Bio: Hickok Family History in Curtiss (1894 – 1966)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Hickok, Nunemaker, Russell, Peterson, Schultz, Lannewehr

----Source: Olson Family Scrapbook

The Hickok Store was built in 1894. It was a general store, with the post office in the back. In 1910, it was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt the same year and purchased by B.B. Green. Later, Ralph Green took over the store until 1936. Then Jacob Johnson bought the building for a tavern and residence, Jake and wife, Lucy, operated the tavern, "Jake's Bar," until 1976 when it was sold to Richard Nunemaker. It was destroyed by fire in January, 1981.

George C. Hickok was my grandfather. He was one of the earliest settlers in Curtiss, having bought land from the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company here in 1881. He was a widower when he came here from New York. Then he married Addie Russell and settled on this land, which he farmed in the Hoard part of the new town of Curtiss. Here, they had four children: Estella, Carrie, Willard and Russell, in that order. Russell was born in 1893 and he was my father.

In about 1894, George Hickok gave up the farm and started the Hickok General Store in town and in 1897 he also became the postmaster here.

My grandmother, Addie, died in February 1905 leaving Estella, who was the oldest, to look after the family. Russell was 12 years old then. The same year, the town experienced a very destructive cyclone and the Hickok store received its share of the damage. It happened to be George Hickok's 59th birthday.
During the next few years, Carrie married Adolph Peterson and settled in Abbotsford. Willard married and stayed in Curtiss where he became the next postmaster. He and his wife, Olive, had their only child, a daughter, in about 1910.

In about 1910, also, the Hickok store was sold and George Hickok, Estella and Russell moved to Abbotsford. Estella took care of her father while also being active in the Religious Crusades and the Salvation Army.

In 1915, Russell joined the army and while home on leave in 1917 he married Hazel Schultz. Russell was still in the army when his father died at age 72 while a patient at the Veteran's Hospital. He was a veteran of the Civil War and is buried at the Soldiers cemetery at Wood, Wisconsin.

Russell's marriage produced two children, a son who was killed by a train when he was 13 years old, and myself.

Carrie had ten children and lots of grandchildren, many of whom are living in the Colby and Abbotsford area.

Willard was the first to pass away. He died at age 50 in 1936. Estella died in 1961 at age 79 and Carrie at age 81 in 1965. Russell died in 1966 at the age of 73. Throughout my childhood, I can remember hearing stories of friendships, Halloween fun, hunting, fishing am many anecdotes that I really wish I could remember.

Submitted by: Marguerite Hickok Lannewehr