Living so near the water, Mr. Dickson took to it naturally. He owned a canoe about 80 feet long and 2-1/2 feet wide. It had been dug out of a pine log. With this canoe it was possible to carry merchandise on the creek when the water was too low for keel boats. In 1809 the Mercer street bridge was built by Mr. Kennedy. The siding was brought from a mill on Conewango, being floated down the river as far as Franklin. Robert and Joseph Dickson, being then young men, went to Franklin with a canoe and brought up ten thousand feet of lumber in two trips. In August, `1812, a similar trip was undertaken by Joseph Dickson and a young man whom he employed to assist him. The government was anxious to send some lead to Waterford to supply the army, but the water was too low for ordinary boars, and there were no good roads. Hearing of this, Mr. Dickson started early one morning with the canoe and reached Franklin in time to obtain the lead and start on a return voyage before evening. He had neglected to take any recommendation, and the officer in command at first refused to give them the lead. Mr. Dickson was acquainted with Marcus Hulings, the father of the liberal benefactor of Allegheny College but Mr. Hulings could not be found. At length the officer was satisfied from their appearance that the young men were honest, and gave them a cargo. They had on board over 2,200 pounds of pig lead and two boxes of candles. It required three days to make the trip to Waterford. In many places the water was so shallow that it was necessary to carry the pigs of lead over the riff'es and then pole the empty boat. They were paid two dollars a hundred pounds for the lead in Waterford, and they certainly earned their money. Mr. Dickson was also a soldier in the war of 1812. He had been enrolled in the militia at an early age, but was not called into service until January 2d, 1813. At that time it was found that the British would cross the lake on the ice from Long Point and burn the war vessels in the harbor at Erie. A general call having been issued for all able-bodied men, Mr. Dickson went to Erie with Captain Isaac Mason's company, of which he was orderly sergeant. They were quartered in the Court House, and did not suffer from the severity of the weather. One night it was reported that the British were within fifteen miles of Erie, and the command was mustered in the public square; but the alarm proved to be false, and they returned to their quarters. Shortly after this all danger of a British attack was over, and the militia were allowed to return to their homes. They were in service thirty-seven days. In the year 1815 James Dickson and his son began the construction of a mill. A race was dug about three-quarters of a mile in length and the water was taken from the creek a short distance below the mouth of the Woodcock. Owing to the great length of this race and other difficulties in the way, the mill was not put into operation till 1819. Although they were hard workers, the young men in those days, had their good times. Their manner of making New Year's calls is worth remembering. At 12 o'clock midnight a party of young men would start out with their guns and salute all the young women of the neighborhood. No matter what might be the hour of the night at which they arrived, they were invited in and feasted with ginger bread and cider. Mr. Dickson was married to Mary Frazier, August 13, 1818, by Rev. Timothy Alden. Samuel Kirkpatrick was groomsman. The name of the bridesmaid was not remembered. The wedding took place on Thursday, at the house of the bride's parents. On Friday there was an in-fair at Mr. Dickson's father's house, and the following Sabbath the newly married couple made their appearance at meeting in Meadville. Service was then held in the Court House, which occupied the site of the law office of Haskins and McClintock. The jail, built of hewn logs, was below and the court-room on the second story. Steps on the outside led to the court-room without passing through the jail. The room was about 30 feet square, and the bar was fenced in by a high railing. Mr. Dickson and his wife began house keeping at once in a house near his mills, which were located on the site now occupied by Mr. Fuller's paper mill. The first bridge was built at McGuffin's falls just below the mills by Mr. Dickson in 1819. It was afterwards rebuilt in a more substantial manner, the timber being framed by David McFadden. It was then adopted by the county. In connection with Col. William Magaw, Joseph Dickson built a dam across the creek a short distance above the mills, but shortly after he sold out the water power and mills, and came to Meadville in 1838. Transcribed from the Centennial Edition of the Daily Tribune-Republican of Saturday morning, May 12th, 1888 p. 91 thru 96 Tribune Publishing Company, Printers, Publishers, and Binders Meadville, Pennsylvania Sandy Roche Schroeder (SamiWV) slschroe@intrepid.net Volunteer for Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnraogk/index.htm