Thomas Dixon was born in Pueblo, Colorado to John Roman Dixon, a lawyer and judge and Clara McCoy (Dixon), a music teacher from McLean County, Illinois. Thomas' paternal grandmother was Mrs. Virginia William White (Dixon, Duer) of Baltimore, MD. She the mother of 11 children & known for her philanthropy.
Connection to the pencil company? The beginnings of the pencil company occurred when Joseph Dixon made his 1st pencil in 1812 & established his pencil business, The Dixon Crucible Company at Salem, MA in 1827. He married Hannah Martin (daughter of a cabinet maker) on 28 July 1822. In 1847, Dixon moved his company to Jersey City, NJ in 1847 where he died 17 June 1869. When Dixon died his son-in-law Samuel D Tillman (husband of Frances) took control.
Dixon Pencil Line
Frances Dixon (Tillman) (b. 1825 MA)
Joseph M Dixon (founder) (b. 1799 in MA & d. June 1869)
Joseph Dixon (b. 1769 MA)
Thos' Paternal Line
Thomas Danforth Dixon
John Roman Dixon (b. 1856 in MD)
George Corbin Dixon (b. 1823 in MD)
Nathaniel Dixon (b. abt 1780 in MD)
Nathaniel Dixon
Ambrose Dixon
Conclusion: There has yet to be seen even a remote connection to Thomas Dixon and the Dixon Pencil Company.
Thomas Dixon Findings:
1900: Pueblo, CO- Called Danforth, he lived with his parents and uncle, N. Walter Dixon (lawyer)
1910: Denver, CO- Thomas at age 15 lived with his parents and his maternal grandmother, Lydia McCoy.
23 Feb 1914: Thomas' father, John Roman Dixon was mentioned in his mother's obituary as living in Riverside, California.
1917: Thomas claimed to have met Mary Miles Minter in NY.
WW1 Draft Registration (5 June 1917):
6 Jan 1920: Lafayette Street in Denver, CO- The census listed Thomas as a bookkeeper with a Trust Company, living with his parents.
1920: The year Thomas Dixon claimed to have a secret engagement with Mary Miles Minter.
Dec 1921: Thomas arrived in Los Angeles as a guest at the Ambassador Hotel. It was in December Thomas & Mary's engagement was called off.
Jan 1922: Thomas visited Mary at the studio
Wed 1 Feb 1922: Thomas checked out of his hotel
Thursday 2 Feb 1922: Thomas departed Los Angeles
1930: 1049 Park Ave, Manhattan, NY- Thomas, a stock broker, lived with his widowed mother Clara.
Thomas Dixon's Obituary (1943):
