George Edward Dickerman, an enterprising merchant of Wallingford, where he is engaged in the hardware trade, was born at Hamden, now known as Mount Carmel, September 18, 1842. His father, Jonathan Dickerman, was a native of Wallingford and spent his entire life as a farmer at Mount Carmel, where he passed away in 1870, when about seventy years of age. He was a son of Jonathan Dickerman, a native of Hamden. who in young manhood removed to Wallingford and gave his attention thereafter to general agricultural pursuits. Jonathan Dickerman, Jr., was united in marriage to Angeline Todd, a native of Mount Carmel and a daughter of Simeon and Mehitabel (Perkins) Todd. The death of Mrs. Dickerman occurred in 1897, when she had reached the notable old age of ninety-three years.

     In the family were three sons and two daughters, but the brothers and sisters of George E. Dickerman have passed away. They were: Caroline, the wife of Charles Tuttle, of North Haven; Winslow, who settled in Minnesota and married Laura Ann Wilson, of Vermont; John, who married Augusta Gorham and followed farming in Mount Carmel; and Mary, who was the wife of Dr. Charles Parker, of Dansville, New York.

     George E. Dickerman pursued his education in the public schools of Hamden and in the Guilford Institute and later he spent one year in attending medical lectures in New York and also studied in the hospital clinics there. He then returned to the home farm, upon which he remained until 1870, when he removed to Wallingford and devoted six or eight years to carpenter work. He gradually entered the contracting field, in which he continued until 1897, doing a large amount of building in and near Wallingford. As there was no hardware store in the town, he established a small store of that character in 1889, forming a partnership with Michael Simons. Upon the death of the latter in 1897 it became necessary for Mr. Dickerman to give up the contracting business in order to devote his entire attention to the store, for the trade gradually developed, outgrowing one location after another, until in 1902 Mr. Dickerman built the present business block on Main street, a two-story structure of brick with a frontage of sixty-two feet. He carries a general line of light and heavy hardware, also builders’ hardware and tools, farm implements and automobile accessories. His business has assumed extensive and gratifying proportions and the trade is growing year by year. Mr. Dickerman has ever recognized the fact that satisfied patrons are the best advertisement and he has therefore put forth every effort to please his customers. He also figures in banking circles, having for many years been a director of the First National Bank, while for several years he was a director of the Dime Savings Bank.

     On the 9th of June, 1874, in North Haven, Mr. Dickerman was united in marriage to Miss Harriett Elizabeth Buckingham, a daughter of Wales and Julia (Morgan) Buckingham, of North Haven, and they have become the parents of three sons, Winslow B., Harry E. and Morgan P., all associated with their father in business.

     For many years Mr. Dickerman has been a consistent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he also attends the Congregational church. In politics he has ever given his support to the democratic party and for many years was actively and prominently connected with public affairs as a burgess and a warden, occupying the latter position for three years. For twelve years he served as a member of the school board and he was one of the organizers of the fire department, acting as foreman of the Hook & Ladder Company for ten years. He was one of the early members of the board of directors of the Wallingford Waterworks and continued to serve in that capacity for many years. From the start he has taken a very active and helpful part in promoting public interests and cooperates in all well defined plans and purposes for the general good. He and his family reside at No. 104 South Main street, Wallingford, in a fine old colonial home, which was built in 1712 and was occupied by the pastors of the Congregational church until 1890, when it was purchased by Mr. Dickerman.