Genealogy Is An Adventure

Tag: Davis

  • Joseph Henry Hickman 1852-1933

    Henry Hickman was the son of Richard Hickman and Elizabeth Jane Canutt. He was born 25 September 1852 in Warren County, Indiana and died 15 July 1933 in Colfax, Washington. Henry came from a rather large family, as his father was married four times. Seventeen children altogether, two of whom died in infancy. When Henry was eight years old in 1860, the family lived on a farm in Ash Grove, Iroquois County, Illinois.

    NameJoseph H Hickman
    Age8
    Birth Yearabt 1852
    GenderMale
    RaceWhite
    Birth PlaceIndiana
    Home in 1860Ash Grove, Iroquois, Illinois
    Post OfficeAsh Grove
    Dwelling Number2170
    Family Number2001
    Attended SchoolY
    NameAge
    Richard Hickman
    Elizabeth J Hickman35
    Sylvester Hickman19
    John W Hickman
    Franklin Hickman14
    Mary C Hickman12
    Joseph A Hickman8
    Alexander Hickman6
    Thomas Hickman
    Richard Hickman2/12

    In 1870 the family still lived in Iroquois County. Henry’s mother, Elizabeth Jane Canutt had died in 1867 and his father was married to Mariah Sanders.

    NameJoseph H Hickman
    Age in 187019
    Birth Dateabt 1851
    BirthplaceIndiana
    Dwelling Number115
    Home in 1870Stockland, Iroquois, Illinois
    RaceWhite
    GenderMale
    Post OfficeMilford
    Attended SchoolYes
    Inferred FatherRichard Hickman
    Inferred MotherMaria Hickman
    NameAge
    Richard Hickman52
    Maria Hickman37
    Joseph H Hickman19
    Alxander Hickman17
    Sarah F Hickman8
    Liza J Hickman6
    Elmer C Hickman3

    In August of 1874 Henry got married to Mary E Davis who was the daughter of Henry Davis and Mary Elizabeth Collins, in Prairie Greens, Iroquois County, Illinois. Mary was only sixteen years old and needed the permission from her father to get married.

    The couple had seven children:

    • Charles born 1876 in Illinois, died 1903 in Mockonema, Washington
    • Nellie born and died 1878 in Illinois
    • Edward born 1880 in Whitman County, Washington, died 1946 in Redding, California. He was married to Edith Martha Burgess. They had two children
    • Maude born 1883 in Almota, Whitman County, Washington, died 1961 in Lewiston, Idaho. She was married to George Thomas Smith and they had four children.
    • Anna born 1885 and died 1913 in Washington
    • James Chester born 1887 in Washington, died 1953 in Sandpoint, Idaho. He was married to Lillian Blanche and they had five children.
    • Will Hickman born 1890 in Whitman County, died 1977 in Walla Walla, Washington. He was married to Geneva and they had four children.

    On April 2nd, 1879 according to a newspaper article, the Hickman family left Illinois on a train and headed west to San Francisco. From there they a took a boat to Portland, Oregon and then another one up the Columbia and Snake River to Almota, Washington where they settled. Henry’s uncle Abe Ensley had arrived in the area a few years before him and planted the first wheat in Whitman County. The region also known as Palouse Country is world famous for wheat growing. Many of Henry’s descendants, including my husband’s uncles, still farm in that area today.

    Henry became a very successful and wealthy farmer. Besides wheat farming, he also had an orchard full of apple, pear and nut trees. He had flocks of chickens, geese and ducks. He had lots of horses, goats and sheep. During the school year, Henry moved his family to Pullman, so that his children had a chance at a good education. He was one of the first farmers to have a telephone installed. He also owned automobiles and trucks for his business. An example of a GMC truck Henry owned to transport wheat. He is not in this picture.

    Henry loved his family. In 1903 tragedy struck! His oldest son, Charles Hickman, was killed by a accidental discharge from a rifle.

    Charles was only 27 years old and engaged to be married. On a happier note, the younger brother Ed got married three years later in 1906 and received a house as a wedding gift from his father.

    Henry retired in a house he had bought in Colfax.

    In 1920 his beloved Mary died in their home.

    In 1932 Henry celebrated his 80th birthday with 100 friends. He was well liked in the community.

    Less than a year later, Henry died of cancer.

    Henry was my husband’s second Great Grandfather. I have found so many articles about him in old newspapers and books. It would take months or even years to read them all. His life has been well documented. Below is a map of Henry’s journey from Indiana via San Francisco and Portland to Almota and Colfax where he died.

