Who Was Richard Dickinson?

Richard Dickinson was born in Glastonbury, CT on December 13, 1762 and married Abigail Bates of Granville, MA on June 2, 1793. Richard and Abigail Dickinson settled in Southwick and had a home where lBS now resides on College Highway and Coes Hill Road. Richard and Abigail Dickinson did not have any children. Early town records identify’ that Richard Dickinson to be a speculator in Real Estate and he owned a distillery. By 1824, Richard Dickinson owned many parcels in town. His lands were divided by a town committee into 24 parcels that were sold either by private sale or at public auction. The town held the mortgages on these properties, the interest and principal were paid to the town, and the income and expenses were managed by the Dickinson School Fund Trustees elected each year by the town. The income was so great and cost of education so small, that from the late 1820’s and for several decades thereafter, the town of Southwick did not have to raise one dime in taxes for the support of schools!