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Edwin and Elizabeth Hickman
Edwin Temple Hickman (1792-1888) Elizabeth Adams Hickman (1793-1877)
by Warren Edwin Hickman, a grandson,
as told to his daughter, Leona Hickman Peck.
These are memories of Warren Edwin Hickman of his grandfather, Edwin Temple Hickman. Easom's family was quite close in family ties with his father and came down to stay with his father during part of his later years. Edwin Temple would wander down to the garden in his old age. He would sit down and not be able to get up and it was Warren Edwin's (age 10) job to put his arms around the old gentleman and lift him to his feet.
Edwin and Elizabeth Hickman settled on good land when they built the home where they spent most of their married life. Edwin built a cabin and breezeway for the children as they were growing up with a main room where they would entertain their friends on Sundays. This gave peace and some quiet to the older couple.
At sometime during the growth of the family Elizabeth decided she needed help with the housework and the younger children. Edwin went to town and purchased two black girls in their teens. The plainer of the two girls proved a great help and learned very quickly. The other girl was surly and worried Elizabeth with vicious pranks and destructive acts. One time she cut into a new sack of flour and strewed the kitchen floor with flour. Edwin was patient and gave her time but the family felt that he must thrash her. This did no good, for the next day she found the scissors and cut Elizabeth's best dress in shreds. Edwin had to take her back to town and sell her.
The other black girl liked the family and everyone liked her. She married a fine black man on another farm and Edwin built her a cabin close to the house. Shortly after the birth of her first child, a son, her husband was put up for sale. Edwin tried to buy him to keep the family together. The owner wanted $1,000 so Edwin went to town to try to raise the money but came home to a disappointed family because he could not get the loan. Later the black woman married again but this marriage was not always harmonious. The couple had several children that were taken away from the farm by the father even though Edwin wanted to pay them wages because he loved the black children almost as much as his own. His own boys got reprimanded if Edwin caught them doing less work than the black boys. The son by the first marriage refused to go with the black family after the Civil War and stayed with Edwin till he died. The black family moved into town and many times Edwin took food to the family that he could do so little to help.
Edwin tried to send all his children to school and the boys to some type of training. He apprenticed Bill Hickman first to a doctor but Bill didn't think that he wanted to be a doctor. Edwin apprenticed him to a Lawyer Burkhardt. Bill stayed at the rooming house of the lawyer's daughter Brennetta Burkhardt. They soon decided to get married. Bill was 17 and Brennetta was in her twenties. Bill brought his bride home and Edwin was so upset with the marriage that he took Bill out to the barn and strapped him. The couple soon left. When Edwin heard that Bill had joined the Mormons he grieved a great deal for everything that had happened between him and his oldest son.
In later years Bill made two trips to see his parents and Easom's family, who were living with the old folks. He brought presents for the children and was a shining image in their eyes. He tried to get his parents to go back with him to Utah but they weren't persuaded.
--Hope Hilton Papers, Ms 584, Box 1 Folder 1, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah
This is a letter Edwin Temple Hickman wrote to his son, William Adams Hickman, who was then living in Utah Territory. Note that this was written during the great excitement of the California Gold Rush, but Edwin was more interested in the possibilities of gold in Utah:
Randolph County, Mo.
May the 6th, 1849
Dear Children: I avail myself of the present opportunity of informing you that we are all in good health at present and sincerely hope that you are enjoying the same blessing. We received yours of the 12th of February—and one of a later date. They gave us great satisfaction to hear of your health and posterity. You complain of my not writing to you before this time, the reason was when you wrote to me from Sandhill I expected you would make your promise good and I would once more have the satisfaction of seeing you in this life and I waited in hope of seeing you until it got too late for a letter to pass from me to you, and when the winter broke I expected er long before a letter could pass to you that you would be searching for gold but not in California, report say that there is plenty at the Salt Lake, if so your folks [the Mormons] aren’t smart or they would of kept it dark, report say that two of them brought in forty-five thousand dollars of the gold found at the Salt Lake to barter for goods.
I would like to know if gold was plenty at the Lake. I have had no notion of being a Mormon but if I could see a good prospect for gold it would be a great inducement at least for a while. Your brothers D.[*] and Easom has injured themselves by taking the gold fever they have made the necessary preparation, wagon, oxen, etc., etc., to go to California but one that agreed to go with them and bear his part of the expense of the outfit backed out and they had strained every nerve to make their part of the outfit and when he backed out it disappointed them and a great loss they gave a high price for a wagon and sixty dollars a yoke for cattle (they had three yoke) they had him bound in a bond and the last I heard from them they were going to law.
