Jackson Purchase Historical Society

Stories of Interest from the Hickman Courier from December 23, 1871
• The Hickman Courier published its last issue for 1871. The editor proudly claimed that close to two hundred subscribers were added primarily from the counties of Calloway, Graves and Ballard during the past week and he expected over 1000 additional subscribers by the opening of the New Year.
• The mayor of Hickman submitted the final budget of 1871, declaring “revenues from all sources” was $9,402.54. $5,335.99 was paid on the city debt, $1,045.45 for the Market House, $245.25 for printing accounts, $1000.40 for city officer salaries and 1,775.45 for street construction and repairs. The city carried $37,926.00 in loan debt and $4,600 in floating debt.
• The Hickman City Council closed the year under criticism as the city was in debt, its citizens “taxed heavily”, and its city officers overpaid, according to the editor of the Hickman Courier.
• A proposal was made to raise the street leading through the low portion of West Hickman or construct a levee. The estimated cost was $2,000.
• A Christmas tree lighting was planned for the night of December 25th at the Hickman Methodist Church. All were invited to a night of entertainment and music.
• The establishment of William Frenz in Hickman was expecting a visit by Kris Kringle
• Professor M. Goldsmith, an optician, visited the city to supply eyeglasses to those that could afford them.
• An unoccupied building in Hickman was promoted as a perfect structure for a woolen factory and encouraged its citizens to invest in the venture.
• Oswald’s Steam Furniture Factory was filling out large orders to Memphis and Cairo.
• A number of “smash-ups” were reported on the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad caused by broken rails, snow, etc. No lives were lost, but broken bones, bruises and demolished cars were noted.
• Rufus K. Williams of Graves County was chose as president of the Lawyers Convention held in Louisville on December 15th. H. A. Tayler represented the Hickman bar as a delegate. E. I. Bullock and Thomas Poore represented the county of Hickman.
• The Paducah Kentuckian reported that members of the “Ku-Klux” raided Mayfield days earlier but the Mayfield Democrat discredited those claims stating, “There has been no body of disguised men in our city for months.”
• The stockholders of the Paducah & Gulf Railroad called a meeting to be held in Louisville on January 15th to determine the consolidation with the Mississippi River Railroad.
• A workforce of over eight hundred men began grading land for the Paducah & Elizabethtown Railroad near the Paducah & Gulf Railroad depot at Paducah.
• On December 18th David T. Toler, a citizen of Obion County and ferryman on the Obion River, shot and killed Michael Moran, a hotel night watchman, in Union City. The City Marshal was shot a killed while attempting to arrest Toler. A group of disguised men later caught up with Toler, hung him, and killed another man believed to be an associate and thief.
• Edmond Lee was sentenced to be hung on February 2nd for the murder of Elias King in Brownsville, Tennessee.