John Marshall Dickson (Fulda, MN)
John Marshall Dickson (February 24, 1858 – January 27, 1908)
Biography
John Marshall Dickson (February 24, 1858 - January 27, 1908) was born and raised on a farm near Fox Lake, WI. He lived there until about 1882, when he moved to Heron Lake, MN, to work in the mercantile business with his uncle, John Weir. In 1884 he moved to the three-year-old town of Fulda, MN, where he continued his business as a merchant. He then established the town's the first bank in 1885, the Dickson Brothers Bank, as its chief owner and president. Although he had at least two brothers, Peter and Henry, among his five siblings, it seems likely that John was the only one who ever lived in Fulda - perhaps his brothers held ownership stakes in the bank, hence its name. By May, 1886, the bank had been renamed the Bank of Fulda, and on May 18, 1892, it was incorporated under Minnesota state charter #161 as the State Bank of Fulda. On December 14, 1901, the bank was again reorganized as the First National Bank of Fulda under national charter #6054. It moved in 1902 into part of a new building that still stands today, albeit with an extensively remodeled ground floor. The building can be identified by the inscription “FIRST NAT’L BANK” carved in stone blocks at the top of its brick facade. John Dickson remained president of the institution through all these changes.
In early 1908, John Dickson was struck and killed by a train while walking along the tracks east of Fulda. His death triggered a flurry of speculative stories in the local newspapers: one account suggested that the affairs of the bank were in poor shape due to his mismanagement, another stated that he was depressed, a third that he had lately taken to “the habit of strong drink.” Eventually, the explanation that Dickson simply did not hear the approaching train because he was somewhat deaf seems to have won out.
In 1885 John Dickson married Esther Jones (1860 - 1923) from Cleveland, MN. The couple had two children: Essie (1886-1887) and Marshall John (1888 - 1967), who was briefly an assistant cashier at the First National Bank and then moved on to a variety of other enterprises in Fulda over the years.
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, J. M. Dickson was involved with the following bank(s):
- Dickson Brothers Bank, Fulda, MN: President 1885-1886
- Bank of Fulda, Fulda, MN: President 1886-1892
- State Bank of Fulda, Fulda, MN: President 1892-1901
- First National Bank, Fulda, MN (Charter 6054): President 1901-1908
References
- Ancestry.com
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com