Wilbur A Hickman

HICKMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 22:57:39

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Wilbur A Hickman
By Mrs Simeon (Esther) Hickman

Wilbur ‘Will’ Arter Hickman was born October 20, 1861, in Coshecton, Ohio. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University and read law, passing the State Bar examinations before he was old enough for a license to practice.

In 1881 he came to Iowa to inspect some land owned by his parents. He liked the life here so well he never returned to Ohio to live, nor did he ever practice law.

The original land investment, all raw prairies, of the senior Hickmans consisted of 840 acres in western Woodbury County, for which they paid about $3.50/acre. Will built a two-room house and some sheds. The house was enlarged twice after it became a family home. Some land was sold but most was eventually divided among the heirs. There remains a small patch of original prairie grass in one of the pastures.

One time in these early years, Will went to visit his cousin, Cy Cox, in Logan, Iowa. Nettie Booth, the orphaned niece of Mrs Cox, was living with the Cox family. Young Will was much attracted to the small and pretty Nettie – and she must have reciprocated. They were married December 19, 1887, in Sioux City.

Will was employed by the InterState Farm Implement Company, on Pearl Street, near Third. He was their salesman and collection agent. This required much traveling, done with a team of horses.

Among their friends was Frank Dorsey – a banker and land developer across the river in Nebraska. He persuaded the young Hickmans to move to Ponca, Nebraska. Will managed the Dorsey grain elevator and served as Post Master. They lived in Ponca till 1890, and their first child, Mary Charlotte, was born there December 25, 1889. In 1890 they moved to what is now the town of Allen. Will laid out that town-site and they lived in a tent till their house was ready. Their second child, Charles Clark, was born in Allen, October 23, 1891.

In 1892 the family returned to the farm southeast of Sioux City. Here they lived and farmed till Will’s death December 7, 1928. His wife lived there a few years longer, then sold and moved to the city. She died September 24, 1953, in Sioux City.

Will was instrumental in starting the rural public school and served many terms as a director of this school. Here his five children got their elementary education, going to Morningside College Academy for High School.

He was a prime mover in establishing a neighborhood church and Sunday school, meeting in the school house on Sunday afternoons. Officially, this was Methodist and was served by Morningside College students preparing for the Ministry. In 1903, when a new school house was built, he purchased the old one for $200 and moved it to the corner of the school lot. It served as a community church till the late 1920s when it united with St James church in Morningside. Services were held in afternoons. In early days, the Hickman organ was taken there in the farm wagon on Sunday morning and returned home after the services. Nettie Hickman played the organ, which had come from her family home.

The three younger children were born at the farm home: Wilbur Edwin on September 10, 1895; Simeon Martin on October 24, 1897; Nettie Elizabeth on July 6, 1900.

Charlotte graduated from the University of the Pacific at Stockton, California. She was an ordained Methodist minister and lived mostly in northern California working in the Indian Missions. She died August 15, 1966.

Charles Clark graduated from University of Minnesota. He was a County Agricultural Agent, an appraiser for the Federal land Bank and then a teacher. He died July 23, 1968, at Lake City, Minnesota.

Edwin graduated from Morningside College. He farmed for a few years, and then taught in Minnesota High Schools. He lives at Pine River, Minnesota.

Simeon Martin received B.A. and M.A. (Physics) degrees from Morningside College. He was a teacher in the Sioux City schools for many years. He taught at Central High, the Principal of Leeds High, then Principal of East High for seventeen years, till his retirement. He died December 30, 1982.

Elizabeth also graduated from Morningside College. She taught school in Iowa and South Dakota for many years. She married Gene Varnum of Centerville, South Dakota, and that is their present home.