Prosser, Col. William Farrand. "A History of the Puget Sound Country, Its Resources, Its Commerce and its People." New York and Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1903. p. 77. WILLIAM WILEY DICKERSON There are in common use in the language of this country many terms expressive of a combination of qualities which is the characteristic of a certain class of men, and terms which, when applied to an individual, need no other commentary, for they are at once indicative of his standing in the business, social or whatever place he may occupy before the world. The word "hustler" is on of those expressive epithets, and the man so designated is known to be one of those wide-awake, energetic and persevering Americans who is successful in his undertakings and never knows when he is defeated. And as a hustler may we speak of William Wiley Dickerson, who is one of the leading produce and grocery men of the city of Centralia, Washington, and has been engaged in that line of business since 1892. For the immediate ancestors of this gentleman we must go to the state of North Carolina, and going still further he is found to be of good old English stock. Grandfather Wiley Dickerson was one of the first settlers of North Carolina, was an industrious and well-to-do farmer, and lived to be ninety years of age. His son, James Dickerson, was born in North Carolina in 1820, and he took for his wife Sarah Stout, a native of his own state; his wife died in 1873 at the age of fifty-five, but he survived many years and died when seventy-four years old, in 1894. They had ten children; eight of them are now living, but William Wiley is the only one in Washington. William Wiley Dickerson was born in North Carolina, March 24, 1848, and was there reared to years maturity. He early took to merchandising as a career, and for a number of years followed that pursuit in Texas. In 1889 he decided to try new scenes, and, as Washington had just been admitted to the sisterhood of states, he came here, and in 1892 located in Centralia; he at once opened his grocery, and has paid such close attention to business and has been so honorable in his dealings with his customers that his trade has not been cofined to the limits of the city but extends in a radius of nearly forty miles around the city. In 1878 Mr. Dickerson was united in marriage to Miss Lela Cordelia Fleming, who is a native of his own state and a daughter of Franklin Fleming; three daughters have been born of this union. Nora Ethel, Vera and Viola, twins. The family are members of the Methodist church and reside in a nice homein the north part of Centralia. Mr. Dickerson belongs to the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen; he has the honor of being the treasurer of the last named order, and also of his blue lodge. ********************* Transcribed by Jenny Tenlen for the Washington Biographies Project. Transcriber has no further information on this individual.