Kings County CA Archives Biographies.....Hicks, Stephen B May 1, 1842 - 
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Kellie Crnkovich markkell95@aol.com and Kathy Sedler  December 21, 2005, 1:52 pm

Author: History of Tulare and Kings Counties

The best authority in Kings county on irrigation ditches is Stephen B. Hicks of 
Hanford. How he came to be such an authority will be of interest in this 
connection. To begin with some pertinent biographical data, it may be said that 
he was born in Green county, Tenn., May 1, 1842, three years later his family 
moved to Schuyler county, Mo., and still later they went to Wayne county, Iowa, 
where lie passed eight years of his life. In 1882 he came direct to Hanford, 
where he has since made his home. Soon after his arrival he bought one hundred 
and sixty acres of land four miles southwest of the town, where he raised wheat 
and alfalfa four years. He sold that and bought one hundred and sixty acres 
three miles east of Hanford. Later he bought one hundred and sixty acres eight 
miles northeast of Hanford. On these places he farmed many years, raising 
alfalfa and fine horses and cattle and other stock. In 1891 he went into the 
mer¬cantile business at Hanford. After seven years of success he sold his store 
and goods and later he sold his ranch northeast of the city; but he still owns 
his quarter section to the east, which is rented for dairy purposes.

Since 1888 Mr. Hicks has been interested in irrigation by ditches and, as 
stated before, is conceded to be better informed than any other man in the 
county on water systems. The Settlers' ditch was started in 1874 and Mr. Hicks 
was successively director, president and secretary of the company. In the 
early '90s, under authority of a vote by the stockholders, he as secretary sold 
the franchise to the Tulare Irrigation Company, of Tulare county, and from the 
proceeds of that sale the old company bought somewhat more than a fourth 
interest in the People's Ditch Company of Kings county, which takes its water 
from Kings river; soon after the latter transaction Mr. Hicks was elected a 
director of the People's Ditch Company and as such served several years. In the 
sequence of events he was elected president of the company, which place he 
filled until January 1, 1909, when he resigned. During his service as president 
the first weir at the head of the ditch was built and stood seven years, and he 
was chairman of a committee of three to effect a compromise with the Fresno 
Canal Company in the matter of water rights and a member of a committee of 
three appointed to arrange for a survey to locate reservoir sites in the 
mountains.

One of the busiest men in the county, Mr. Hicks has yet found time to yield to 
his inclination to do public service on behalf of his fellow citizens. He was 
four years a city trustee of Hanford and his two years' service as chairman of 
the board made him the third mayor of the city. In the erection and formation 
of Kings county in 1893, Mr. Hicks was active and influential. Fraternally he 
affiliates with Hanford lodge, F. & A. M., and with the Royal Arch chapter of 
that order. He has been a Master Mason for over twenty years and long been 
treasurer of the local lodge and is identified also with the Eastern Star 
chapter. It is a matter of local and Masonic history that he had charge of the 
erection of the Masonic temple in Hanford. In 1866 he married Margaret Green, a 
native of Indiana, who is also a member of the order of the Eastern Star. They 
have three children: Alice is the wife of J. L. Payton, a rancher living east 
of Hanford, and has six children. Hannah E. married J. W. Payton, a merchant at 
Hanford, and they have two children. Mollie is Mrs. J. J. Adams and her 
hus¬band is a dairy rancher near Dinuba.


Additional Comments:
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 548-549
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler






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