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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Tom Piper on Friday 02 August 13 21:22 BST (UK)
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George Edward Dixon, bn 1850, Leeds married Ada Robinson in Crowle Lincolnshire in 1874, & by 1881,all are in England in the census, George, Ada & son George Edward are in Leeds with his sister, whilst son Horace, bn 1876 in Bournemouth & Cyril, bn 1880 in Bournemouth are in Crowle with Ada’s sister. Then they disappear but turn up in the 1900 Census for Chicago, USA , where in that census, George, now aged 50 states he left in England for USA in 1881. His son Horace, and George are mechanical engineers, George has a company called Dixon Steam Systems, 193, Canal Street, Chicago. I can’t seem to find them in 1910, only that Horace, has altered his name to Horace Harcourt Dixon in 1907.
Anyone help at all-there seem many leads, but I am not sure at present which way to go?
Tom
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Hi Tom
This looks like son George in 1910:
1910: Pullman Apartments, Michigan Ave & Adams Street, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
(he's one of many dwelling in the apartment complex - it looks like a fully serviced block, with a large contingent of Polish maids, servants, kitchen staff etc who all came to the U.S.btw circa 1903-0908! )
Lodger: George E DIXON 35, single, b England, parents b England, imm 1881, naturalised, Engineering Contractor.
I've seen many instances of English immigrants to the Americas sprouting middle name or initials they never had before! Often the new middle name was a mms or similar from the family history.
Cheers
AMBLY
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Ambly
I see that that record states that George like his father in the 1900 census was naturalised, which I understand was a voluntary process, are there any records of such processes for Illinois residents?
Yes Horace Harcourt Dixon, have you found him in 1910?
Tom
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TRAVEL 1905: SS Cedric. Arrived New York 11th Jun 1905, out of Liverpool 2nd June 1905.
Horace Harcourt, DIXON 29, single, Engineer, English
Last Residence Surrey, Has last been in US before, in 1905
Travelling with:
Emily DIXON 38, married, Last Residence: Harrogate, Never Before in US
Both of them:
Destination: Chicago, going to: G E DIXON, Pullman Buildings, Chicago
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK
1906: DIXON, Horace Harcourt
Received 1 Aug 1906, Mechanical Engineer, 13 years in Total
President, Dixon Steam System Company 169, S Canal Street, Chicago, Ill. US America
88 St James Street, London, SW
Age 31, born 31 August 1876, Bournemouth
Education: 8 years in an American Grammar School, Chicago Athenaeum, then Law Dept, Lake Forest University
Apprenticeship 1893-96 with G.E. Dixon & Co, Chicago, practical Steam fitting & ventilation
Career:
3 years 1896-99 in Drawing room at Geo. E Dixon & Co designing Apparata under the personal instruction of the late Mr Geo. E DIXON
7 years from 1999 to present: various, planning & reporting on alterations and new builds in various plants, US.. Had charge of all Foreman & men on varied apparata in buildings & factories.
Also: Since June 1904 - Partner in Geo. E Dixon & Co. Presently President & Treasurer of Dixon Steam System Co Ltd.
Also: Principal in Messrs Dixon & Heydorn, Chemical Merchants, 20 St Dunstan's Hill London & at Barking Essex.
Also: Member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers
1907: DIXON Horace Harcourt (change of name notified 8 July 1907)*
President, Dixon Steam System Company
169, S Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois, US
DoB: 31 Aug 1876
Elected: 14 Dec 1906, Associate Member, Nr 1399
Resigned 26 Nov 1907, Paid 1907
Note: In these records he is not registered as Harcourt-Dixon (surname), but as Horace Harcourt, (first names) . In the 1907 record, the name Harcourt has been crossed out in red and above it written in red, "change of name notified 8 July 1907"
The 1906 record, also indicates his father is by that time deceased.
Cheers
AMBLY
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Hi Tom, haven't found Horace in 1910 - but I hadn't looked, as I thought you had him ;D
He seems to have dissolved a business partnership in 1920-21
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32216/pages/1004/page.pdf
And is he this same man with a Navy Career? the dob is 2 years & 1 day out!
Horace HARCOURT-DIXON
1911: Arrived in UK, Liverpool on 24 Jan 1911 Lusitania
1918: Resident: 11 Beechcroft Mansions, Hopton Road, Wandsworth SW16
1914-1919: UK Navy Lists (In 1919, was Acting Lt-Commander, Crystal Palace)
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7278674
Horace Harcourt-Dixon, Sub Lieutenant or Lieutenant, born 30 August 1878
Date Range is: 1914-1920
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1438529
Wrote a letter to a Newspaper in 1919, signed as:
H. Harcourt Dixon, Lt.-Commander. Gallipoli, R.N. Depot, Crystal. Palace
Cheers
AMBLY
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There was a George Edward Dixon naturalized in 1896 in Cook County [Chicago]. No details.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-20824-348395-16?cc=1838804&wc=MMV6-W4P:n1074468486
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http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/home.html
Illinois State Archives
The pre 1916 index Death, has a George E DIXON, 26 June 1904, age 53, Cook County.
