John Hallick

Narrative:

     John Hallick was born between 1800 and 1810.⁴
     Nothing is known of John's birth place or ancestry, nor even when he arrived in Kentucky. The earliest record found is his marriage in 1830. Caldwell Co. records show his surname as Hallick, though some records for his children show it as Hallack or Halleck. There is a Hallock family in Chittenden Co. Vermont about the time of his birth, and since his wife's family and others in Eddyville were from Vermont he could be part of that family.^10,11,12,13
     He seems to have arrived in Eddyville with some resources, as he established considerable property holdings there. He purchased about 30% of the town lots in Eddyville, and three large tracts, one on the Cumberland River just below the town, and the other immediately above the town.
     John married Hannah Chittenden Cobb, daughter of Gideon Dyer Cobb and Modena Chittenden Clark, on 8 Sep 1830 in Caldwell Co., Kentucky.^5,6,7

Acquiring Property --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John bought lot no. 72, at Franklin and 3rd Streets in Eddyville, from Chittenden Lyon on 8 Nov 1830, for $50. According to the deed, Caleb Clark Cobb had build a "white house" on it which was currently occupied by John Cobb. John bought a second adjacent lot, no. 73, from Chittenden on 24 Oct 1831, for $20.¹⁴
     John bought 40 lots in Eddyville from Minerva Lyon, widow of Dr. Hanson Catlett, a cousin of his wife, and 380 acres adjacent to the town, for $700 on 15 Mar 1832. The town lots included 35 of the 120 lots originally laid out in the town: lots no. 64 to 66, 68 and 69, 81 to 90, 95 to 108, and 115 to 120. There were five more lots below Main St. between Water St. and the Cumberland River. The 380 acres included 50 acres immediately north of the town which was part of the grant to Peter Johnson who had conveyed it to David Walker, who had laid out the town in lots. In addition Minerva conveyed to John any other rights her late husband may have had in the lands obtained from Walker.¹⁵
     John purchased 260 acres on Lick Creek in Caldwell Co. on 24 Nov 1832, from Cedar Herrold for $300.¹⁶ He purchased lots no. 70 and 71, at Franklin and 3rd Streets in Eddyville on 24 Jul 1835, from Mathew Woods for $250.¹⁷ (For a map of all his town lots, see map For details of all the records that have been found for land transactions involving John, see the extracted Caldwell Co. Deeds.)
     On 13 Jan 1835 John and Hannah sold the two lots at Franklin and 3rd Streets to her brother Robert for $1,000.¹⁸ John and Hannah sold half of lot no. 68 on 7 Dec 1836, to John W. and Samuel P. L. Marshall and John H. Mims for $30. They sold the other half to Wilson Martin on 23 Dec for $40.¹⁹ John and Hannah sold two lots at Main and 3rd Streets to her brother Joshua for $147 on 23 Jan 1837.²⁰ (For details of all the records that have been found for land transactions involving John, see the extracted Caldwell Co. Deeds.)
     Despite all these real estate transactions, John apparently regarded his principal occupation as river shipping. In the 1840 census he reported that two people in the household (apparently John and one of the slaves) were engaged in navigation of inland waters.²¹
     John appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, with a household consisting of two males under age 5 (sons James and John), and one age 30 to 40 (himself), one female under age 5 (daughter Aurelia), one age 10 to 15 (unknown), and one age 20 to 30 (wife Hannah). There were also three slaves, a male age 10 to 24, another age 24 to 36, and a female age 36 to 55.³

