Page 62 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

L L

.- 176

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

Ithat company, but at the disbandment of the its work. About oue.third of the product of this

troops he wae captain of Company K, Logan's industry is kept for home consumption, while the
Consolidated Cavalry Regiment. Capt. Hellums other two-thirds is shipped to various markets.
was captured at Port Hodson on July 9, 1863, ' Mr. Hicks is the sole proprietor of this business,

some time after the battleof Vickabnrg. Together ' and also owns another ice factory a t Marshall,

with twelve other ofticers he was taken on board a Texas. His birthplace wan in Ballard County,

vessel lying in the Mississippi, to be transferred to Ky., and when only ten years of age he went

Johnson's Island, but every one of the twelve . to Memphis, Tenn., alone, where he worked at
jumped overboard, and all but two s~~eceedeiud I different employment for some t k c . When still

Iswimming to the shore and escaped. Mr. Hallurns quite young he occupied a subordinate position

iwas among the number who gained their liberty, on one of the river steamboats, applying himself

while the other two were drowned. He previously ! cloaely, untilin time he was promoted to the postof

Itook part in the battles of Corinth, Farmington i engineer, and then captain, which position he held

and Iuka, and a number of hard skirmishes. for thirty-five years, and in 1862 be built a steam-

When the war was over he returned to Drew I boat of his own called Falcon. During his life

County, and remained there a short time, but soon Mr. Hicks has built upwards of fifteen or twenty

came to Pine Bluff in order to close out his busi. steamboats, owning at one time about forty, among

ness. After that was done he went back to Drew i them b i n g the famous but ill-fated Mary Bell,

County, and resided there until January, 1889, which was burned to the water's edge at Vicke-

when he once more came to Pine Bluff and bnilt a burg, and also the steamer Frank Pargoud, which

fine residence, intending to make this oity his met with the same fate above New Orleans. The

permanent home. He owns a store a t Star City last named boat was the champion cotton carrier

and one a t Grady, both in Lincoln County, and / on the Mississippi River, haviog been loaded with

enjoys a large patronage, and in connection with ; the largest cargo of uncompressed cotton ever car-

his commercial interests, owns about 1,000 acres ' ried by any other steamboat-9,226 bales. The

.of valuable land, with a considerableamount under writer happened to witness that event, and can m-

cultivation, his principal crop being cotton. Mr. member the day she steamed into the levee a t New

Hellnms was married in December, 1864, to Miss ; Orleans with nothing visible but the top of her

Susie Carlton, of Alabama, by whom he has had : pilot house and her smoke stacks. Every space

six children: Julius H., Clyde E., Cora. Jennie, was covered by cottan bales. I t roae tier upon

Cbester and Guy. His wife is a devout Christian tier, and the cotton on the lower deck was swept

lady, and belongs to the Cumberland Presbyterian by the river, so heavily was she loaded down. I t

Church. Mr. Helluma is a prominent member of was n grand and imposing sight, and wan observed

the Masonic fraternity, and a popular citisen of by thousands who thronged the water's edge to

'Pine Bluff, taking an active part in all matters I await her coming, and rent the air with such a
that bear upon ita progress and advanmment. rousing cheer that the mnnd mnst have been car-

J. F. llicks, n fhture in the affairsof Jefferson ! ried out past the swamps to Lnke Pontchartrain.

County, first established the Distilled Water, Ice & ; The Mary Bell was one of the largest steamers on

Cual Company, at Pine Bluff in 1885. Upon start- the Mississippi, and in fact in the United S t a h .

ing this industry, he pnt in a live-ton machine, bnt ! Among other prominent boats owned by Capt.

the business increased so rapidly that he was soon Hicks were the Daniel Boone, Kate Frisby, John

forced to have a larger machine, in order to supply Simons, the latter being one of the largest boats

the demand, and he now owns a twenty-ton ma- , before the war. Capt. Hicks was one of the moat

chine in addition to the original one, manufactw- popular and experienced steamboat men that

~ I I Qabout twenty-fonr tons of ice per day. The i traveled the Mississippi during h i d a y . Since the

machinery is all of the latest pattern and perfect in war& has owned the Vickshurg, Di Vernon, Ma-