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Montana Freemason January 2016 Volume 92 Number 1

Hands of the Workmen
Richard Owen Hickman

27th Grand Master

Richard Owen. Hickman He was again elected a member of the House
was born in Shelbyville, for the thirteenth session, held in 1883, and
Kentucky, 1 November, then introduced the bill calling together the
1831. He was raised and Constitutional Convention of 1884.
educated in Sangamon In 1886 he served as President of the Council. In
County, Illinois. At the 1889 he was elected a member of the Constitutional
age of twenty he went to Convention. Also in 1889 he was elected State
California and engaged in Treasurer of Montana.
mining, livery and express He died on July 20, 1895 in Chicago, IL.
business. He kept a journal His eulogy (in the proceedings of 1895) was
of his trek to California delivered by PGM Wilbur F. Sanders.
“An Overland Journey The pall-bearers consisted of were PGM’s W. F.
to California in 1852” in Sanders, Cornelius Hedges, Hiram Knowles, A. J.
which he described the Davidson, S. W. Langhorne and Moses Morris.
incidents of daily live on the trail. He remained in M.W. Brother Hickman is buried at Forestvale
California until September, 1863, when, his health Cemetery in Helena.
failing, he returned to Springfield, Ill.
On March 1, 1864, he fitted out with ox teams,
laden with merchandise, and again started westward,
arriving in Virginia City, Mont in July, he was
Merchant by occupation, he resided in Virginia City
until his election as State Treasurer. He is recorded
as being a member of Nevada City Lodge No. 4
and as the Worshipful Master in 1884 (no degree
dates are recorded) later he dimitted and affiliated
with Montana Lodge No. 2 in 1888. He served as
Jr. Grand Warden in 1877, Deputy Grand Master in
1890 and Grand Master in 1891.

He was elected to the sixth session of the
Legislature in 1869. In June, 1871, he was appointed
Territorial Treasurer, which office he held until 1875,
when the capital was removed to Helena and he
resigned. In 1876 he was elected a delegate to the
Republican National Convention at Cincinnati, and
was in the same year re-elected to the Legislature. In
1877 he was again returned by Madison County to
the eleventh regular and extraordinary session of the
Legislative Council.

In 1879 he was one of the five members who went
to Benton in order to break a quorum, and thus
prevented the passage of exemption and subsidy
bills in favor of railroads.

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