John Hicks's biography, St Johns, Clinton County, Michigan

Copyright © 2000 by Jan Sedore. This copy contributed for use in 
the MIGenWeb Archives.  

 



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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY - 1906
CLINTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
Page 20-22
JOHN HICKS
John Hicks, who at the time of his death was the oldest merchant in the
dry-goods business in St. Johns and the president of the St. Johns National
Bank, belonged to that class of representative American men who while
promoting individual success also advance the general welfare. He
contributed in large measure to the commercial property, the upbuilding and
the progress of his adopted city, maintaining throughout a course of action
which made his name an honored one. He was born in Kingston, West Ontario
Canada, July 7, 1824. His father, Samuel Hicks, was a native of New Jersey,
and the grandfather, John Hicks, Sr., was an Englishman and sea captain who
made voyages to the East Indies. Eventually he located in New Jersey where
his last days were passed.
Samuel Hicks, also a sailor, was for years a captain on the Great Lakes
and while thus engaged made his headquarters at Toronto. For years he had a
contract for carrying mail between that city and Kingston. He afterward
made his home at St. Joseph, Michigan and was captain of a boat sailing
between that port and Chicago. He was engaged in the war of 1812 and during
the McKenzie rebellion he was implicated with the patriots and found it
necessary to leave Canada. At that time he took up his abode in Detroit and
it was at a later day that he removed to St. Joseph, Michigan. He married
Eunice Bailey, a native of Connecticut who belonged to an old New England
family.   In an early period of the settlement of western New York she
removed to Watertown, that state, with her brother who became a prominent
business man there and it was in Watertown that she gave her hand in
marriage to Samuel Hicks. Her last days were spent in St. Lawrence County,
New York. She reared her four children in the faith of the Presbyterian
Church, of which she was a devoted member. Her eldest son, Andrus, died in
St. Lawrence County. Louisa became the wife of O. L. Brooks, for many years
a resident in Cleveland Ohio. Marinda M. married Ambrose Clow and resided
in New Westminster, British Columbia, both of whom are now deceased.
John Hicks spent his boyhood days in Canada and supplemented the early
education of the district school by study in Whitney Academy. His education
completed, he began work first on a farm and later became a clerk in a
store. In the fall of 1849 he traveled by stage to Toronto, thence by boat
to Queenstown and Chippewa and after visiting buffalo he went to Detroit.
Finally he located in Dewitt, Clinton County, Michigan, where his uncle,
the Hon. David Sturgis, was conducting a general store and also a grist and
saw mill and was at that time the most prominent man in the county. For a
year Mr. Hicks acted as bookkeeper for his uncle and then having
demonstrated his ability and ambition he was admitted to a partnership and
with his uncle purchased a stock of goods, establishing a general
mercantile store. After about three years Mr. Hicks purchased his uncle's
interest and Mr. Sturgis then came to St. Johns, while Mr. Hicks continued
the business at Dewitt. Such was the pioneer condition at the time that it
required a week to haul goods by team from Detroit and he was obliged to
carry on business on what was rather a barter system, accepting everything
imaginable in exchange for his merchandise. In the fall of 1856 he disposed
of his store in Dewitt and came to St. Johns, where he made his home
continuously until his death. Here he resumed partnership with his uncle
and two years later he again bought out Mr. Sturgis' interest, continuing
alone in his general mercantile venture. As the years advanced his business
grew in volume and importance with the growth and development of the county
and in later years he conducted an extensive and profitable mercantile
enterprise as a dealer in dry goods, carpets and cloaks, occupying two
floors of an extensive store now owned and controlled by his son, John C.
Hicks. In addition to his interests in St. Johns Mr. Hicks of this review
for many years also managed two stores in Gratiot county, one at
Bridgeville and one at Pompeii.
A man of resourceful business ability, readily recognizing an opportunity
and utilizing the same for purposes of business advancement, Mr. Hicks in
the year 1858 began buying grain in St. Johns, shipping in bags and barrels
the first grain that went from this port. In 1860 he built a warehouse in
order that he might more extensively carry on his operations and was
connected with the grain trade up to the time of his death, being the
oldest grain merchant as well as dry-goods merchant in the county. In his