You stated in your last letter that Bernetta had written to her father. I doubt whether he got the letter he has married his aunt the Widow Hobbs, and has moved to Howard County and is living in or joining New Franklin. Right here I must give you a good one. I think but you can judge for yourself. You know the old man and me was very thick and confidential by times, so just before he was married he came to see me and told me all about it (for he couldn’t talk of anything else), that the widow had four negros that one was a fine Smith and he intended to put him in a shop at Milton, etc., etc., but behold between the time they agreed to marry and the wedding day she slipped the negros out of her hands privately and it weren’t known for months, then Old George made a sham sale of all his negros to the Dr., it is believed to be a sham sale at any rate or Frederick has got them all. When the old man married he sent word to your mother that he was a perfect happy man nothing lacking how he is now I can’t say, I will leave it with you to Judge. Catharine Burchartt and Squire Benj. Haley married a few weeks past, more big kin folks, there has been a great many deaths and marriages since you was here, the widow Whitenburg is living at Old George’s place at Milton. Health has been very good in this section for the last twelve months, your brother George was well the first of last month and stated in his letter that he intended coming home in July if he didn’t marry, he is in fine health complains of nothing but being too fleshy. O how my children is scattered and still going. Jo starts for Illinois in a few days, my family is getting small, home is a lonesome looking place, nothing flourishing in the way of improvement, but I have plenty bread and meat. I have bacon for sale and could spare one hundred barrels of corn. Write on reception and write every opportunity. I would have been very glad of seeing you once more but it is doubtful whether I ever see you again in this life, kiss the little children for me and tell them I want to see them.
M.D.[*] and Easom is living in Adair County.
E.T. Hickman
--Hope Hilton, Edwin and Elender Webber Hickman, Some Progenitors and Descendents, 3rd ed., 1978, p. 107-109
* Edwin’s sixth oldest child, Martin Dickenson Hickman (born 1823) was known in the family as D. or M.D. While panning gold in Colorado in 1859 with his brothers Thomas J. and Warren D., he was killed by a claim jumper.
Elizabeth Adams Hickman
1793-1877
No picture of Elizabeth has yet been found, but this is a picture of her tombstone, found broken to pieces in a pig pen by Hope and Lynn Hilton on the Hickman family farm in Missouri. Accompanied by a depiction of a weeping willow, It reads:
OUR MOTHER ELIZABETH WIFE OF Edwin T. Hickman DIED Dec. 5th 1877. Aged 84 Yrs. 1 Mo. 20 d.
The following is a letter written by Elizabeth Adams Hickman in 1867 to her son George Washington Hickman who had converted to Mormonism and was living at Benjamin, Utah Territory. This was after the end of the Civil War, and a reference is made to the slaves having been freed. The letter is filled with a variety of family news. The church that is mentioned is probably a local Methodist church:
Adair, Missouri
May 2, 1867
Dear Son: It has been a long time since we have had a line from you you may want to know how we are doing since the Blacks left we are doing very well we have a plenty to live on we are in common health at this time health is good here. We have had a cold winter we had colder weather in March than any time in the winter. We received 2 letters from Iowa, one from Jane, one from Easom they bring us distressing news. George your dear Brother J.H. is dead he died on the 7th of April he was sick about 7 weeks. We hoped to live by again but he has left this troublesome world he has gone to rest we ought not to grieve after him believing he is happy.
George we are all alone now have no child in the State and our time cannot be long in this world we are getting old, your father is 75. I am 73 soon and let us know how you are do not wait for me to write. It is a hard task for me to write.
E.T. & Elizabeth Hickman
We had a protracted meeting here in this neighborhood last August there was 39 addition to the Church your father and I was of that number 2 days after the meeting broke up we went to Iowa we went to J.H. first and he went with us all the round we went to Easoms next and then we went to see Rhoda he appeared to enjoy himself. Well I am glad that we went to see him he was much rejoiced that his father had joined the Church.
