George W. Erickson was among the twelve teenage boys from the Berrien Street neighborhood who had their picture taken one Sunday afternoon. They called themselves the Dirty Dozen as there happened to be twelve boys in the group. The “dirty” part of the name came from the fact the boys were always told by their mothers to wash their feet before coming into the house at the end of a day of playing in the dusty streets. George appears in the front row on the right side of the photograph.

 

“Jiddy” Erickson also was among the group of boys arrested on a hot Sunday afternoon in July while swimming in their “birthday suits.” The muddy old brickyard pond near the south city limits was an attraction which could not be ignored by a group of boys seeking to cool off. They were arrested and taken to the jail for several hours before being set free by the police.

 

In his autobiography, Always the Young Strangers, Carl Sandburg wrote that George was also a member of the Monarch Dance Club. Occasionally, the boys pooled their money to rent a hall on Main Street, hire a couple of fiddlers and dance from 8 to 11 in the evening. The cost was approximately twenty-five cents per boy (equal to $6.91 in today's money).

 

The girlfriends and sisters of the young men were their partners. It was an opportunity to learn the popular dances of those days and to hold a pretty young woman in one's arms, if only for a few minutes. The sons of the immigrants living south of Main Street could be just as socially active as those sons of the well-to-do families living in the large Victorian homes north of Main Street. Oh, so much enjoyment for twenty-five cents!

 

George was a son of Gustave V. and Louisa Johnson Erickson, natives of Sweden. They were married in Knox County on December 22, 1863. George was the fifth of their nine children. He was born December 17, 1877, in Woodhull. His father was a farmer who lived until the late 1880s. His mother survived until after the turn of the century. Apparently, some members of the family moved to Galesburg after the death of Mr. Erickson.

 

George married Anna C. Bender on March 29, 1905. Their first child died in infancy. They also had a son, William L., and a daughter, Anna. George became a concrete contractor. No doubt there are sections of concrete poured by George Erickson which are still being used in the city.

 

George died November 10, 1929, and was buried in Linwood Cemetery. At the time of his death, his three brothers and five sisters were still living. He was a member and trustee of the United Brethren Church.

 

 After George's death, Anna supported herself by working as a cook. She continued to live in their home at 786 Pine Street. Anna C. Erickson died May 8, 1946, and the funeral was conducted in the United Brethren Church. Reverend John H. Osborn and Dr. D.T. Gregory officiated. The pallbearers were Burton Hand, Wilfred Johnson, Dave Mason, Clarence Peterson, Leslie Swanson and Charles W. Rosenburg. The young men were relatives and friends of Mrs. Erickson's children.