Jackson Purchase Historical Society

Stories of Interest from the Hickman Courier from May 13, 1871
• The Hickman Courier reported that “Hickman is now enjoying a supremely pleasant dullness.”
• In response to the enforcement of the “hog law” in Hickman, “most owners are selling off their stock.”
• A few beef merchants from Hickman were arraigned in the Fulton County Court for knowingly selling diseased meats. It was reported that the cattle butchered was “so poor it takes two to make a shadow” and that others could have “easily slipped through the cracks” in the fence.
• The Hickman City Council hired John C. Heinze to put rock along the river bank near “old Hickman.” John Ringwood was paid $10 for putting dirt on Water Street and $60 for placing rock on the bank of the river. W. D. Taylor was paid $10.50 for feeding the prisoners in the city jail.
• The Committee on the Market House was assigned by the City Council to select a lot for the erection of the market house.
• John A. Wilson was elected City Tax Collector for 1871.
• H. A. Tyler was assessed $6,000 under the equalization law.
• The Hickman City Marshal was directed to notify all parties who failed to put down pavement in front of their residences to do so within thirty days or it would be done at their expense.
• J. H. Roulhac resigned as city attorney for Hickman on May 1st. T. A. Goalder was elected by the City Council to replace him.
• The Annual Methodist Conference was scheduled to assemble at Hickman on May 18th and planned to remain in session from four to five days.
• Thomas J. Pore was elected Circuit Court Clerk in Hickman County on May 6th.
• The Democratic State Central Committee met at Hickman on May 6th and adopted a resolution to organize an Executive Committee in Fulton County and requested candidates to submit their names.
• Democratic voters of the 6th Civil District of Fulton County held a convention on May 6th to discuss selecting a candidate for the State Legislature.
• Colonel James Brien was selected by the Democrats of Marshall County as party candidate for State Legislator.
• Republican Party members held a preliminary meeting in Fulton County to select delegates to the State Convention in Frankfort on May 17th.
• Goodler Stanfield of Fulton Station died on April 13th from pneumonia. He was a member of the Silver Star Lodge, No. 415 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
• The town of Tiptonville, Tennessee, recently selected as the county seat of Lake County, was reported to have begun construction on a county jail and court house.
• The Spring Fair in McKenzie, Tennessee had begun on May 13th and Humboldt, Tennessee scheduled their fair for the weekend of May 20th.
• The fruit crop in the in western Kentucky was nearly entirely ruined by a caterpillar infestation.
• The wheat crop in the region were greatly damaged by the cold weather earlier in the month. The corn crop was reported to be “very fine.”
• James Austin was elected circuit court clerk for Graves County.
• The Democratic State Convention met at Frankfort on May 3rd and was reported as the largest assemblage of party members in the past ten or twenty years. General Lucian Desha was chosen as President of the Convention.
• The Louisville Sun reported that the daughter of James A. Moody died on May 8th after jumping rope almost 500 times three days earlier. The girl died of inflammation of the bowels.