(William) Austin Dickinson

      Austin Dickinson was born on April 11,1823 in Amherst, MA.  In his family was his father Edward Dickinson, his mother Emily Norcross Dickinson, and his two sisters Emily and Lavinia Dickinson.  Austin was the only son of Edward and Emily.  Austin and Emily were very close.  When Austin was 10, he attended a seminary, a school for boys in Easthampton. Emily was sad to see him go.  When Austin finished school, he attended Amherst College.  He became the treasurer of Amherst College.  He wanted to become a lawyer.  He liked college.  He loved to learn.  After he graduated from college in 1850, he attended Harvard Law school.  Before he went to law school, he married Susan Gilbert on July 1, 1850. They had a small quiet wedding.  After law school, he decided to help his father in the lawyer business, but his father died in 1841.  But Austin was still a lawyer.  He helped out the Amherst common by planting trees and making it a green field, and not a mud puddle.

This is a portrait of Austin.

Austin and Susan had three children. Martha, Ned and  Gib. But sadly, both of Susan and Austin's sons died before them. Ned died in 1898 and Gib in 1883. Everyone, especially their aunt Emily, was sad to see him go.                           Austin was a lawyer, who solved cases, but tried to avoid court.  He was a shy man, although he had a strong personality.           He loved to collect art of European landscapes. The paintings he loved were oil paints. They have a big collection in the Evergreens.           In Austin's later and older years he wore a red wig. But no one knows why he wore it.  Austin died in 1873 in the Evergreens at night. He was a wonderful man.        The End

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