Obed Dickinson (June 15, 1818 – November 27, 1892[1]) was an American pioneer, abolitionist, minister, and business owner in Oregon.

[5] Obed Jr worked on the family's farm until he was 25, and then he left to attend school at Marietta College in Ohio.

[7][3][5] Charlotte kept a detailed diary[8] of the voyage, which took four months and sailed around the tip of Cape Horn with approximately 50 passengers including eight to ten children.

[7] They had little money and routinely wrote to the Missionary Society requesting help: "I am now so much in debt that I almost feel ashamed to meet a man in the street.

As historian Manisha Sinha notes,"In American historiography, the standard definition of an abolitionist has always been someone who not only opposed the existence of slavery but also demanded African American citizenship.”[11] Still white abolitionists' views and commitments to advancing racial equality varied in meaning and urgency and they were certainly not immune from the ubiquitous racial prejudice that they simultaneously labored against.

[12] In both words and action, Obed Dickinson certainly demonstrated a commitment to racial equality that was at great variance with the overt, popular white supremacy of his time and place.

Dickinson wrote to the Missionary Society, "The deacon ... had neither paid up his own last year's subscription, nor had he made any effective effort to induce others to pay theirs.

"[6] In July 1862 Dickinson wrote to the Missionary Society with an update about his church, local Christian disapproval of his opinions, and his abolitionist activities.

"[6] In early 1863 there were several meetings in the Salem Congregation church about Obed Dickinson's abolitionist stance and preaching about equality.

The local Statesman newspaper learned of disagreements within the church and published a column titled, "Religious Intelligence."

"[13][7] His newspaper also reported, "The continuation of Mr. Dickinson's anti-slavery and negro sympathy preachings was calculated only to prevent the growth of the church, and retard the spread of religion.

"[15] The Oregonian retorted to Bush's negative press coverage by saying, "the heart of a man who could be guilty of making light even of a poor mulatto girl's feelings is blacker than the skin of any African.

"[7] Despite the pressure from his congregation, local community, and the Statesman, Dickinson never wavered in his convictions against slavery and for racial equality.

[8] The church did not pay enough to sustain Dickinson's family, and he wrote in his letters to the Home Missionary that he had to do the job of two men, that of a pastor and laborer.

[2][15] That year he hired the Oregon Statesman to print 1,000 labels for seeds and 800 leaflets listing his goods for sale.