Benjamin F. Hicks

Benjamin F. Hicks (1847–1925) was an American inventor who was the first to patent the gasoline-powered peanut picker.

Biography Personal life Hicks was born near St. Luke's Church in Southampton County, Virginia circa 1847. Hicks' mother, spelled Lotty or Lottie, could have been a Nottaway Indian; his father is unknown. Hicks was classified either as black or mulatto in census records. Hicks had no formal education,

Hicks married Margaret Chappell, a free black woman, Using the anvil, forge, and woodworking tools in his machine shop, he built these machines mainly for use by himself and his neighbors. His most ambitious undertaking was the invention of a gasoline-powered peanut picker, which was said to have revolutionized peanut farming in the area, He first fielded his peanut picker in 1902, finally perfecting it by the 1903 harvest. The competing Benthall Machine Company also sold a peanut picker following Hicks' design, resulting in a patent dispute.

Death and legacy Hicks died in 1925 in Vicksville, Virginia. He was buried in an unmarked grave on his land. His descendants, in collaboration with the Southampton County Historical Society, created a historical roadside marker in Southampton County, Virginia to honor his accomplishments.