Hicks, Samuel Grant

1863 - 1941  (78 years)

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Facebook Conversations about the Hicks family of Clay City, Illinois




Ray McCrory

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August 10 at 8:01 PM
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How many remember the black family that lived by where the saddle club is now,kinda south behind where Ronnie Patridge is now??Was Kenton and Dorothy Hackmans place and John Bones before that. His name was Sam Hicks and his daughter was Cora Ely I think? He did carpenter work,and oilfield work for Clarence Stanford. Maybe his wife cooked for the Pure Oil camp but I dont remember her? I can remember my Dad would pick them up if they were walking to town or back home. First black folks I ever seen. They didnt have a vehicle so walked to town for groceries and stuff. We would drop them off at Murvins store to get their supplies.


Carl Wayne Gray

Top contributor
Miss Cora Ely (1878-1963) was the first black person I ever saw. I was a young boy and was in the Clay City Post Office with my mother when I saw her. The Post Office at that time was located where Gatsby's Gaming is now.
She was the daughter of Jay Ely and Elvia Hicks She had 2 sisters who died when they were young. Her sister Lubertha Ely (1876-1886) died when she was about 10 years old. Her sister Maybelle Ely (1880-1884) also died young (about 4 years old)
Lubertha, Cora, and Maybelle are buried in Clay City Cemetery.


Betty Gray Stanford
If I remember correctly my grandma talked about talking to her and how interesting she was. She would collect articles of the Titanic. She would take them eggs and other farm items


Connie Henenberg
I remember the name, but don't ever remember seeing them. Would love to know more of their history

Connie Hudgeons

Dad (Ed Risenlieb) and Grandpa Thomas would often take Cora and Eli groceries and Chop wood for them, take coal.over to Cora. Cora was the only babysitter I ever had. She was a kind. Gentle soul. It was dad & grandpa who found Cora dead after Levi Streggle (mail carrier) told grandpa she had,'t gotten her mail for several days. Brother and sister, Cora and Eli were both college graduates. I know Eli went to Howard. Both had been school teachers. Not sure how they ended up in Clay City. I remember Grandma Thomas crying after a bunch broke into Cora's house and destroyed her belongings after she died. I have a small French porcelain oil lamp and a carving knife set that was Cora's. Somehow they survived that destruction. Hackmans lived by Saddle Club Road. Cora"s house was set down the lane from Hackman's
I haven't been back there for years, but it seemed that Cora"s house was torn down to make way for the arena. I remember playing with fancy dress clothes that Cora had saved. Grandpa and dad salvaged papers and other items related to Cora and Eli. But I have no idea what happened to those items. Cora was a quiet, dignified gentle soul. Mom has a picture of me, when I was 2 maybe sitting on Cora"s lap in the living room. I don't think I ever understood that her skin was different until much later during the Civil Rights Era.


Jo Duff Starrett
Do you remember the lady carrying 2 buckets when she came to town. She carried her groceries in them.



Sharon Murbarger-David
My Uncle used to go by there and take them to town. He was friends with them. I remember dad yelling me about the dogs. I remember they were two big black men guard dogs


Pam Thomas Benson
Mom said they drove a mule and wagon.


Connie Hudgeons

Ginny Ashley my dad, Ed Rosenlieb, andy grandpa, Ralph Thomas found her. And yes. The dogs had fed. She kept them in with her for safety as she had been harassed. So maybe think aboit what v eoukd make an elderly lady feel so unsafe she kept her big dogs inside with her. Animals do what they need to do survive. And, yes, my dad and granddad shot and
buried the dogs. The shame in this is that people still talk about what the dogs did versus the fact that lady that was a young woman during the Civil War, died alone and lonely, somewhat shunned by the community where she lived.


Sue Shaffer Lindeman
I think she lived straight east of the saddle club concession stand.


Sherry Hall
I remember her walking on the lease road going to the store in Bunnyville! Long white hair (if my memory serves me right!). Store in Bunnyville name? Dur??? Something.


Della Thomas
Mom used to buy chickens from them...

Facebook Conversations about the Hicks Family of Clay City, Illinois

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