There is also an Ada T DIXON, exact same date, age 49.
I wonder if there was an accident of some sort?
Cheers
AMBLY
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It was an automobile accident, per an article here: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1904-06-27/ed-1/seq-1.pdf
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That's some family history, the auto accident in 1904, reported in the New York Tribune, good clue in it where it states that George E Dixon came to Chicago via Cincinnati. Any free US newspaper websites to look up the accident in a Chicago newspaper-there may be some more information in it. Thanks for all that typing about the company in Chicago and Horace Harcourt Dixon in it and his educational qualifications. Lots to look for there.
Tom
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I found an article in the Oak Park Oak Leaves from 2 Jul. 1904 that indicates a coroner's jury censured the railroad company for the condition of the crossing. It also quotes a Chicago Tribune editorial from a day or two after the accident. This article is on www.newspaperarchive.com, which is a subscription site, but non-subscribers can see one free article a day.
There are links to Illinois newspapers online here: https://sites.google.com/site/onlinenewspapersite/Home/usa/il I think an Illinois library card is required to see the Chicago Tribune archives for free.
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Thanks for those links to that newspaper subscription site-I have taken out a months subscription & have seen that entry. A rotten ending to an evening out with friends. The article lead me on to look at the electric railroad systems in Chicago. Will be searching onwards for the Dixon family and other family members who emigrated to USA. Have used the Brooklyn Eagle & many Californian Newspapers in the past.
Tom
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Ambly
This discovery:
TRAVEL 1905: SS Cedric. Arrived New York 11th Jun 1905, out of Liverpool 2nd June 1905.
Horace Harcourt, DIXON 29, single, Engineer, English
Last Residence Surrey, Has last been in US before, in 1905
Travelling with:
Emily DIXON 38, married, Last Residence: Harrogate, Never Before in US
Both of them:
Destination: Chicago, going to: G E DIXON, Pullman Buildings, Chicago
Emily Dixon, nee Spink, was the wife of Albert Dixon, a solicitor, Horace's aunt, she was married to Albert Dixon, Horace's father's brother. She lived in Harrogate, England. Going for a holiday no doubt?
What's the source of this entry please?
Tom
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You can see it on www.ellisisland.org.
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Thanks Shelly
Clearly these people, Ernest Spink, brother to Emily Etta Dixon, nee Spink & Emily Dixon, married to Albert Dixon were going to see George Edward Dixon son of the deceased for reading of will maybe of George Edward Dixon senior-where might that be found, Illiinois state Archives?
Tom
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Thank you everybody for your input-I now have a much better idea of where I am going with this family-there is still much to discover, what happened to Horace & George, what happened to the company set up by their father. I am not sure about that other Horace Harcourt Dixon, the naval officer. Maybe a trip to Chicago to look at the archives just like they do on "Who do you think you are?"
I wont close this thread yet, so please add anything more if you want to.
Tom
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Considering that "Who Do You Think You Are?" has me yelling things like, "You can get that death certificate on familysearch.org!" at my TV, I wouldn't try to recreate that experience unless you happen to be in the area. :)
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As for Horace, it looks like he may have gone back and forth to England a few times, unless there's 2 guys with similar names floating around.
As mentioned above, he went to Chicago via New York in 1905.
Free BMD has Horace Harcourt Dixon marrying Violet Emily Dixon in 1908 in Scarborough.
In June, 1910, Harcourt Horace Dixon & his wife Violet Dixon sailed to New York, on their way home to Chicago. They appear to have been listed in the New York Times: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10C1EFF355D16738DDDAC0A94DE405B808DF1D3
As mentioned above, Horace sailed back in 1911.
There is a reference to Horace Harcourt-Dixon being in WWI here -
http://archive.org/stream/innertemplarswho00inne/innertemplarswho00inne_djvu.txt
He & Violet seem to be in London as of 1921.
