William Steele Dickson was born October 14, 1849. He came to Morristown after the War Between the States and later was a law partner of William McFarland, another mayor of Morristown. McFarland and Dickson was one of the more prominent law partnerships in East Tennessee at that time.
Dickson married Evelyn McFarland (b. Oct. 18, 1855 - d. March 25, 1928), who was the daughter of William McFarland.
They had one daughter, Jennie (b. May 31, 1878 - d. March 21, 1951), who married a Mr. Dudley. They, in turn, had one daughter, Jennett. Upon her death, this line ended.
Dickson's wife, Evelyn, was a remarkable figure in her own right. She was one of the founders of the local ladies reading circle, the Soma Sola circle, which Evelyn named after a classic Indian story. Jennett gave me a collection of Evelyn's books many years ago.
Dickson, a prominent Democrat, held various positions with the Democratic Party over the years. He also held a position in the legal department of the Southern Railway Company. He was elected mayor three times, and served from 1888 to 1892. He died of typhoid fever on June 9, 1903, and was originally buried in the City Cemetery, but has since been removed to Jarnigan Cemetery.