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  • Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Mary Elizabeth Collins Davis 1832-1912

    My husband has a couple of ancestors from Ireland, one of them is his paternal 3rd Great Grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Collins born 4 April 1832. I do not know her parents. In some of the censuses it stated that she was born in New York. On her death certificate it said Ireland.

    Mary Elisabeth was married to my husband’s 3rd Great Grandfather, Henry Davis. They had 4 children.

    • 1. Mary E. Davis, my husband’s 2rd Great Grandmother, born 1857 in La Salle County, Illinois, died 1920 in Colfax, Washington. She was married to my husband’s 2nd Great Grandfather, Henry Hickman. They had 7 children.
    • 2. Jewel “Julia” Davis born 1860 in Illinois, died 1936 in Palouse, Washington. She was married to Stephan A Bowers. They had 5 childrens.
    • 3. George Avery Davis born 1863 in Iroquois County, Illinois, died 1932 Colfax, Washington. He was married to Sara Florence Hickman. They had 8 children.
    • 4. Carrie Davis born 1864 in Illinois, died 1892 in Rockford, Washington. She was married to Rena Hyatt. They had 1 child.

    In 1870 the family lived in Prairie Greens, Iroquois County, Illinois. Mary and her husband can read but not write. Mary’s birth place was New York and her parents were from a foreign country.

    Washington State and Territorial Censuses, 1857-1892

    NameMary Davis
    GenderFemale
    RaceWhite
    Marital StatusMarried
    Residence Age50
    Birth Dateabt 1835
    Birth PlaceNew York
    Residence Date1885
    Residence PlaceWhitman, Washington, USA
    Line37
    NameAge
    Henry Davis55
    Mary Davis50

    In the 1900 federal census Mary was 62 years old and lived with her husband, an adopted daughter and a grandson in Turnbow, Washington. Her birth country and that of her parents was given as England, not Ireland. It also stated that she immigrated in 1880. We know that’s not true. May be the census taker heard it wrong or whoever gave the information had no clue. Census records can be very tricky, a lot of information is incorrect.

    The last census Mary appeared was the 1910 Federal Census. At that time she lived with her husband still in Turnbow, Washington. She was born in New York and her parents were from Ireland.

    Mary died 7 April 1912 at the age of 78 in Whitman County, Washington. Her death certificate says that she was born in Ireland and that’s what I am keeping in my records.

    I only found this obituary for Mary.

    Source: The Spokesman-Review

    Spokane, Washington • Tue, Apr 9, 1912Page 12

    On the page Find A Grave someone posted this from another newspaper:

    We now have an approximate immigration date for Mary and that she got married in the state of New York. I had looked for the marriage in the Illinois State Archive website without success. Their first child was born in 1857 in Illinois, so the marriage probably took place before that date.

    Simple Timeline for Mary Elisabeth Collins

    Born 1832 in Ireland and immigrated circa 1843 to New York:

    Married Henry Davis circa 1857 in New York, moved to Prairie Greens, Illinois and their children were born at that location from 1857-1864. In 1880 the family lived in Whitman County, Washington. Mary died there in 1912.

    Mary had a long, eventful life, all the way from Ireland via New York and Illinois to her final destination and resting place in Washington State. May be in the future I will be able to locate a marriage, immigration and or birth record.

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  • Richard Hickman 1818-1884

    Richard Hickman was my husband’s paternal 3rd Great Grandfather. He was born 8 March 1818 in Kent County, Delaware and died 6 January 1884 in Colfax, Washington. His parents were Roger Hickman and Mary Jenkins. Richard had a full life. He was married four times and he had lots of children, all of whom you will meet in this blog.

    Richard married his first wife, Mary Cox, 5 September 1839 in Warren County, Indiana. They had five children together.

    • 1. Martha Ann Hickman, born 1840 in Indiana, married to John Merideth, died 1909 in Illinois. The couple had 6 children. Her second marriage was to Willam B. Ammerman. They had 7 children.
    • 2. Sylvester Hickman, born 1842 in Williamsport, Warren County, Indiana, married to Mary Millhollin and died 1919 in Watseka, Iroquois, Illinois. They had one child. Sylvester was also married to Belinda Catherine Hutchinson. They had 8 children together. He served in the 12th Illinois Infantry in the civil war. Sylvester was an author and wrote the book “Genealogy of The Hickman Family”, which I have used extensively for my genealogical research.
    • 3. John Wesley Hickman born 1844 in Indiana, died 1862 in Iroquois County Illinois. He also served in the 12th Illinois Infantry in the civil war.
    • 4. William Franklin Hickman born 1846 in Williamsport, Warren County, Indiana, was married to Martha Wilson and died 1914 in Colfax, Whitman County, Washington. The couple had 15 children.
    • 5. Mary Caroline Hickman born 1848 in Indiana, was married to William H. Biggs and died 1906 in Muncie, Delaware, Indiana. The couple had one child. She was also married to Francis Marion Justice. The couple had four children.