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In 1912 & 1913, Horace Harcourt Dixon is mentioned in the Times Digital as passing legal examinations. In 1910, when he and Violet pass through Ellis Island he says he is 45 & she says she is 33, both are not telling the truth it seems, as he was born in 1876 in Bournemouth, and she was born in either 1887 or 1890 in Scarborough, I can't make up my mind yet. If she is Violet Emily Dixon who married Horace Harcourt Dixon, then they are cousins, her mother being Emily Etta Dixon nee Spink, who married Albert Dixon, the brother of George Edward Dixon, the main subject of this thread. Albert Edward Dixon, named after his father Edward, was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, and he ends up in London, having a solicitor's practice. To make things complicated further, Emily & Albert have a son called Horace Albert Dixon, who has a private education, trains as a solicitor, but goes to prison for fraud. Violet Emily Dixon was born June 1890 in Scarborough., so in 1908 she would have been 18, when she married Horace Harcourt Dixon. Looks like I will have some further work for this marriage to see who she is exactly. There is another Dixon family sailing to Rochester, another Violet, daughter of a William Dixon of Leeds-her mother is Amy. George Edward Dixon son of Edward Dixon was born in Leeds!
Tom
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I now think the Naval Horace is the same chappie?
(*)
1914 Article about Chicagoan man Horace Harcourt Dixon commissioned as a Lt. in the Royal Naval Brigade. Also mentions he holds a medal from the Spanish American war.
Cheers
AMBLY
Moderator Comment: Broken link removed. May 2014
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Ambly
Yes that's the link, no wonder he was travelling backwards & forwards between London & New York, an engineer who became a lawyer with homes in both places it seems, now I can add all those entries I have for him in the archives etc. Quite a member of the in-set in Chicago wasn't he?
Admiralty: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: Records of Service, First World War. RNVR OFFICERS RECORDS. Officers Service Record Volumes. Name Harcourt-Dixon, Horace. Page Number: 284.
Not in the front line, very much in support,but he 39 in 1915. Seems to have fought in two navies as well.
Yes more to go at now with this man.
Tom
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Ambly
According to New Ulm review., June 29, 1904, Image 2
Both the motorman and the conductor were arrested, but later in the day, at the request of George E. Dixon, Jr., son of the victims of the accident, they were released. Mr. Dixon was president of George E. Dixon & Co., a manufacturers of steam appliances at 64 and 66 West Monroe street.
& according to The Stark County Democrat., June 28, 1904, WEEKLY EDITION, Image 1 Horace Dixon, a son of the two victims, resides in New York. Both from http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
Tom
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Hi Tom,
I have a family photo taken in the Chicago area marked as being taken in 1910 with a man and woman listed as Horace and Violet Dixon. While looking for information on these two and their connection to my family, I came across this website and this thread. If these are the same Horace and Violet as in your posts, maybe we can connect the dots between them and my family? I tried to post the photo with this post but the file is too big. I would be happy to get it to you by other means if you like.
-Cam
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Hi Cam,
Well that's fascinating, if I send you a PM, that's a personal message, then we can contact each other by e-mail. Until you post more messages to this site then you cannot send a PM. It will be interesting to see if there is a connection at all. George Edward Dixon's sister Louisa, is a direct relation of mine.
Tom
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Hi all,
Well thanks to that post from Cam, both of us are in constant contact about his family who were neighbours of Horace Dixon and his wife Violet Emily, which I have now conformed was his wife; they married, by licence, in the register office in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England on 1st August 1908, she was only 18, though said she was 21. Both were living at her grandfather's house before the marriage. It was her mother, Emily Dixon, married to solicitor, Albert Dixon, who was on SS Cedric in 1905. I now have photographs of Horace & Violet.
It seems that after the accident in 1904, there were moves to get legislation through for the tracks of the Aurora, Elgin Tramway to be elevated within the city limits. Is this the start of the El?
However still a mystery of what happened to Horace & Violet Emily after 1920-did they travel back to the USA or go somewhere else? Horace's brother, George Edward, what happened to him after 1910?
Tom
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This isn't much help, since it's already been mentioned that his partnership was dissolved around this time, but
London, England electoral register, 1921
Horace "Hareourt-Dixon"
Violet "Harcourt-Dixoii"
Looking at Violet's typed record, "street address: 3 Chert Hey" but I don't see that on the image. ???
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Hi Tom:
Let's see if this works out...
Cook County, Illinois Marriages
George E Dixon, born c1876 (age 42)
Mrs. Doris J Schultz, age 29
Marriage date and place: 23 January 1918, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
1940 Los Angeles, LA County, California
George E Dixon, age 65, born England, Naturalized, occupation Philatelist - Private Home
Doris Dixon, wife, age 60, born Oregon
Address: No New Hampshire, #247
George is in the 1936 LA Directory, same address as above
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1930 Osprey, Sarasota, Florida
George E Dixon, age 54, born England as were parents, immigrated 1881, age at first marriage 42, Retired
Doris J Dixon, age 42, born California father born Alsace mother born Australia, age at first marriage 30.
