Short Hickox History

The book A history of Cleveland and Its Environs by Elroy Avery (Lewis Publishing Company) on pages 99 and 100 charts a biography of Charles Hickox who hailed  from Washington Township, Litchfield County, Connecticut, being born Nov 17^th, 1810. His parents were natives of Connecticut as well. He was the youngest of four brothers, and five years of age when his parents relocated in Canfield, Mahoning County, Ohio. Charles spent his early life there until he was 17. In the winter seasons, he attended the canfield public schools, and his summers were spent on the farm. At 17 he went to Rochester, New York, where he joined his two brothers, staying until 1837.

At 27, he moved at the end of a severe panic which had followed an era of enterprise and the inflation of public debt. to the small but promising city of Cleveland.  Cleveland in that era only had a population of about 5,000 people. In worked two years as a clerk in a commission and forwarding house. With business improving, he went out on his own, founding a flour mill which he or other family members were connected for thirty years. In 1872 he began using his capital in the development of iron ore mines around Lake Superior and coal mines in central Ohio. He was instrumental in turning over the coals lands to the Hocking Valley railroad, and became involved with both that railroad as well as the Ohio Central Railroad. He served for a long time as president of the Republic Iron Company, and was one of the founders of the Society for Savings in Cleveland.

Much of his surplus capital was invested in local real estate.

Younger men especially esteemed him, for he showed great sympathy with the struggles and aspirations of the younger generation, and there are many who owe their success to his timely and cheerful advice. He spared neither time nor money in promoting the food of the city and his influence was a strong factor, though he himself never held any public office and was in politics only for what good he could accomplish.

He was aligned in the fight against slavery and with the republican party. He traveled extensively at home and abroad.

He married in 1843 Laura A. Freeman who had been born in Ohio. She was the daughter of Judge Francis Freeman of Warren, Ohio. She was born in August 24^th, 1819, and died in Cleveland on April 3, 1893 at the age of seventy three. They had a son named Frank Freeman Hickox who was born on April 21 1844 in Cleveland, Ohio, Charles G., born on January 14, 1846, who died in Cleveland in 1912; Ralph W. who was born on January 1, 1850 and died March 25^th, 1910 in Lyons, France and Mrs. Harvey H Brown of Cleveland.  

Frank married Ann Adams Begges (the child of Adam Jacob Begges) about 1872. Together they had two sons: Charles (born Oct 21^st 1873) and Wilson Begges Hickox , the latter  born 10 years later on Nov 11, 1883.

Frank also was a flour miller, banker and railroad magnate. He completed the first fireproof office building in Cleveland, whose construction had been started by his father, Charles, at E Ninth St and Euclid Ave. The building was called the Hickox Building.

In the 1880s, Frank built a three story French Empire mansion at 2721 Euclid Ave., a street which was “written up in the geographies of many lands as the most beautiful street in the world.”  His father died there in April 17, 1890 in his eightieth year.  Frank died Oct 17^th, 1925 in Cleveland and is buried in the Lake View Cem. 

Frank’s first born, Charles, married Louise Kay Parker of Tennessee in November 20, 1902 in either Denver (birth certificate) or Colorado Springs, Colorado. Louise was just 20 at the time, having been born July 1, 1884 in Tennessee. She may have moved west with one of her sisters who has married a Houston of Denver.

 

Louise was the daughter of  Minter Parker and Fanny Pillow who were from Tennessee and who had married Nov 20, 1867. Louise had several siblings: Minter Parker Jr, Jerome Pillow Parker, Mary Nethel Parker, Cynthia Jean Parker, and Fannie Pillow Parker. The latter married Palmer Farnsworth Dec 22, 1898. Fannie and Palmer had three boys: Minter Parker Farnsworth, born Nov 20, 1899, Palmer Farnsworth Jr born June 26 , 1908 and William Bethel Farnsworth.

Charles and Louise moved from Colorado to Cleveland (Charles’ hometown) about a year after they had married.

Charles and Louise had two children: Fannie Pillow Hickox and Frank Freeman Hickox, named for Charles’ father.  Frank was born first, on May 30, 1904. Fannie Pillow  followed on November 11, 1905. Three months after Fannie’s birth, her father Charles died (January 8, 1906). Louise at some point thereafter moved to Memphis, taking her two children with her. She then remarried William Gordon Erskine on June 19^th, 1912. 

 

Figure 1: Fannie Pillow Hickox Bozeman

Gordon Erskine was general agent for Reliance Life Insurance of Pittsburg, but lived in Memphis, having his office in later years at 1709 Sterick Building. Louise died Dec 9^th, 1956, leaving three sisters: Mrs. Palmer Farnsworth (Fannie) of Clarksville, Miss, Mrs. Joseph Houston of Denver and Mrs. Harry Morrison of Newport, Ark. Her last address was 1528 Central Ave.