--Hope Hilton, Edwin and Elender Webber Hickman, Some Progenitors and Descendents, 3rd ed., 1978, p. 110-111
Edwin Temple Hickman (1792-1888) Elizabeth Adams Hickman (1793-1877)
by Warren Edwin Hickman, a grandson,
as told to his daughter, Leona Hickman Peck.
These are memories of Warren Edwin Hickman of his grandfather, Edwin Temple Hickman. Easom's family was quite close in family ties with his father and came down to stay with his father during part of his later years. Edwin Temple would wander down to the garden in his old age. He would sit down and not be able to get up and it was Warren Edwin's (age 10) job to put his arms around the old gentleman and lift him to his feet.
Edwin and Elizabeth Hickman settled on good land when they built the home where they spent most of their married life. Edwin built a cabin and breezeway for the children as they were growing up with a main room where they would entertain their friends on Sundays. This gave peace and some quiet to the older couple.
At sometime during the growth of the family Elizabeth decided she needed help with the housework and the younger children. Edwin went to town and purchased two black girls in their teens. The plainer of the two girls proved a great help and learned very quickly. The other girl was surly and worried Elizabeth with vicious pranks and destructive acts. One time she cut into a new sack of flour and strewed the kitchen floor with flour. Edwin was patient and gave her time but the family felt that he must thrash her. This did no good, for the next day she found the scissors and cut Elizabeth's best dress in shreds. Edwin had to take her back to town and sell her.
The other black girl liked the family and everyone liked her. She married a fine black man on another farm and Edwin built her a cabin close to the house. Shortly after the birth of her first child, a son, her husband was put up for sale. Edwin tried to buy him to keep the family together. The owner wanted $1,000 so Edwin went to town to try to raise the money but came home to a disappointed family because he could not get the loan. Later the black woman married again but this marriage was not always harmonious. The couple had several children that were taken away from the farm by the father even though Edwin wanted to pay them wages because he loved the black children almost as much as his own. His own boys got reprimanded if Edwin caught them doing less work than the black boys. The son by the first marriage refused to go with the black family after the Civil War and stayed with Edwin till he died. The black family moved into town and many times Edwin took food to the family that he could do so little to help.
Edwin tried to send all his children to school and the boys to some type of training. He apprenticed Bill Hickman first to a doctor but Bill didn't think that he wanted to be a doctor. Edwin apprenticed him to a Lawyer Burkhardt. Bill stayed at the rooming house of the lawyer's daughter Brennetta Burkhardt. They soon decided to get married. Bill was 17 and Brennetta was in her twenties. Bill brought his bride home and Edwin was so upset with the marriage that he took Bill out to the barn and strapped him. The couple soon left. When Edwin heard that Bill had joined the Mormons he grieved a great deal for everything that had happened between him and his oldest son.
In later years Bill made two trips to see his parents and Easom's family, who were living with the old folks. He brought presents for the children and was a shining image in their eyes. He tried to get his parents to go back with him to Utah but they weren't persuaded.
--Hope Hilton Papers, Ms 584, Box 1 Folder 1, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah
This is a letter Edwin Temple Hickman wrote to his son, William Adams Hickman, who was then living in Utah Territory. Note that this was written during the great excitement of the California Gold Rush, but Edwin was more interested in the possibilities of gold in Utah:
Randolph County, Mo.
May the 6th, 1849
Dear Children: I avail myself of the present opportunity of informing you that we are all in good health at present and sincerely hope that you are enjoying the same blessing. We received yours of the 12th of February—and one of a later date. They gave us great satisfaction to hear of your health and posterity. You complain of my not writing to you before this time, the reason was when you wrote to me from Sandhill I expected you would make your promise good and I would once more have the satisfaction of seeing you in this life and I waited in hope of seeing you until it got too late for a letter to pass from me to you, and when the winter broke I expected er long before a letter could pass to you that you would be searching for gold but not in California, report say that there is plenty at the Salt Lake, if so your folks [the Mormons] aren’t smart or they would of kept it dark, report say that two of them brought in forty-five thousand dollars of the gold found at the Salt Lake to barter for goods.
I would like to know if gold was plenty at the Lake. I have had no notion of being a Mormon but if I could see a good prospect for gold it would be a great inducement at least for a while. Your brothers D.[*] and Easom has injured themselves by taking the gold fever they have made the necessary preparation, wagon, oxen, etc., etc., to go to California but one that agreed to go with them and bear his part of the expense of the outfit backed out and they had strained every nerve to make their part of the outfit and when he backed out it disappointed them and a great loss they gave a high price for a wagon and sixty dollars a yoke for cattle (they had three yoke) they had him bound in a bond and the last I heard from them they were going to law.
