Coffee County GaArchives Biographies.....Hiram Sears 1814 - 1901
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
D. Sjoberg sjoberg@lvcm.com April 2003


Hiram Sears Bought 4900 Acres for $50 in Pioneer Days

Tom Frier, Jr., The Douglas Enterprise, Thursday, July 27, 1972, pg. I-C

Descendents of Hiram Sears (1814-1901) tell the story of the time this
pioneer Coffee Countian traveled by horseback to the state capitol in
Milledgeville to  buy 15 lots of land (7, 350 acres). Carrying 475 in cash
with him, it seems that upon his arrival he began having second thoughts
about spending so much money. Mr. Sears decided to buy just 10 lots and came
home with only 5,900 acres and $25 in his pocket.

Hiram Sears, a son of David and Levicy Nobles Sears, was born April 10,
1814, in Montgomery County, and came to Ware, later Coffee and now Atkinson
County, with his parents about 1825.

He was married in 1833 to Miss Harriet Ricketson, the daughter of Joseph
Ricketson. Mrs. Harriet Sears, who had 13 children by Hiram, died Oct 25,
1891. Mr. Sears later married Mrs. Margaret Mixon, who died in 1947, age 80
years. There was one daughter by the second marriage, Levicy Sears Adams.

Children by his first wife include:

1.  Solomon, b. May 3, 1834, never married d. CSA Army
2. Elias, b. May 3, 1835 m. Beady Paulk, d/o Elijah
3. Ellen, b. Nov 23, 1837 m. Henry Vickers, d/o Eli
4. Charity, b. Nov 13, 1839 m. 1-Elisha Kirkland; 2-G.W. Williams
5. Olive, b. Aug 18, 1843 m. William Griffis
6. Samantha, b. Oct 10, 1844 m. Dennis Paulk
7. Hampton, b. Nov 23, 1845 m. Pollie Vickers d/o Eli
8. Hiram, b. Nov 30, 1846 m. 1-Emma E. Lang; 2-Theodocia Ganos
9. Celeste b. Nov 10, 1849 m. Thomas L. Paulk s/o Thomas
10. Harriet b. Mar 1, 1852 m. Micajah Vickers s/o Eli
11. Mary b. April 1854 m. David Jordan
12. Amanda b. Dec 1, 1856 m. William T. Summerlin
13. George b. Mar 8, 1860 m. Julia O' Neal d/o Thomas O'Neal

Mr. Sears served as a private in Cat. W.C. Newbern's company in the 1838
Indian War and July 10, 1845 was commissioned Captain of the militia in his
district, the 586th, serving several years in that capacity.

Hiram first held a governmental office at age 33, serving as Justice of the
Peace of the 586th district. Ware County, 1847-49. Upon the creation of
clinch county in February, 1850 he was place din the county and at the first
election in April 1850 for Justice of the Inferior Count he was elected as
one of the Justices.

Mr. Sears was considered one of the leaders in the creation of Coffee
County,  and when it was formed, in 1854, mostly out of Clinch County, he
was included in its boundaries. He was Justice of the Coffee Inferior Court
1857-1861, and Justice of the Peace, 1130th District, Coffee (now Atkinson
County), 1859-1861.

In May 1857, the names of Hiram Sears, Daniel Newbern, and Hiram Swain first
appeared on the Inferior court Minute Book, replacing Alexander Mobley,
Alexander Pickren, and Joel Lott as justices.

These minutes reveal that at a called meeting in June 1857, it was "ordered
that a tax of 50 percent be assessed on State Tax for County Purposes". At
the same session the Justices ordered that Sheriff James McKinnon and
deputy clerk Archibald McLean be paid $35 each for their services during
1857.