Oscar Dickson

Baron Oscar Dickson, or Oskar Dickson (2 December 1823 – 6 June 1897) was a Swedish magnate, bulk merchant, industrialist and philanthropist from a family of Scottish origin. In his time he was considered the most affluent of all Swedes. Court cases Dickson was a partner in a company that owned ships and sawmills. The Baggböle sawmill's business methods first came to a head when James Dickson Jr was taken to court in 1850. The accusation was that the sawmill had cut wood that belonged to the king. Dickson was fortunate to avoid prosecution. The saw mill business processed thousands of trees in the nineteenth century. The exploitation of Crown timber could not continue and in 1866-7 the company was again taken to court and this time they were obliged to agree to help prevent the use of Crown timber. Oscar Dickson and the company were featured in satirical cartoons. This was the time when the new Swedish word "Baggböleri" was first seen in print which was a synonym for the exploitation of forests.