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MICHAEL B. HICKMAN
Vol. 3, p. 1118-1119

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 status in 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 the 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 the printer in their Record-Register office
at Coalgate; Bert S. is a carpenter in Dallas TX; 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. easily 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 print shop. 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 the stand for better morals and prohibition and in
the course of time served public opinion until a 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 this state in advocacy of the
principles of the party. For years he served as 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 the
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.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Carolyn Smith Burns, October 30, 1998.