Michael B. HICKMAN
Prominent in democratic politics in Oklahoma, Mr. HICKMAN has served as postmaster of Coalgate since August 30, 1913. He is president of the Coalgate Publishing Company and for one term gave efficient service as mayor of Coalgate. For many years he has been connected with the upbuilding of Coal County and has just reason to be proud of the fact that to his efforts can be traced many a substantial enterprise or advancement contributing greatly to the growth and prosperity of this section of the state. In every sense he is a representative citizen and a business man of marked capacity.
At Paris, Logan County, Arkansas, February 7, 1876, occurred the birth of Michael B. HICKMAN, who is a son of the Rev. I. B. and Cora (RHYNE) HICKMAN, both of whom were born and reared in Arkansas, but who are now residents of Coalgate. Since locating in Oklahoma the Reverend HICKMAN has devoted considerable time to the profession of teaching, and he is now preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Coalgate. Reverend HICKMAN and three of his brothers gave valiant service in the Confederate army during the Civil war, as did also one of Mrs. Hickman's brothers. Seven children were born to Reverend and Mrs. HICKMAN, as follows: John R., is a member of the State Senate; Horace is a printer in the Record-Register office at Coalgate; Bert S. is a carpenter in Dallas, Texas; Harvey lives with his parents in Coalgate; Willie is the wife of Os M. STEVENS, a sketch of whose career appears elsewhere in this work; Irene is the wife of Frank KELLER, a member of the Record-Register staff; and Michael B. is he whose name initiates this review.
In the public schools of Arkansas, Michael B. HICKMAN received his primary educational discipline, which was further supplemented by a practical course of training in a printshop. His career as a newspaperman was begun in Booneville, Arkansas, and in 1901 he removed to Coalgate and purchased the plant of the Courier, a weekly paper, which he finally sold but repurchased several years later. Subsequently he bought an interest in the Independent, a paper that had been founded by George E. JAHN, of Coalgate, and the name of this publication was changed to the Record. In 1910, J. Y. BRICE opened up the office of the Register, which he sold to Mr. HICKMAN the following year, the latter consolidating it with the Record under the name of the Record-Register, which paper is being published at the present time with both daily and weekly editions. The morale of this paper is of the highest standard and through its columns are endorsed many improvements for the good of Coalgate and the surrounding district. Not many years ago, when the coal mines of the county were in operation and all conditions were prosperous, the element of society that favored a wide-open town as regards the sale of intoxicating liquors was in the great majority. The Hickman publication took a stand for better morals and prohibition and in the course of time swerved public opinion until the majority favored a closed town and prohibition.
Mr. HICKMAN has been a leader in the ranks of the democratic party in his county for many years and his paper has been one of the foremost in the eastern part of the state in advocacy of the principles of the party. For years he served as the secretary of the county election board and he has also given efficient service as secretary of the Coal County Democratic Central Committee. With one exception he has attended every democratic state convention since statehood. It was through his efforts that the first free school was established in Coalgate prior to the admission of Oklahoma to the Union as a state. In 1911 his fellow-citizens honored him with election to the office of mayor of Coalgate and it was during his incumbency that the city's first pavement was laid. Many other important improvements were undertaken and the regime of the editor-mayor was a big success. On the 30th of August, 1913, in recognition of the high quality of his citizenship, he was appointed postmaster of Coalgate, an office he is still filling with credit to himself and to the community. He is public-spirited in every sense of the word and is held in high esteem by his fellow-citizens. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Coalgate Commercial Club and of the Oklahoma Press Association.
At Coalgate, June 3, 1903, Mr. HICKMAN married Miss Maggie DAVIDSON. This union has been prolific of three children: Lucile, born in 1905; Bruce, born in 1907; and William, born in 1910."