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Below is a family biography included in The History of Hickory County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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W. S. Pickett is one of the successful husbandmen of Hickory County, Mo., and was born in Mason County, Ky., January 20, 1845, and is a son of Major B. O. and Mary L. F. (Bacon) Pickett, the former born in Mason County, Ky., and the latter in Virginia, in 1824., She is now living on the old homestead in Kentucky, with her children. The father was reared in his native State, was married there, and throughout life was a tiller of the soil. He was a major in the early State Militia of Kentucky, and died in 1874. Of their eight children, all grew to maturity and all are now living, with the exception of one son, John Bacon, who was killed or died from sickness during the Civil War, in which he was serving on the Confederate side, being under Breckenridge. The Pickett family are of French descent, and W. S. Pickett, our subject, is a first cousin of General John T, Pickett, and third cousin of General George Pickett. W. S. Pickett attained maturity in Mason County, Ky., and received the advantages of the common schools sufficient to fit him for performing the ordinary duties of life. He worked on the farm until he emigrated West in 1868, and the same year located on his present farm, which now consists of about 500 acres, 400 acres being in one body. The country was extremely wild and unsettled at this time, there being only one house on the prairie besides his own. His father had previously entered 1,000 acres of land here, and W. S. came to take charge of it. He helped to lay out the town of Cross Timbers, was the second merchant in the place, being in partnership with John C. Brown, which business was established in 1874, and the style of the firm was Brown & Pickett. Since 1884, Mr. Pickett has been retired from mercantile life, and has given his attention to his farm. He has been justice of the peace of Cross Timbers, and in his politics is a Democrat.

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This family biography is one of 53 biographies included in The History of Hickory County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Hickory County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Hickory County, Missouri family biographies here: Hickory County, Missouri

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