Moss Kent Dickinson
| Moss Kent Dickinson | |
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Russell |
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In office 1882–1887 |
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| Preceded by | John O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | William Cameron Edwards |
| Mayor of Ottawa | |
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In office 1864–1866 |
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| Preceded by | Henry J. Friel |
| Succeeded by | Robert Lyon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 1, 1822 Denmark Township, Lewis County, New York |
| Died | July 19, 1897 (aged 75) Manotick, Ontario |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Children | George Lemuel Dickinson |
Moss Kent Dickinson (June 1, 1822 – July 19, 1897) was a Canadian businessman, mayor of Ottawa from 1864 to 1866, member of the Canadian Parliament from 1882 to 1887 and the founder of Manotick.
He was born in Denmark, New York in 1822 to parents Barnabus and Lydia Dickinson. A descendent of the Mayflower Pilgrims, the Dickinson family had been settled in the United States for generations. His family moved to Cornwall, Ontario in 1827. By 1847, he had established a business transporting goods on the Rideau Canal between Ottawa and Kingston. By 1850, Moss owned 16 steamers and 60 barges. Locals started to call him the 'King of the Rideau'.
Dickinson saw promise on Long Island in the middle of the Rideau River. He purchased seven acres of land in the town he named Manotick. Dickinson chose the name 'Manotick' from the Algonquin word for 'island'.
In 1860, with Joseph Merrill Currier, he completed construction of the Long Island Flouring Mill in Manotick, Ontario. He also built a sawmill, carding mill and bung factory. This served as the economic basis for the formation of the village. The grist mill is today called Watson's Mill and is open to the public as a museum.
Moss Kent Dickinson applied to five Order-in-Councils during his life. His son, George Dickinson, applied to two. The Orders-in-Councils were either about a lease of water power or for timber limits.The timber grants were in the North-West Territories. The timber grants provided additional income for the Dickinsons. Jonh A. Macdonald signed Moss Kent Dickinson’s and George’s Orders-in-Council. It was more of a standard procedure of the Prime Minister than an indicator of a specific benevolence extended towards the family. Wilfred Laurier had signed George’s last Order-in-Council dated March 31, 1903. George had applied for a grant of water bulkheads to Long Island.
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