Guests of Ed J Rast and Helen Rast and one Rast daughter. Mr. Rast was a carpenter - house construction.
The Rasts were born in Ohio. Ellen Sinclair, sister to Ed Rast, was living with the Rasts.
I cannot read the address but it looks like Treasure Island
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Hi Lisa
It's all rather sad when you come to the end of the line isn't? I reckon you have clinched George Edward Dixon in that 1940 Census entry because he certainly did emigrate in 1881 as a child. So clearly no children to follow him he filled his time stamp collecting but in a warm climate. Retired aged 42, can't be bad!
Thanks for the input.
Tom
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Hi Tom:
In case you would like us to look any further to be sure it is the correct man, just let us know. I once assumed I had found my brickwall ancestor's family, only to find out years later we were wrong. I learned my lesson and now want absolute proof before accepting facts.
Just to tie this up, this could be Doris in 1900 (if I remember correctly, I think the border for Alsace changed a couple of times)? ???
1900 Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey
Doris Jeffrey, boarder, born Sep 1879, born Oregon, father born Germany, mother born Australia. No occupation for Doris. Head of the household was a Minnie Currie(?), born May 1865, New York.
I don't think George remained in California as I have yet to find the passing of George and Doris.
I will try looking for Horace again. (He is being quite elusive!)
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Lisa
Good idea yes keep up the search, but I think you are on the right track. Horace is certainly the elusive one.
Tom
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I'm not sure why I didn't see this earlier, but
California Death Index
Doris J Dixon, born 27 Sep 1879, Oregon
Died 4 Dec 1966, Los Angeles
Mother's maiden name Brulett
I will see if I can find George's passing and then look again for Horace.
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I must have been concentrating too hard on the census returns. Here's George:
California Death Index
George Edward Dixon
Born 27 Mar 1876, "Other Country"
Died 13 Feb 1952, Los Angeles
Mother's maiden name: Robinson
Father's surname: Dixon
With any luck, maybe an obituary can be found, which might state something about Horace.
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George and Doris are either buried in or mentioned at Forest Lawn, Glendale:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0z9z/
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Hi Tom:
The Los Angeles Times may have an obituary for George. I cannot view it. The article is:
Obituary, Los Angeles Times, February 15, 1952, page 17.
Search term: Dixon
It appears that the site is for the Los Angeles Times 1881-present, but since I am not sure, I am not going to add it here. (I don't trust unknown sites; I've lost two computers due to viruses.)
If it is about your George, it might be a very brief write-up, or it could provide clues about Horace. :-\
I will resuming looking for Horace tomorrow. Good night for now. Lisa
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This from a search of Los Angeles Times:
The Los Angeles Times is available from 1881-1986 as one of the ProQuest Historical Newspapers, which is available at the Central Library and all of the branches of the Los Angeles Public Library and at numerous other libraries nationwide. Both obituaries and death notices are included. Some other Los Angeles County newspapers have been digitized and are available as part of the Access Newspaper Archive which is also available at the Central Library and all of the branches of the Los Angeles Public Library and at numerous other libraries nationwide. Included here is the Van Nuys News under several variant titles from 1911-1977.
Can anyone assist further?
Tom
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The 15 Feb. 1952 death notice from the LA Times:
Dixon, George Edward, beloved husband of Doris Jeffrey Dixon. Services Saturday at 1:30 PM in the Wee Kirk o' the Heather. Directed by Forest Lawn Mortuary.
There is also a death notice for Doris from 5 Dec 1966, but all it says is Dixon, Doris Forest Lawn-Glendale.
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Thank you
Tom
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Apologies if this has been mentioned before:
Oxford Journals
Table of Contents - November 20, 1920, Vol. s12-VII, Issue 136
H. Harcourt Dixon
Ronald and Dixon Families
"Notes and Queries"
Could this be your Horace? I cannot view additional information. I don't know if it is a "trusted" website, so I won't post the website. If you have trouble finding it, I will post the site.
Also
Table of Contents
December 4, 1920, Vol. s12-VII, Issue 138
H. Harcourt Dixon
Dixons of Furness and Leeds
Notes and Queries
October 23, 1920, Vol. s12-VII, Issue 132
H. Harcourt-Dixon
Dixons of Beeston
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Lisa
No it hasn't been mentioned before but I did find it myself Nd went to the site and saw I had to register etc and then pay some cash for a journal not knowing what was inside it. I am sure it's the same man cos his grandfather Edward Dixon came from Leeds.
I will have a look sometime.
Thanks