Dickson’s Corners

William Andrew Dickson and Nickolas Rebecca Dickson (husband and wife) immigrated to Canada from Scotland around 1852 and settled in Beachville and then Dickson’s Corners. The Dicksons' main businesses were their blacksmith shop, farming, and woodworking. Their son George Dickson, a carriage maker, was an award-winning blacksmith, winning a pair of golden horseshoes at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1892-93. The fourth-generation Dickson family remained in the area until the 1950s. 

Dickson’s Corners was a buzzing community with a masonic hall, blacksmith shop, carpenter’s shop, community and temperance hall, gardening centre, auto repair shop, and schools. It also featured organizations like a Ladies Aid Society, formed in 1890; a Farmer’s Club, formed in 1910; a hockey team, and a softball team that won a championship in 1949. Visit the Beachville District Museum to see the Dickson’s Corners softball jersey.

A stone school was built in 1866 and later demolished in 1956. A new school was erected in 1956. In the 1950s, Dickson’s Corners’ School, Dunn’s Corners’ School, and Banner’s School began serving children as one school board. While Banner’s school closed in 1966, Dunn’s and Dickson’s schools closed in 1973 when a new school was built in Ingersoll. 

Like most small communities, the community hall was the heart of activity and culture. Initially, a Temperance hall was built for use by “The Good Templars;” after the group dissolved, the hall was used for social events. A new town hall was built in 1910 across from the blacksmith shop. The hall was used as a Sunday School, polling place, and social events; however, dances were not permitted since many viewed this as inconsistent with the religious use of the building.  The hall was maintained by the Dickson’s Ladies Aid Society for many years. Later, Ingersoll Press Automotive & Tool Machinery operated in the hall for many years.