Trying Times --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     His wife died on 16 Feb 1841.²²
     On 26 Jan 1844 John sold 260 ac. on the waters of Lick Ck. to Robert Livingston Cobb on 26 Jan 1844, for $500. John had purchased this parcel from Cader Herrals on 26 Nov 1832.²³
     A pair of apparently related suits over disputed title to land were resolved in the Nov 1846 term of the Caldwell Co. Circuit Court. In one, John brought suit against Richard T. Archer and Steven C. Archer, and also against his wife's brothers, Caleb and Robert, although it appears the Archers were the real targets. In the second, Robert and Gideon, as surviving partners in the firm of Cobb, Bell & Co. brought suit against the Archers and their brother Caleb. At issue appears to be some 556 acres originally patented to Richard Archer, on the Cumberland River adjoining and below the town of Eddyville, which Caleb purchased from the estate of George Loftus on 8 Jan 1830, who had purchased it for taxes due. This parcel was one of 18 Caleb sold to Robert, Gideon, and David Bell (Cobb, Bell & Co.) on 2 Aug 1841. Apparently, Robert had transferred 350 acres of this property to John by a deed which has not been found. At the time of the suit, John was living on this property. It would seem that the Archers had claimed that these actions were invalid, but the court found for the complaints, and ordered the Archers to convey title to John for his parcel and to Robert and Gideon for the remainder. When they failed to do so, the appointed commissioner did on 29 Apr 1847.²⁴
     William H. Scott brought suit against John Hallick & Co. in Caldwell Co. Circuit Court to collect $425 with interest from 1 Sep 1845, $200 with interest from 16 Nov 1844, and costs of suit, apparently from a defaulted mortgage. In its Apr 1848 term the court ordered sale at the courthouse door of as many lots as needed to pay that amount. On 19 June 1848 a commissioner sold six lots owned by John to Robert Livingston Cobb, his wife's brother, selling them for $395.²⁵

Moving to Arkansas --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John moved to Chicat Co., Arkansas, by 1848 with his eldest son, John.
     He sold lot no. 71 in Eddyville to Mathew Lyon Gracey on 4 Sep 1848, for $205.²⁶
     John died on 1 Jan 1849.^8,9
     He died intestate (without leaving a will) and letters of administration for his estate were approved on 3 Jan 1849 in Chicot Co., Arkansas, to William I. Nash. That day he told the court that the estate included about 150 cords of wood that would be damaged if not immediately disposed of. He was authorized to sell it by private sale for not less than $1.25 per cord.^27,28 On 4 Jan 1849 the administrator applied for and received permission to sell the personal property at public sale. On 3 Jul he received permission to sell a Negro woman named Phillis, aged about 60 years, at public sale.²⁹
     In a series of court sessions beginning 4 Apr 1849, several creditors presented claims against the estate for open accounts: Rawlah Holson for $49.50, Elisha Worthington for $81.50, Alexander Mouldin for $197, and Joseph Holson for $19.50. John Stacker presented a claim based on a promissory note dated 16 Jan 1845, for $570.³⁰
     The first settlement of the estate was approved on 2 Jul 1850. The administrator reported a balance of $866.69 after accounting for claims against the estate and claims due the estate which were considered uncollectable. On Apr 8 1851 a claim by E. Worthington for a promissory note dated 28 Dec 1847 for $412, less a payment of $125 30 Dec 1848, was approved by the court.³¹
     The second settlement of the estate was approved on 5 Jul 1853, showing a balance in the estate of $517.19. A third settlement was approved 2 Jul 1855. A fourth one, approved 9 Jul 1856, reflected a balance of $235.91. No further action on the estate has been found.³²

Litigation Continues in Eddyville --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Gideon and Robert Livingston Cobb brought a suit, on grounds not now clear, against John's heirs, which was decided at the Apr 1851 term of the Caldwell Circuit Court. The decree called for sale of as many of the lots in Eddyville and parcels as needed to pay off the amount due. The sale was held at courthouse door 21 Jul 1851. The commissioner sold 29 of the 36 town lots John had purchased from Minervia Catlett in 1832, including the two he had previously sold, three of the five lots between Water St. and the River and the 380-acre parcel from the same purchase. He also sold the 350-acre parcel adjoining the town John had purchased from Robert Cobb and had been involved in the suit in 1847. What became of the seven remaining town lots and two remaining riverside lots has not been learned.³³