Existing comment:
Wild Bill Hickok
State Memorial
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was born May 27, 1837, in a house that stood on this block. His parents, William A. and Polly Butler Hickok, settled in Troy Grove (then called Homer) in 1836 after living for a time at Tonica (then called Bailey's Point). Here William operated a store until it failed, when he moved his growing family to a farm north of town. On William's death in 1852 the family moved back into Troy Grove. Young James worked to help support the family until about 1856, when he left Troy Grove for Kansas Territory and set out on the path that would bring him fame.
William A. Hickok supported antislavery efforts, and his homes were said to have served as stops on the Underground Railroad that aided African Americans fleeing from bondage. |