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JAMES F. HICKEY
Vol. 3, p. 1019

An energetic business man whose success in life has been on a parity
with his well directed endeavors is James F. Hickey, secretary and
manager of the Blackwell-Hickey Company, a wholesale seed concern
with headquarters at Hydro. This firm controls an extensive business
throughout the South and makes a specialty of field seed for the
wholesale trade.

Mr. Hickey was born in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, May 30,
1875, and he is a son of John A. and Johannah (O'NEIL) Hickey, both
of whom were born in Ireland, the former in County Clare, in 1848,
and the latter in County Cork, in 1850. The father came to America in
1862 and located in Boston, whence he removed to LeMars, Iowa, in
1877. Subsequently he established the family home in Sioux City,
Iowa, and for a time was a resident of Denver, Colorado. In 1908 he
came to Oklahoma and settled in Oklahoma City, removing thence to
Hydro in August, 1913. He devoted most of his active career to work
as a brick manufacturer but since coming to Hydro has lived in
virtual retirement, his home being with the subject of this sketch.
He is a democrat in politics and he is possessed of a genial, kindly
disposition that makes him popular with all classes of people. Mrs.
Hickey was summoned to the life eternal at LeMars, Iowa, in 1882. The
following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hickey: Mary is the wife
of Joseph M. HEDINGER, a railroad man at Sioux City, Iowa; Nellie
married a Mr. DEVLAN, a railroad employe in Denver, Colorado; James
F. is the subject of this review; John was a miner in Alaska when
last head from; Addie is the wife of Frank CHATTERTON, and
electrician in Los Angeles, California; and Joseph E. died in San
Francisco at the age of twenty-six years.

After completing the prescribed course in the public schools of
LeMars, Iowa, James F. Hickey began to work for a seed concern in
Sioux City, remaining with the same firm for six years. In 1895 he
went to St. Louis, Missouri, and was there connected with the same
line of business for one year. He then attended St. Benedict's
College, at Ashton, Kansas, for one year and in 1898 he joined the
Sixth Missouri Volunteers going to Havana, Cuba, with the Seventh
Army Corps. He was on police duty in Havana and was mustered out of
service in May 1899, at Savannah, Georgia, as a corporal. In the
following year he returned to Sioux City and was engaged in the seed
business for four months, at the expiration of which he went to
Denver, Colorado, and secured a position with the Barteldes Seed
Company as traveling salesman, covering Colorado, Utah, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. In 1907 the
above concern appointed him manager for the Oklahoma branch at
Oklahoma City and he continued in that capacity for six years. In
1913 he went to Salt Lake City and traveled again until August of
that year, when he came to Hydro, where he has since resided and
where he is secretary and manager of the Blackwell-Hickey Seed
Company, of which Mr. J. W. BLACKWELL is president. This firm deals
exclusively in field seeds and makes a specialty of improving
different varieties of seeds for the wholesale trade. The principal
business is in supplying jobbers in carload lots, consignments being
shipped to different sections of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia,
Arkansas and other states in the South and Southwest. In 1914 190
cars of seeds were shipped and during the first six months of 1915
125 cars were shipped. The Hickey-Blackwell Seed Company is in a very
flourishing condition and promises to become one of the big business
enterprises of the Southwest.

Mr. Hickey is a democrat in politics and while he does not take an
active part in public affairs he gives a loyal support to all
measures and enterprises calculated to benefit the community and
state at large. He is a shrewd business man and is well known and
admired for his just and honorable methods.

In Oklahoma City, August 23, 1909, Mr. Hickey was united in marriage
to Miss Belle TOZER, a daughter of William Tozer, a farmer at
Petersburg, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Hickey have two children: John W.,
born June 24, 1910; and Maxwell, born December 23, 1911.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Lee Ann Collins, January 5, 1999.