WALTER M. DICK, farmer, Sec. 19; P.O. Oregon; native of Scotland; was born at Bannockburn, Sterlingshire, in February, 1816; his father, a boot and shoe dealer in the city of Glasgow, dying when Walter was quite young, he was, at the age of 12 years, apprenticed to the weaver’s trade in a woolen factory of his native town and afterward worked his way through all branches of the business. April 1, 1846, he set sail, with his family, from Glasgow for America, with the object of establishing a factory at Newark, N.J. for the manufacture of “tapestry-velvet” carpet, upon which there was then a patent in Scotland, but not in America; landing in New York City in May, he went thence to Middleton, Conn., where he completed the arrangement for the enterprise, and, in October, 1846, he removed to Newark, where the factory was soon started and manufactured the first good of that kind in America. Competition from Scotland and financial embarrassment soon forced them to sell out to other parties, who removed the factory to Troy, N.Y., and retained Mr. Dick in their employ for eighteen months; in May, 1849, he emigrated to Wisconsin and located on Sec. 19, town of Dunn, Dane Co., where he bought 80 acres of unbroken land, and has since improved and made it his home. Mr. Dick has always taken an active part in all the affairs of his town and has been a member of the Town Board for several terms. He was married, in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 9, 1846 to Ellen, daughter of Alexander Inglis, a native that city; their children are Walter, who is now in business in St. Louis, Mo.; Alexander, a farmer of this town; Isabella, now the wife of William Robinson, who lies in the village of Oregon., Wis.; Elizabeth, at home, Hellen, Mary J., William, Edward and Randall. Mr. Dick’s family are connected to the Presbyterian Church.
1880 History of Dane County, Town of Dunn, p. 1204.