Los Angeles County
Biographies
MISS ADELIA
EDWARDS HICKMAN
Miss Adelia Edwards Hickman, who is the proprietor of the Union “Square” Realty, located in a building she owns situated at 2308 South Union avenue in the city of Los Angeles, California, holds the distinction of having been the first woman to establish an individual real estate office in this city over a quarter of a century ago. She is an outstanding type of that class of fine women who possessed initiative and courage in entering the business world; who walked with firm and confident step along occupational paths hitherto little known to them. Miss Hickman was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, and is the fourth child of a family of five daughters born to John Lewis, Jr., and Adelia (Edwards) Hickman. The other four girls were: Bettie H. Thrasher, who died in Los Angeles on August 3, 1925; Margaret H. Lientz, Caroline Duke, now deceased; and Orrie Belle, who has also passed away.
Miss
Hickman has abundant reason to be proud of her American lineage, in both the
paternal and the maternal lines of her family. Her great-grandfather, Gen.
Richard Hickman, was the second lieutenant-governor of Kentucky, and built the
first brick house there when the territory now comprised in the state was a
county of Virginia. He was a man of fine physique, sterling character and rare
intellect. Miss Hickman’s grandfather, John L., Sr., was a Virginian and
descended from pure colonial stock. He served twice in the Kentucky state
senate and was a highly respected gentleman. His son, John L., Jr., who was the
father of Miss Hickman, was born April 21, 1821, and died May 9, 1887. He was
the owner of a colonial estate, with a splendid home thereon; was a slave
holder before the Civil war, and was a prosperous and highly-reputed citizen.
On her mother’s side of the family, Miss Hickman is a direct descendant of that
noted preacher, the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, who was once the president of
Princeton University. Her mother, Adelia (Edwards)
Hickman, was a daughter of Maj. John Edwards, one of the heirs to the property
in New York which became the site of famous Trinity Church. Mrs. Hickman died
in Missouri. At the time of the death of John L. Hickman, Jr., in Covington,
Kentucky, an old friend quoted the test: “A good name is better than previous
ointment, and the day of his death than the day of his birth.” Another tribute
to Mr. Hickman was composed by Mrs. McAboy, a gifted
poet and a warm friend of the Hickman family. The lines of
this appropriate poem follows;
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“Let me bring a last offering Of love for his grave, Where the summer birds sing And the wild grasses wave. It is meet that the old friends When loved ones depart, Should wreathe recollections All fresh from the heart. “The first name my childish lips Called long ago, Is the happy old homestead Where red roses blow, Was the dear name of Hickman. It lives in my heart Like a sweet strain of music That will not depart. “Like the full, red roses, The summertime shed, That give back their sweetness When summer is dead, Brave men and brave women Have borne the old name; It is pure as the incense That breathes from the flame! “And I bring for his children To strew on his grave, Where the summer winds sing And the wild grasses wave, Recollections as pure As the unsullied snow, Of the old happy homestead Where red roses blow.” |
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When Miss Hickman was nine years of age, her parents moved to Columbia, Missouri, and there she grew to young womanhood. She graduated with honors from the Christian College in Columbia, in both junior and senior classes, and also received a gold medal for having written the best essay. Later she was graduated from the Bartlett Business College in Cincinnati, Ohio, and still later established a college of her own in Paris, Kentucky. This was known as the Bourbon Commercial College and was conducted successfully for several years. Miss Hickman came to the state of California in 1902 and in Los Angeles opened the Union “Square” realty office. She gave it this title for a twofold reason. First, because it was situated on a square owned by the city and, secondly, because she intended the business to stand for honesty and integrity; in other words, the square deal. She has never deviated from her original policy and, by following the precepts of the Golden Rule, she has never known a dissatisfied customer or had a sale thrown out of escrow. She has won praise from all who have had dealings with her or known her, because in the conduct of all of her work she has been guided by high spiritual ideals. For years, Miss Hickman specialized in residence property, although she has done a general real estate business. She has likewise been an insurance broker. She was for years an active member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; was a strong worker in civic affairs, and always sought to do her share in building up the Southland. She has altogether led a most successful business life, and is a thorough-going, adopted Californian. She is a democrat in her political views, and her religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian Church. Miss Hickman has consistently supported those candidates whom she considered would make clean, upstanding office holders. During the presidential campaign and election of 1932 she championed the cause of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and after he was chosen by the people for the Presidency she sent him the following telegram: “Arrived the man around the corner. Congratulations from Los Angeles.” With characteristic graciousness, the new President replied as follows:
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“My dear Miss Hickman: “That fine message of good will touched me deeply. It is my earnest wish that I may al- ways deserve the confidence which you have shown in me. I shall look to you and to all my fellow citizens for support and counsel during the days that are to come. “Yours very sincerely, “FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.’ |
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In 1911, a leading Los Angeles newspaper published a very interesting and significant notice concerning Miss Hickman, as follows: “Adelia Hickman is one of the cleverest women in Los Angeles and men who have made fortunes in real estate recognize her as a competitor to be reckoned with.
“Miss Hickman has published a little book of verse ‘In California,’ which is dedicated to the women of California. Her foreword is “Success. Where there is a will there is a way; where there is a woman there is a will. I started without capital and against several odds, and nowhere except in Los Angeles do I believe success would have been possible. I believe in Los Angeles today and for all future time,’ she continues, ‘for it is a great little city, full of energetic, progressive men and women, and failure is impossible for those who go about their business honestly and with a desire to succeed. My message to every woman everywhere is to think success and then come to Los Angeles and realize their ambition.’ “Miss Hickman’s hobby is writing poetry and she has published many poems.
In May, 1933, after Mr. Roosevelt took office and started his “new deal,” Miss Hickman wrote the following:
DARLING I AM GROWING YOUNG
Dedicated
to Franklin D. Roosevelt
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1. Darling I am growing young, Since this new deal can be sung, Smile upon my brow to-day, Grief is fading fast away: And my darling there will be Happy days for you and me: Yes! My darling there will be Happy days for you and me. 2. Now there comes to us good news, And our home we shall not lose. Now that mortgage we can pay. HE knows what and when to say: O, my darling! we’ll ride miles, While this White House man still smiles. Yes! My darling we’ll ride miles, While this White House man still smiles. 3. New things now are coming fast, And the old things cannot last, There’s new money in the air. We will have a dime to spare: We’ll have plenty in our till, And our empties we can fill: Plenty, plenty in our till, And our empties we can fill. 4. Love is ours and it will last, We’ll forget that awful past: I’m still yours and you are mine, I’ll have beer and you’ll have wine, Since this new deal can be sung, Darling I am growing young; Since this new deal can be sung, Darling I am growing young. (Signed) ADELIA EDWARDS HICKMAN |
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Transcribed 5-27-13
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
723-727, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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BIOGRAPHIES