Near Courtland in Southampton County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Benjamin F. Hicks
1847-1925
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, October 28, 2011
1. Benjamin F. Hicks Marker
Inscription.
Benjamin F. Hicks. Born six miles north of here near Courtland in the Berlin-Ivor District of Southampton County, African American Benjamin Hicks made his living by farming. Highly respected for his industrious and creative talents, he used the anvil, forge, and woodworking devices in his machine shop to improve peanut farming methods. By 1902, Hick had received a patent for his invention of a gasoline-powered machine for stemming and cleaning peanuts and is noted for his contributions to the development of the peanut harvester. Hick's picker is believed to have helped revolutionize farming in Southampton and the peanut growing area. He is buried on his farm.
Born six miles north of here near Courtland in the Berlin-Ivor District of Southampton County, African American Benjamin Hicks made his living by farming. Highly respected for his industrious and creative talents, he used the anvil, forge, and woodworking devices in his machine shop to improve peanut farming methods. By 1902, Hick had received a patent for his invention of a gasoline-powered machine for stemming and cleaning peanuts and is noted for his contributions to the development of the peanut harvester. Hick's picker is believed to have helped revolutionize farming in Southampton and the peanut growing area. He is buried on his farm.
Erected 2008 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number U-120-a.)
Location. 36° 48.104′ N, 77° 1.969′ W. Marker is near Courtland, Virginia, in Southampton County. It is at the intersection of Ivor Road (Virginia Route 616) and St. Lukes Road ( Route 633), on the right when traveling south on Ivor Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Courtland VA 23837, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Coastal Virginia and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,129 times since then and 598 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 29, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
