which is
noted for its prominent and well-to-do citizens. He has always
been singularly successful in money-making, and has through his own
exertions attained success, since he commenced life with nothing but a
bright mind, willing hands and a great deal of ambition.
The estimable wife of our subject has been truly his helpmate in
pursuing the course of life, having by her industry and frugality
helped him save money for larger investments as the years passed
by. He laid out the land upon which the village of Middle Grove
was built, and owns several dwellings and store houses there. A
native of Madison County, N. Y., he was born May 16, 182 4, to Gilson
and Parnel (Tuttle) Dikeman, natives of Connecticut. There were
married in the town of Fenner (now called Cazenovia) Madison County, N.
Y. The father was in the saddle and harness business, and
previous to his death owned at one time some valuable land in New York,
but lost much of his property. He came to Fulton County in 1844,
settling on section 15, Fairview Township, which for many years was
known as the Dikeman homestead.
The father succeeded fairly well in business and was Justice of
the Peace, and Supervisor for a period of nine years. He died
when eighty-six years of age; the mother when in her seventy-third
year. Twelve children were born to them, ten of whom reached
maturity, viz: Alvira, William, Hannah, Elizabeth, Cornelius,
Harriet, Hiram, Dighton, Stephen E., and Henry. Only three area
now living: Hannah, Henry and our subject. The latter when
a year old was taken by his parents to Oswego County, where he
continued to live up to his nineteenth year. His educational
advantages were poor, and at an early age he worked on a farm.
When only eighteen years old he bound himself out to a carpenter in
order to learn that trade, and this man, D. W. Sherman, coming west to
Chicago in the fall of 1843, out subject naturally came with him.
After three years in that city, Mr. Dikeman came to Fulton
County, in the fall of 1847, and worked at his trade until he married
Miss Susan Lindzey in 1852. She was a native of Massachusetts and
a daughter of William and Hannah (Dix) Lindzey, both natives of England
and married in that country. Her father was a painted by trade,
working for a time in the cotton mills in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island and removing to the vicinity of Providence, R.I., where he
remained five years. In the fall of 1850 he brought his family to
the State of Illinois, coming via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by
the lakes to Chicago, and from there by the Illinois Canal to Illinois
River, landing at Copperas Creek.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dikeman lived one year with
his parents, then removed to a portion of his present homestead.
He owned one hundred and twenty acres of land before his marriage, and
subsequent industry has greatly increased his possessions. He has
shipped hundreds of loads of stock to Chicago and Peoria, and has
hauled wheat from her to Chicago, selling it for sixty-six cents per
bushel, and taking merchandise back to Peoria at seventy-five cents per
hundred weight. Mr. Dikeman is a Republican and was numbered
among the men who suffered a ‘rotten egging’ on account of being a Whig
and his Abolitionist proclivities.
The following is a record of the seven children born to Mr. and
Mrs. Dikeman: Charles E., who died at the age of twenty-two
years; Cyrus M.; Frank, who died when three years old; Flora, George,
Ambrose and Lindzey. Cyrus M. married Addie Turner, and they have
two children, Lee and Charles; their home is in Knox County..
Flora is the wife of Herbert Green, a prosperous farmer in Farmington
Township, and they have two children, May and Susan. George is a
clothing merchant at Elmwood, being partner in the firm of Wilson &
Dikeman. Ambrose and Lindzey are still at home. Mr. Dikeman
takes great interest in educational matters and has served as School
Director; also as Roadmaster and on jury duty. He and his
estimable wife look back upon their life with a great deal of pleasure
and satisfaction, for by untiring effort they have accumulated a
competency for their declining years and prepared their children for
useful and honorable careers.
