There is a relatively short residential road that exudes a streetscape character that is somewhat unique, even as newer and larger homes have begun to replace many of the earlier dwellings that once dotted this enclave. Dickson Road was established in 1922, along with nearby Lynchmere Avenue. The adjoining Dickson Park Crescent came to be in 1959. But could we find the Dickson connected with the development?

In 1915 Richard Osborne Dickson (1840-1937) purchased 40 acres in Lot 3, Range 3, Credit Indian Reserve from Stewart Hall. His name was found easily enough in land records. In 1922, Richard O. Dickson registered subdivision Plan D-22, which created Dickson Road and Lynchmere Avenue.

Stepping back a bit, Richard was born in 1840 in Quebec to Scottish-born parents. He had at least one sibling, an older sister named Harriet. In 1869, Richard married Lydia Partridge in Boston, Massachusetts. Richard and Lydia had two children: Herbert Samuel Dickson (1869-?), Richard Lynch Dickson Jr. (1873-?) before Lydia’s passing in 1873 or 1874. It is possible the name reference for Lynchmere Avenue is derived from Richard Jr.’s middle name.

In 1875 Richard was living back in Ontario in Prince Edward County where he married his second wife, Frances Cecilia McArthur (1844-1910). Richard and Francis had at least two children as well: Claude Templeton Dickson (1877-1948) and Rollin Oswald Dickson (1881-1955). By 1911, Richard, now widowed for the second time, was living with his sons in Toronto and he was listed as a builder by profession. That same year Richard married for the third time to Kathryn Davidson (1863-1925). It was during this time, in 1915, that Richard, then aged 75, purchased land here in historic Mississauga. While there is no indication that he ever lived here, with his subdivision plan of 1922, it is clear that he had other ambitions for his new property, establishing both Dickson Road and Lynchmere Avenue and selling building lots (and possibly building houses as well). By 1925, Richard’s name disappears from property transactions, likely indicating that his subdivision plan was completed and the lots sold.

Flash forward to 1959, Gladys Thompson sold property to James Alexander, Alexander Riddagh and Robert Dixon, who in turn established Dickson Park Developments, Ltd. It is this development company that created Plan 615 in 1959 which established Dickson Park Crescent. The houses on Dickson Park Crescent were largely built between 1959 and 1961 by the development company together with Venchiarutti Construction Ltd. and Hallmark Homes. Many of the houses within the Dickson Park Crescent subdivision are representative of 1950s ranch-style homes and present a unique residential area within our city.

But back to the name origin behind Dickson Road: Richard Osborne Dickson Sr. passed away in 1937 and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. His sons Herbert and Claude were involved in real estate in Toronto and may have worked in connection with their father. In the 1950s there was a S.D. Dickson involved in real estate in nearby Port Credit, but we cannot confirm a connection with the Dickson family of Dickson Road fame. Richard Osborne Dickson Sr.’s youngest son, Rollin, became a dentist in Toronto. The Dickson Road and Lynchmere Avenue subdivision from 1922 highlights the piecemeal development of historic Mississauga from before our city came to be. It is interesting to reflect on the creation of these two roads in 1922. They predate the QEW, and at one time they connected directly to the Middle Road (the predecessor of the QEW), and right up until at least the late 1950s the two roads directly connected to the QEW, prior to what is now Premium Way being built in the early 1960s.

Dickson’s interest in historic Mississauga was brief but is best remembered through the road names he chose to use in 1922 and continue in use today – over 100 years old now.