You stated in your last letter that Bernetta had written to her father. I doubt whether he got the letter he has married his aunt the Widow Hobbs, and has moved to Howard County and is living in or joining New Franklin. Right here I must give you a good one. I think but you can judge for yourself. You know the old man and me was very thick and confidential by times, so just before he was married he came to see me and told me all about it (for he couldn’t talk of anything else), that the widow had four negros that one was a fine Smith and he intended to put him in a shop at Milton, etc., etc., but behold between the time they agreed to marry and the wedding day she slipped the negros out of her hands privately and it weren’t known for months, then Old George made a sham sale of all his negros to the Dr., it is believed to be a sham sale at any rate or Frederick has got them all. When the old man married he sent word to your mother that he was a perfect happy man nothing lacking how he is now I can’t say, I will leave it with you to Judge. Catharine Burchartt and Squire Benj. Haley married a few weeks past, more big kin folks, there has been a great many deaths and marriages since you was here, the widow Whitenburg is living at Old George’s place at Milton. Health has been very good in this section for the last twelve months, your brother George was well the first of last month and stated in his letter that he intended coming home in July if he didn’t marry, he is in fine health complains of nothing but being too fleshy. O how my children is scattered and still going. Jo starts for Illinois in a few days, my family is getting small, home is a lonesome looking place, nothing flourishing in the way of improvement, but I have plenty bread and meat. I have bacon for sale and could spare one hundred barrels of corn. Write on reception and write every opportunity. I would have been very glad of seeing you once more but it is doubtful whether I ever see you again in this life, kiss the little children for me and tell them I want to see them.
M.D.[*] and Easom is living in Adair County.
E.T. Hickman
--Hope Hilton, Edwin and Elender Webber Hickman, Some Progenitors and Descendents, 3rd ed., 1978, p. 107-109
* Edwin’s sixth oldest child, Martin Dickenson Hickman (born 1823) was known in the family as D. or M.D. While panning gold in Colorado in 1859 with his brothers Thomas J. and Warren D., he was killed by a claim jumper.
Elizabeth Adams Hickman
1793-1877
No picture of Elizabeth has yet been found, but this is a picture of her tombstone, found broken to pieces in a pig pen by Hope and Lynn Hilton on the Hickman family farm in Missouri. Accompanied by a depiction of a weeping willow, It reads:
OUR MOTHER ELIZABETH WIFE OF Edwin T. Hickman DIED Dec. 5th 1877. Aged 84 Yrs. 1 Mo. 20 d.
The following is a letter written by Elizabeth Adams Hickman in 1867 to her son George Washington Hickman who had converted to Mormonism and was living at Benjamin, Utah Territory. This was after the end of the Civil War, and a reference is made to the slaves having been freed. The letter is filled with a variety of family news. The church that is mentioned is probably a local Methodist church:
Adair, Missouri
May 2, 1867
Dear Son: It has been a long time since we have had a line from you you may want to know how we are doing since the Blacks left we are doing very well we have a plenty to live on we are in common health at this time health is good here. We have had a cold winter we had colder weather in March than any time in the winter. We received 2 letters from Iowa, one from Jane, one from Easom they bring us distressing news. George your dear Brother J.H. is dead he died on the 7th of April he was sick about 7 weeks. We hoped to live by again but he has left this troublesome world he has gone to rest we ought not to grieve after him believing he is happy.
George we are all alone now have no child in the State and our time cannot be long in this world we are getting old, your father is 75. I am 73 soon and let us know how you are do not wait for me to write. It is a hard task for me to write.
E.T. & Elizabeth Hickman
We had a protracted meeting here in this neighborhood last August there was 39 addition to the Church your father and I was of that number 2 days after the meeting broke up we went to Iowa we went to J.H. first and he went with us all the round we went to Easoms next and then we went to see Rhoda he appeared to enjoy himself. Well I am glad that we went to see him he was much rejoiced that his father had joined the Church.
--Hope Hilton, Edwin and Elender Webber Hickman, Some Progenitors and Descendents, 3rd ed., 1978, p. 110-111