Family Stories

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My parents just came back from a short trip to Wisconsin where my grandfather's family (Hickcox) came from. I just talked to him last night and he shared with me some of the interesting family history. The first relative that we know who lived in America, was a man by the name of Benjamin Hickcox (b. 1762, d. 1812) who came over from England. Benjamin had a son, named George Washington Hickcox. George owned a tavern and used the tavern to hide slaves (a well known fact according to my Dad). George had a son, Clark, who went with a friend to California during the gold rush. His friend's wife didn't want her husband to go and the night before the two men were to head out west, she burned all his clothes. The two men came back a year later with only a nugget of gold...oh man. Clark fought for the Union during the Civil War. Clark had a son named, Edward Marvin. Edward had a son named Clark, after his grandfather. That Clark is my grandfather (b. 1888, d. 1959), who named his son, Edward Marvin (my father).

When my Dad was telling me all this, if felt like time just dissolved. He has a glass dish that one his aunts gave him years ago, and told him back then that it once belonged to a George Washington Hickcox.

Also, when my parents were visiting Wisconsin, they visited the burial site of Clark Hickcox (Civil War veteran). There is a volunteer who tends to the grave site and to make sure nobody develops on top of it.

Amazing history and I'm sure all of our families have pretty amazing stories.