Amos Jackson Dickson

Biography of Amos Jackson Dickson

The press is undoubtedly one of the leading educators and most influential potencies in molding and directing public opinion in the modern world, and it is more or less useful according as it is wisely and lucidly, forcibly and honestly conducted or otherwise. Among the agencies in the expression of public thought and the enforcement of a proper public desire in the western part of this state, in the realm of journalism, is the Glenwood Post, one of the best and most influential newspapers on the Western slope, edited and owned by Amos J. Dickson, who purchased it in January, 1898, of C. L. Bennett, and since that time has greatly enlarged its popularity and circulation, increased its power in the community and placed its affairs on a sound financial basis.

Amos J. Dickson hails from Champaign County, Illinois, where he was born on May 6, 1861. His parents are Andrew S. and Henrietta (Boggs) Dickson, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. They located at an early day in Illinois, where the father was a prosperous farmer until 1869, when the family moved to Kansas and after a residence of twenty years in the Sunflower state came to Colorado and located at Colorado Springs, moving from there to Glenwood Springs in 1902. The father was a soldier in the Civil war and bore his full share of the burdens of the momentous conflict, losing a leg at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, and spending a year of awful privation and distress in Andersonville prison. He was a member of Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illinois Infantry, a regiment that did good service on many a hard-fought field and won distinction throughout its term of service. There were four children born in the family, all of whom are living, Amos J., at Glenwood Springs; Oscar F., at Calhan, Colorado; Sarah J., wife of Charles D. Foster, at Ness City, Kansas, and William S., at El Paso, Texas.The father supports the Republican party in political affairs, and belongs to the order of Odd Fellows. Both parents are Methodists.

Their son Amos was educated in the public schools and reared on the farm, remaining at home until he reached the age of twenty years. He then began to earn money with which to secure a more advanced education, and afterward attended the State University of Kansas for two years. Next he devoted several years to teaching school in that state, and in 1886 opened a book and stationery store at Ness City, Kansas, which he conducted successfully for one year. At the end of that time he was appointed deputy clerk of the district court of Ness county and served in that position two years. After coming to Colorado he located a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres near Arlington, in the eastern part of the state. Later he abandoned this and moved to Colorado Springs, and soon afterward, in 1889. settled at Glenwood Springs. Here he soon became deputy clerk of Garfield county, and after holding the position five years started a real-estate and insurance business in 1895, which he continued until January, 1898, when he bought the Glenwood Post, of which he has since been the proprietor and editor.

The business of the paper seems to have been badly managed before this and the enterprise was run down to a low state of prosperity and influence. Amos began at once to build it up vigorously, and has continued his efforts in this direction with such energy and capacity that he has made the paper one of the most prosperous, potential and admired in the western portion of the state. The plant is equipped with fine appliances sufficient to meet all the requirements of up-to-date journalism within the scope of this paper and of a first-class job printing business in all its departments.

Mr. Dickson is an active and earnest advocate of every form of judicious public improvement, and always willing to do his part in the promotion of every good enterprise for the advancement of the interests of the community. He is one of the five irrigation division engineers of the state, the territory in which he works being the whole northwestern part of the state, having under his supervision fifteen water districts, each in charge of a water commissioner.

In fraternal life Amos is a prominent Odd Fellow, standing at the head of the order in this state, having served in 1904 as grand master of the jurisdiction of Colorado and now grand representative to the sovereign grand lodge.

In politics Amos is a firm and faithful supporter of the principles of the Republican party. In the councils of his party he has a place of commanding influence and is an attendant at all its party conventions, county and state.

On March 29, 1891, Amos was married to Miss Imelda J. Phillippi, a native of Pennsylvania, daughter of Louis N. and Mary (Weaver) Phillippi, Pennsylvanians by nativity who settled in Illinois soon after their marriage and later moved to Kansas. The father is a merchant and farmer, a staunch Republican and a loyal and earnest Freemason. The parents are living at Milan in Sumner county, Kansas. Both are Methodists. They have four children, John, Mrs. Dickson, Edgar and Bert. In the Dickson household two bright and interesting children have been born, Eldie Ray and Genevieve Lucile.

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Amos Jackson Dickson
Amos Dickson reviews an edition of The Glenwood Post at the newspaper offices at 201 Eighth St. Dickson served as the newspaper’s editor from 1898 to 1931. Photo courtesy of Frontier Historical Society

Glenwood Post

With this issue of The Post we doff our hat, ditto our coat, roll up our sleeves, mount the editorial tripod and assume editorial management of The Post, with all the difficulties, perplexities and responsibilities which such a position carries with it. We shall not attempt to reform the world nor even the small district in which we live, but will strenuously endeavor to make The Post the best newspaper Garfield county has yet enjoyed.

Politically speaking, the editor is a Silver Republican, and, while we do not intend to make The Post a partisan political sheet to the defeat of our original intention to make it a newspaper for the people, we shall not hesitate to publish our political thoughts and preferences and The Post will, in a great measure, reflect the political views and opinions of its editor, and we may as well state here first as last, that the editor of this paper refuses to be an organ grinder for any political party and The Post will not be simply an organ for the purpose of recommending the election of any political shyster or moral reprobate who, by means of some despicable intrigue, may succeed in capturing enough votes to place him in nomination at a party convention. With us the welfare of the people is the paramount object; party fealty must occupy a secondary place, and we shall therefore, reserve the right to condemn dishonesty, corruption and vice and commend honor and right wherever found.

But as has been stated, our principal aim shall be to make The Post a successful local paper — a journal that will record matters of interest as they transpire from day to day and week to week in the community which affords it support, to make it a mirror of local events, and its pages a succinct and truthful history of the people who appear upon the stage of action.

We have in view several interesting and important features which we hope to develop at a later day and which we are sure will be greatly appreciated by our readers.

From the standpoint of morality and clean journalism we shall ever strive to make The Post such a paper that the propriety of its introduction into the family circle may never be questioned. With this ambition, which we consider a laudable one, we launch our journalistic barque upon the sea of public patronage, trusting that those who are now our readers will remain our firm supporters and that many may soon ho attracted to The Post family who now know us not.

Very truly,
A. J. Dickson.

— Amos J. Dickson, editor and proprietor, the Glenwood Post and Weekly Ledger Newspaper, Jan. 1, 1898

You can see all of the issues published under the banner of The Glenwood Post at Colorado Historic Newspapers.

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Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.

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