Fickas, Benjamin A.

Submitted by Tamara Kincaide

A Historical and biographical record of the territory of Arizona
McFarland & Poole, 1896, 579 pgs.

Maricopa County, AZ may well be proud of the amount of brains possessed by her representative citizens for taken as a whole there are none brighter, more intelligent or with more ability or push in any direction, and among the number is Benjamin A Fickas.

Like many other representative men of the county he was born in the east, his birth occurring in Warrick County Indiana, July 6 1848, and there he received a good practical education. In the year 1863 he enlisted in Company A 143RD IND VOL INF, and served until the close of hostilities. After that he went to Missouri and made his home there until 1872, and then went to San Diego CA, where he remained until 1876.

From there he made his way to Tombstone AZ, and later became the clerk of district court and filled other positions of trust in that place being a member of the territorial council in 1880 and 1881.Mr. Fickas was interested in the formation of Cochise County at that rather stormy session.

His has been closely identified in education and lodge matters since living in Arizona, being school trustee at the organization of schools in Tombstone. At the present he is president of the Phoenix School Board. He was the first Grand Chancellor, Knights of Pythias of Arizona; he was the supreme representative of that body from 1886 to 1890 and now in 1896 supreme representative to 2000 members.
In July 1880, Mr. Fickas was united in marriage to Miss Ella Moody of Warrensburg, Missouri, she a member of the oldest and most highly respected families of that state. Four children have blessed this union, Elizabeth Jane, William Moody, Mary Ella and Melville Phillip.Mr. Fickas is very domestic in his tastes and is a devoted home man, He organized the Valley Abstract Company in 1887,and has been president of that organization ever since. He enjoys full confidence of the county, a conservative man who has a host of warm friends.