Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-02-22

| Il
| In the valley OF the Snake river.
near where that streams forms the
boundry line between Wyoming and
Idaho, lives the father OF the largest
family on the American continent,
and probably In the world. The owner
of this unique distinction Is Heber n.
Kicks, one Of the faithful followers
In religion and practices of the late
Brigham Young Reliable persons who
have known Kicks for many years say
he has twelve wives and sixty-six chill
dren. Many of his sons and daugh-
tiers have long since taken unto them
selves helpmates for life, and to these
have been born 21S children. thereby
bringing the number of souls In the
Kicks family, exclusive of the veneer
able father himself, up to 296.
The members of the Kicks family are
scattered over n stretch of country
fourteen miles long by two miles wide.
Heber Kicks has an even dozen ranch
es, which, with those of the sons and
daughters, make quite a good-sized set
Element. In the centre of this settle
ment town called Ricksville has been
established. Here are located a gener
nj store and church, the latter being
the largest as well as the most sub
stantial building in the Kicks empire.
During week days the church Is trans
formed into school room, and regu-
larry employed teacher usually one OF
the Kicks daughters) labors with the
| descendants of Heber u. On Sundays,
and not unfrequently of an evening,
services, which are, of course, strictly
Mormon are held. These religious
meetings are usually presided over by
the elder Kicks, and are very interest
ing. being conducted in that manner
peculiar to the Mormon faith. In case
of the absence of the Bishop" as the
head Of the family is known in the set
Element, as is frequently the case when
he makes visit to one of his wives
living in the extreme upper or lower
ends of the colony. one of his sons will
fill the pulpit and preach the doctrine
of his father.
Heber u. Kicks is giant in form and
strength, although he is u years old.
Little or nothing is known of his boy
hood, except that he was reared on
farm in western New York. He has
never been know to say much about his
early life other than that he landed in
st. Louis in 1912. From that city he
went to u small settlement in the vicin-
ity of where Independent Mo-, now
stands, where he joined the Mormon
church. A little band of Mormons,
with Kicks at their head, left the place
early in the spring of 1913 and turned
their faces toward Utah. Brigham
Young's party of 225 persons had gone
on the previous year and had left
faint trail which Kicks and his party
followed with great difficulty. This
trail led them across the state of Ne
braska along the Platte river, up the
Big Laramie river, and across the
State of Wyoming by way of Fort La
ramie. and on into the valley of the
great Salt Lake via Echo Canon.
When Kicks left Missouri, it is said,
he was a single man, but when he
and his party reached Salt Lake valley
he was the possessor of five better
halves. Settling near Salt Lake. Kicks
continued to take unto himself addi-
tional wives until he had ten. Early
in the year 1869, with the number of
his wives increased to twelve, Kicks
pulled up stakes and moved across the
mountains through Eastern Idaho to
the valley of Snake river. There upon
one of the most fertile spots to be
found on the continent he established
himself. The first few years were cnes
of great activity for Kicks and lis al
reSdy large family. For time all
| lived in one large house, which was
hastily erected, but later twelve houses,
composed of roughly hewn logs, were
constructed at different points along
! the river. To these were added, in due
time, barns, corrals, and other out
! buildings, and in few years Kicks
vile was something more than n name.
While the population i'm the vicinity
of this. settlement is distinctly Kicks,
| there are Il large number of famines
of other names. The settlement does
not differ i'm this respect or in any other
| from any Mormon settlement, in Utah,
| Wyoming or Idaho, and visitor,
were he not familiar with the history
of the Kicks family, would never sus-
pect that Heber u. was the father of
| so many children.