There were two William Hickmans who were pioneers in Hamilton County's early days. They married daughters of John Russell, who made one of the earliest land purchases in the future Hamilton County in 1807. Historian David “Red” Gray said the two William Hickmans were cousins, though in deeds they are referred to as “William H. Sr. and William Jr.” William H. was born in Tennessee's founding year of 1796 and married Elizabeth Russell. The other William, known as William Jr., was born about
1803, and his wife was Ibba Russell.
Prior to the Revolution, the Hickmans were in Maryland at Sugar Land Hundred in Frederick County and Frederick County Hundred in the section taken off into Montgomery County. Jesse had 14 slaves, while William had 10 and Elihu six. One of their plantations was “Accord,” while others were “Bassheba” and “Saturday Morning.” In the census of 1776, Henry Hickman was 12 years old living with a brother, Elisha, sisters Nancy and Sarah, and mother, Eleanor.
Henry Hickman fought in the Revolution in a Maryland unit, then he made his way to Jefferson County, Tenn. The Hickmans attended the Presbyterian Church 10 miles north of Dandridge. Westminster Presbyterian and St. Paul's churches had combined in 1818 and a brick church was built near the Nolichucky River. Those mentioned in the early church records are Elias, Joshua and Elisha Hickman. Henry Hickman died in Jefferson County in 1829, leaving a widow, Arabella, and children Joshua, Elias, Sarah Shelton and Mary Walls. William H. may have been another one of his sons. He was married at Jefferson County on Aug. 27, 1823.
The Hickmans moved along with the Russells to Sale Creek. In 1827, the Hickman cousins obtained a grant for 100 acres at 12 cents an acre “on Waldens ridge on the waters of Sail Creek and adjoining the lands of John Russell, Charles Gambell and William McGill.” The cousins acquired 250 more adjacent acres the following year, including 200 acres for $1,200 from John Russell and Andrew Kerr at the “cove fork of Sale Creek.” Russell had first acquired the Sale Creek property in 1807 from John Hackett of Knox County. He got 250 acres for $400.
When the election districts in Hamilton County were redistricted by the Legislature in 1835, one of the places for holding elections was “at William Hickman Srs.” When the Ocoee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church met at Harrison in October 1844, William Hickman of Sale Creek was one of the delegates. He had two slaves and his cousin, Alexander, had one just prior to the Civil War.
At the start of the war, Elias, a son of William H., enlisted at Ooltewah with the Confederacy's Co. K of the 43rd Tennessee Infantry. He is listed as deserting on June 5, 1862. However, James A., a son of William Jr., chose the Union side. He joined the Sixth Mounted Infantry at Chattanooga on Aug. 2, 1864, when he was 20. He was six feet, two inches, tall.
Elias lived many years with his parents, but he finally married Ellen Mason and they lived on the Dry Valley Road near Daisy near the Hickman Crossing of the Cincinnati Southern Railway. Their children included George who was an ice dealer, Floyd who married Ida Elizabeth Sims, Jesse, Slater, Arabella who was the second wife of William M. Settles, and Maggie who married a Poe. Slater was a coal miner and Church of God preacher. He married Arabella Rose.
Children of William H. and Elizabeth also included John, Elizabeth, William who married Hanna Woolson, Isabella Jane “Ibbie” who married a Johnson and then the Union soldier Eli T. Sawyer, Margaret, Alexander and Samuel C.
Another son, Henry, married Statira Ann Patterson and they had nine children. They were John Anderson “Jack” who married Sarah Jane Bandy, Jane who married J. Parks Coulter, Semiramus, Melcena who married Bill Coulter, Irvan McDowell “Mack” who married Martha Lovelady, Elizabeth Catherine who was the first wife of W.M. Settles, Mary Adelia “Molly” who married Benjamin Gray. James Henry and Robert B. Jack went to Kansas by wagon train and Sarah Jane followed by train. They built a sod house at Newton, Kansas, but later returned to Sale Creek. Their daughter, Idemie Estella, married James Allen Coleman. Children of Mack were Carl, Herbert who married Amy Welch, Reba who married Jeff Tittle, Ruth, Ralph, Jane, Nora who married George Armor and Fannie who married Will Armor. James Henry and Robert B. moved to Crosbyton, Texas.
Statira Ann Patterson Hickman died in 1873 when she was 39. Four years later, Henry married the widow Margaret Coleman Gray, who had five children of her own. She had first been married to William Brownlow “Tobe” Gray, who died in 1871. One of the Gray children, John Franklin Gray, married his stepsister, Semiramus Hickman, and they were the grandparents of David Gray. To add to the large family, Henry and Margaret had three children of their own - George Willis who married the widow Georgia Graham Kelly, Nancy Ann “Sis” who married William Luther Kelly, and Bethena Arabella who married Hubert Lovelady. George W. lived to be 87 and was recognized as the oldest dairy farmer in Sequatchie County after earlier working for the railroad. His children were Corrine, Grace and Inez who married Clifford Campbell.
Henry Hickman was a Presbyterian for 70 years and an elder for 60 years. He farmed his latter years on Opossum Creek at Bakewell. He died in 1916 and was buried at the Gray Cemetery off McCallie Ferry Road at Bakewell. He left 54 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren. Margaret Coleman Gray Hickman was living with her daughter, Mrs. Will Kelly, at Dunlap when she died in 1921.
An Elias Hickman was an early settler at Rhea County with his wife, Margaret. He was born in Maryland about 1791. Samuel Hickman, who was born in the 1760s, was also in Rhea County. Elias died at Rhea County in 1872. His children included Alexander, Henry, John, William and David. Henry married Semira Elizabeth McDonald, and Alexander married Ann Elizabeth McDonald. The McDonalds were daughters of James McDonald of Sale Creek. Alexander was a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and he helped organize the congregation at Daisy. Alexander's children included Margaret K. who married R.A. Holman, James H. who married Angeline Bowers, Elias E., Mary, John A., Harriet J. who married George Prater, Emily A. and Virginia L. who married Joseph P. Martin. James H. died at Graysville in 1925 from injuries suffered in an auto accident. His son, Raleigh H., married May Poteet and was living near Graysville when he died in 1967 at age 85. His children were Johnny R., Mary Ellen and Mrs. Rodney E. Smith.
William Hickman Jr. and Ibby were living at Harrison just before the Civil War. He had built up a comfortable $19,000 estate. His children were Elizabeth, Sarah, Julinda and James A. Ibby apparently died around the time of the Civil War. James A. and his wife, Easter Varnell, were living at Dallas in 1870. Julinda was residing with her father. His estate was then $12,375.
Some descendants of the Rev. Slater Hickman still reside here. His children were Amos, Slater Jr., Paul Ervin, Cecil, Floyd, Arvalee who married Ray Vandergriff and Anita who married John Banks. Paul married Wilma Stuart and he operated Paul's Auto Parts on U.S. 27. His sons, Ervin, Thomas and Dewayne, later operated the firm. Floyd married Virginia Long. His daughters here are Connie who married Michael Massengale and Debbie who married Carl Varner. Cecil was the caretaker for the Patten family for their property on Walden's Ridge. He married Dorothy Victor. Their children are Cecil Jr., Janice, Daniel who works at Komatsu and David who works for Interior Trim.