business he kept pace with the progress of the times, introducing all
modern improvements in his elevator and having the largest plant for
clearing his wheat and shipping grain of any man in St. Johns. He likewise
engaged in buying wool and found a profitable field of labor through his
operations in land and lumber. In the early days he bought staves in the
Detroit market which he shipped to Europe. Mr. Hicks owned and operated a
fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Essex Township and he had other
extensive real-estate interests in Clinton, Gratiot and Isabella counties
of this state and in Florida, while in Nebraska he owned an extensive
ranch. His business operations also extended to the building line and in
this connection he contributed in substantial measure to the material
improvement of his adopted city. He was the chairman and the most efficient
member of the building committee that erected the courthouse and jail at
St. Johns and was also on the building committee for the construction for
the schoolhouse. He erected a number of brick buildings here and in
connection with R. M. Steel built the three-story brick block, which is
known by their name. These gentlemen likewise engaged in the manufacture of
brick, conducting a yard at St. Johns for many years. Active in other
industrial lines Mr. Hicks was for several years' proprietor and manager of
St. Johns foundry and agricultural works. He came to Clinton County with a
capital of only one thousand dollars and by strict integrity, the exercise
of good judgment and unfaltering perseverance in carrying out his well-laid
plans he made a success of everything, which he undertook. His name became
an honored one in banking circles, for he was one of the organizers of the
St. Johns National Bank in which he instituted a safe conservative policy
that made it one of the most reliable financial concerns of this portion of
the state. He acted as President from its organization until his death and
was one of its largest stockholders. He was also one of the organizers and
a director of the Savings Bank.
In 1855 Mr. Hicks was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Huston, a daughter
of Mathew Huston and a granddaughter of Thomas Huston, both wealthy
landowners of County Antrim, Ireland. The family was established in America
in 1818, when the representatives of the name had crossed the Atlantic
located in Vermont. Later they went to Burlington, Vermont, and Mathew
Huston became the owner of a flourishing shoe factory in Shelburne,
Vermont. However, he met with reverses by signing papers for a friend and
in order to retrieve his lost possessions he came to Michigan in 1848,
finally settling in Gratiot county, where he died in 1856. He was a man
highly respected by all who knew him and one whose business honor and
integrity were above questions. He married Arabelle Pierce, a native of
Vermont and a daughter of Luther Pierce, who was born in Connecticut. Mrs
Huston spent her last days in St. Johns. In her family were five children
including Mrs Hicks, who was born in Shelburne, Vermont, October 13, 1833,
and after attending the common schools received her higher education in the
Ladies' Seminary at Hinesburgh. Mr. and Mrs Hicks became the parents of a
son and two daughters: Ida E., who married William C. B. Rawson, of Mount
Dora, Florida; John C., who is president of the St. Johns National Bank and
a merchant of this city; and Jennie M., who became the wife of Coleman C.
Vaughn, of St. Johns, Michigan, and died March 7, 1895.
While controlling important and constantly enlarging business interests
Mr. Hicks yet found time for the duties of public life and taking an active
interest in political questions he was chairman of the democratic county
central committee. He served on the village board for a number of years and
took a helpful part in many measures, that contributed to the material,
intellectual, political and moral welfare of the city. He was active in
organizing the First Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Johns, was chairman
of its board and one of its trustees. A man's success is not determined by
the heights which he has reached but by the depths from which he has
climbed and taking cognizance of the fact that Mr. Hicks started out as a
farm hand his career is one that is indeed worthy of emulation, for he
became one of the most wealthy men of the county. Moreover he was public
spirited to an eminent degree and his name was at all times an honored one,
while his life record would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny.
His name is inseparably associated with the history of St. Johns as almost
all lines of activity here felt the stimulus of his influence and
co-operation. He passed away April 2, 1903. As the day with its morning of
hope and promise, its noontide of activity, its evening of successful and
accomplished effort ending in the grateful rest and quiet of the night, so
was the life of John Hicks.