    Richard’s wife, Mary Cox, died 18 August 1848. He married his second wife, Sara Jane Tuttle, 2 March 1850 in Warren County, Indiana. Sara Jane died in childbirth in 1851 and so did their son Alexander Hickman. Richard then married his third wife and my husband’s 3rd Great Grandmother, Elisabeth Jane Canutt, 28 August 1851 also in Warren County, Indiana. They had nine children together.

    • 1. Joseph Henry Hickman, my husband’s 2nd Great Grandfather, born 1852 in Warren County, Indiana, married to Marry E. Davis, died1933 in Colfax, Whitman County, Washington. They had 7 children together. Henry was a very successful farmer and business man.
    • 2. Alexander Hickman born 1854 in Iroquois County, Illinois, married to Elizabeth Crawford, died 1928 in Colfax, Washington. They had 4 children together.
    • 3. Thomas Hickman born 1856 in Indiana, died 1859 in Illinois.
    • 4. Enoch B Hickman born 1858 and died 1859 in Illinois.
    • 5. Sara Florence Hickman born 1862 in Illinois, was married to George Avery Davis, died 1942 in Colfax, Washington. The couple had 8 children.
    • 6. Eliza Jane Hickmann born 1864 in Illinois, married to Ulysses Simpson Grand Story, died 1932 in Pullman, Washington. The couple had 9 children.
    • 7. Elmer Clinton Hickmann born 1867 in Illinois, married to Lovina Unzicker, died 1955 in Colfax, Washington. They had 2 children.

    Richard’s third wife, Elizabeth Jane Canutt, died shortly after their last child, Elmer Clinton was born. He then married Maria Sanders 27 August 1868 in Iroquois County, Illinois. They had 3 children together.

    • 1. Ida May Hickman born and died in 1870
    • 2. Infant Hickman born and died in 1872
    • 3. Wilbert Sanders Hickman born 1875 in Milford, Illinois, married to Nettie Ines Martin, died 1859 in Spokane, Washington. The couple had 4 children.

    Richard Hickman had a grand total of 18 children and at least 61 grandchildren.

    I only have found two detailed census records for Richard. The first one is the 1870 federal census. He lived together with his fourth wife, Maria, his youngest son Elmer and children from the previous marriage in Stockland, Iroquois County, Illinois.

    After 1870 the family moved to Whitman County, Washington where the family lived in 1880.

    Richard grew up in Delaware, lived in Warren County, Indiana, Iroquois County, Illinois and Colfax Washington. He died 6 January, 1884 and is buried in the Onecho cemetery in Whitman County, Washington. Photo taken by Arthur Allen Moore III on Find A Grave.

    A map showing the places Richard had lived. In the 19th century many families moved west as new land became available for settlement.

    Sources I used for this article

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  • Edward “Ed” Hickman 1880-1946

    Ed Hickman was my husband’s paternal Great Grandfather. He was born 16 May 1880 near Almota, Whitman County, Washington and died suddenly during a visit to his daughter in Redding, California, 24 June 1946.

    Ed’s parents were Joseph Henry Hickman and Mary E Davis. He had three brothers and three sisters. Ed got married to my husband’s Great Grandmother, Edith Martha Burgess, 11 July 1906 in Whitman County, Washington.

    A copy of this picture was given to me by his Granddaughter, Claudia Hickman Young (1936-2019). It shows Ed and his wife Edith. Ed received a wedding gift from his Father Henry Hickman.

    The Colfax Gazette

    Colfax, Washington • Fri, Jul 27, 1906Page 2

    Ed and Edith Hickman had two children together. Lloyd (1912-1972) and Lucy (1916-1997), who was my husband’s Grandmother. A picture of the children below.

    Ed’s wife Edith died 7 May 1928 in Colfax, Washington. Three years later he married his second wife Nancy Bartlett. Ed and Nancy did not have children together. At the time of Ed’s death, they lived together in Moscow, Idaho. Ed died suddenly in 1946 in California. He is buried in the Onecho cemetery in Whitman County, Washington.

    The picture above shows Ed in the middle with his brothers Will and Jim Hickman. The copy was given to me by his Granddaughter Claudia Hickman Young (1936-2019).

    Ed lived most of his life in Almota, Washington and moved later in his life to Moscow, Idaho. He died in Redding, California. Whenever possible, I will include a map.