This Week 150 Years Ago in Hickman – March 4, 1871
Stories of Interest from the Hickman Courier from March 4, 1871
• The Odd Fellows of Hickman plan to have a grand celebration on April 26th.
• The merchants of Hickman are leaving for the Eastern cities to lay their spring stocks.
• George Mathis, known to citizens of Hickman as “George the Butcher,” died on February 25th.
• The county courthouse was being repainted and found to have the “appearance of a brand new building” and was expected to last another quarter century.
• A Mr. Ozment established a furniture repair shop in the city.
• The Hickman Brass Band planned to commence a series of concerts beginning soon.
• Reports state that narrow gauge railroads were being experimented with in this part of the country.
• The City Council appointed a committee to make arrangements for building a Market House.
• The Spring Session of Beech Wood Seminary plans to commence classes on March 13th. The German Academy will begin on March 6th and the Free School of the Hickman District ended on March 3rd.
• The German American School of Hickman secured the services of Professor M. W. Von Loewenfels as principle.
• The Kentucky Lower House has passed a bill prohibiting grocery stores from selling liquors to any inebriate when the wife, or any member of his family, gives written notice.
• All the upper rivers were still rising and that the Ohio River was at its height and flooding may be worse than in January.
• Moses Amberg, a long time dry goods store owner of Hickman, decided to relocate his business to Tiptonville, Tennessee.
• The Agricultural Congress of Tennessee fixed dates for upcoming fairs. The fair at Paris was to be held on the first Tuesday in October, at Trenton on the second Tuesday, at Dyersburg on the third and at Humboldt on the last Tuesday in September.
• Reverend J. E. Beck, of Union City, will preach at the Methodist Church on Sunday at half past 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Reverend N. N. Cowgill will deliver Episcopal services at the Methodist Church at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
• Bondurant & Drewery speak of building a new warehouse.
• Congressman Trimble of Paducah attempted to secure a $200,000 appropriation from the Federal Government to erect a United States Courthouse, Post Office, Custom House, etc.
• The counties of Hickman, Fulton and Graves are “alive with candidates” for the State Legislature. Major Hale and Erwin Anderson, both of Graves County, may be probable candidates for the State Senate.
• The court of Common Pleas was abolished in Hickman, Fulton and Graves counties but gain an additional week each term of their Circuit Court.
• Ed Crossland took his seat in the United State Congress on March 4th.
• A publication titled the Kentuckian was first distributed in the streets of Paducah for union men.
• The Fulton County jail was reported as being in ill-repair and was in danger of falling. A petition was submitted to the State Legislature to authorize an additional tax of 10 percent and a $1.00 poll tax to build a new jail.
• Dyer County has imposed a tax of two dollars on dogs.
• The McKenzie Times reports that Paris, Tennessee has a skating rink where “ladies and gentlemen sail and tumble about in beautiful confusion.”