My Genealogy Hound

Major B. F. Hackett, mayor of Hackett City, was born in Sebastian County in 1844, and is a son of Jeremiah and Sarah A. (Tichnal) Hackett [see sketch]. He received a limited public school education during his early youth and in March, 1863, enlisted as a private in Company B of the Second Kansas Cavalry. This company was afterward put on detached service to command Hopkins’ Battery. He participated in the fights at Honey Springs, Fort Gibson and Weber’s Falls, but escaped without any wounds. After the war Mr. Hackett attended school a year in Ohio, and upon his return to Arkansas served four years as treasurer of Sebastian County. He then engaged in the mercantile and stock business near Hackett City, on the line of the Indian Territory, and in 1872 located where Hackett City now is, which town he started, and which bears his name. This is now a flourishing town of 1,500 inhabitants, although in 1872 Mr. Hackett was obliged to give away lots in order to induce people to locate here. He owns a large number of town lots, and houses which he rents, and has about 600 acres of valuable land, which contains large deposits of coal. He is the leading business man of the town, and is interested in the saw-mill, lumber and cotton business. Mr. Hackett has served assessor of the county three terms, and was deputy sheriff four years. In 1874 he was appointed by Gen. Armstead to raise a company of militia, of which he was first made captain. He was afterward commissioned major, and recruited and mustered in six more companies. Maj. Hackett is now serving his second term as mayor of the city. In 1872 he married Miss Helen Bradbury, of Ohio, whose father is a merchant and banker at Middleport. Mr. and Mrs. Hackett have two children, John T. and Samuel B. Our subject and wife belong to the New Church, and the former is a member of the American Legion of Honor and the Masonic order, of which he has been District Deputy Grand Master.