Lincoln County

Builders: J.W. Biggs

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By Thelma J. McMullen
Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, October 19, 1939

Mr. J.W. Biggs, well-known in Lincoln County, has lived in or near Barnard since before our neighboring city was actually started. He arrived in Lincoln county at the age of 13 years on September 23, 1879, with his family, following a 30 day trip overland via covered wagon and a span of mules. His father bought a farm from Luther Meade for $500. Bert Rathbun now farms this land.

Although the Barnard territory, Salt Creek and Scott townships, was settled by cattlemen about 1868, the lands were first opened by the government to settlers in 1880. Houston & Son, of Concordia, acted as agents. According to one history "these were the days of sod shanties, dugouts and lonesome bachelors, poor and homesick."

At the time the Barnard branch of the Santa Fe was being graded, the spring of 1887, the general supposition of the citizens concerned was that a town was be started near the center of Salt Creek township as it was the only one which had voted bonds. The fact that the railroad planted a depot just across the line in Scott, a boundless township, changed numerous plans. The probable site for the new town was located three and a half miles east of the present site of Barnard.

The Baker Bros. came over from Asherville and started a lumber yard, the first business enterprise secured by either of the rival sites, just across the road from the Saunders residence. A Mr. Ross Wilcox who, incidentally, lived in the first building built in Barnard, was the lumber company's manager.

The railroad, it seems, had plans of its own. When it became evident that their depot would be located in Scott Township, two town-sites were immediately plotted, one on the west edge of Salt Creek township, the other just across the township line in Scott.

The townplat in Salt Creek township was on land belonging to A.A. Ballard, a native of Kentucky. "Doc," as Mr. Ballard, one of the earliest practitioners in Lincoln county, was known by one and all, very generously offered to the city of Barnard a half interest of his quarter section of land it they would consider building thereon.

Shortly after, an interesting rivalry between the two groups of promoters became apparent, the township line dividing them was dubbed "the neutral strip." The Salt Creek side, which eventually became known as East Barnard, was facetiously styled "Slabtown."

The first general store was opened in East Barnard by W.D. Snapp and his son-in-law, Marion Loy. According to one authority, East Barnard seemed to "hold the edge over its neighbor across the way in the summer and fall of 1887. Buildings were moved in from Old Milo and some new ones were put up. A Mr. Gleason opened a general store; a livery stable was also started and operated by John Clark and his father.

"David Metzger ran the first store in Barnard, he kept a small stock of flour and feed in a building which was occupied by J.J. Preo's barber shop at a different location twenty years later. Doc Ballaard opened up a small stock of groceries. Barnard's first post office was established in the Ballard store; a Mr. Albert Smith was the first postmaster."

The first stock of goods of any importance that was put on sale in the new town was managed by Wm. Gill who not only built a corner store, but for a time ran a restaurant and boarded the men who were building the railroad. Mr. Gill moved to Holly, Colorado, where he continued in the same line of business.

The old Barnard hotel, the first one in Barnard, was built and operated by Jim Hoffman.

All this time the railroad graders were hurrying toward Barnard as fast as they could and on or about the fourth day of December, 1887, the track was completed. On January 15, 1888, the road was turned over to the operating department and it is presumed that regular train service went into effect that day.

Thirty odd years ago, The Barnard Bee proudly printed the following paragraph: "But the Barnard of today is a busy, bustling reality, and once again we invite you to come out and visit our little city, look over the beautiful, prolific Salt Creek Valley, and if you know a good thing when you see it you'll camp right here indefinitely."

Mr. J. W. Biggs recalls that "Barnard grew middlin' fast for a few years, but it seemed to go backward after the cars came along."

The first school Mr. Biggs attended was in a dugout a quarter of a mile east of where the Sunnyside school is now located. The dugout boasted two unusual features, a stone floor and a natural spring. It was the duty of one of the older boys to remove the water from the floor and carry it out in a bucket whenever too much water spread over the floor from the spring. The desks consisted of two boards, each a foot wide ; the seat was made from a cottonwood slab, six inches thick. Minnie Farnsworth, the first teacher in the dugout, is said to have kept quite good discipline over her charges. After two years in the dugout, Mr. Biggs attended classes in the stone school house which was doomed to be destroyed by fire. Mr. Biggs had the unexpected pleasure this month to meet on the streets in Lincoln one of his former classmates who attended the school in the Sunnyside neighborhood, namely, Mrs. Alice (Anderson) Hollingsworth.

It is with a sense of regret that Mr. Biggs realizes that the old-time "literaries," arithmetic matches, and the spelling bees are a thing of the past. It is Mr. Biggs' candid opinion that folks in general would be much better off and happier today if they lived and entertained within their means according to the way their forbears did.

Mr. Biggs recalls that his mother sat up until nearly midnight frequently to make all the clothes worn by her family. Many of the settlers had little more than rough benches for furniture. The Biggs family was more fortunate insofar as they had owned nice furniture in the East which they received by shipment a year after they arrived in Lincoln county. Since there was no train going through Barnard yet, they had to have it shipped to Minneapolis where it was stored until it was convenient for Mr. Biggs' father to go after it.

Mr. Biggs recalls that his father had only four cents in his pocket when he arrived near the present site of Barnard. He did not considered himself as "broke," however, because he had placed $25 in a bank at Salina. His father bought fodder for his team and broke five acres of ground shortly after arriving in Kansas. When J.W. Biggs hired out in corn-planting season, he was obliged to drop the kernels by hand in the rows the full length of the field at 25 cents a day, "day in and day out." He remembers that one young fellow who worked near Salina was elated to receive $6 a month for manual labor.

One humorous incident which Mr. Biggs relates in connection with the family's arrival in Lincoln county concerns the time his father expected to get a prairie chicken or two in his own back yard. A temporary stable had been built for the mules by digging a hole in the creek bank and covering it over with slough grass. One day, armed with a cord of wood about the side of his wrist, the elder Mr. Biggs "slipped up" on what he supposed to be two unusually still prairie chickens. Intending to "kill two birds with one aim" he swung a mighty blow that wrought dastardly results. One of the two mules in the stable, quite unmindful of what was about to happen to him, had stretched leisurely to his full heighty. Thus causing his unusually long ears to extend through and beyond the shelter afforded by the slough-grass roof. The resounding whack caused the unsuspecting beast to break his halter and to fall out of the stable backwards into the creek bed.

J. W. Biggs is the nephew of the late Alexander Thadeus Biggs who was so popular with all the school children in Lincoln county when he served in the capacity of county superintendent. In the event that many of our readers will be interested in the following, we quote at article written and published by the aforementioned Mr. A.T. Biggs in 1908:

"Settled as Lincoln county was by pushing western people along with Irish and Scandinavians, it is not strange that education occupied their first thoughts. As early as 1867 or '68, while still keeping an eye open for Indians, Mrs. Skinner gathered her own children, Everton, Alfred, and Bing, and two Ziegler Boys, Elie and Frank, into her dugout and taught them without money and without price.' She afterwards taught district school. In 1868 Marion Loy, one of Forsyth's famous scouts, taught a school in a dugout in Uncle Mart Hendrickson's dooryard.

"John Lyden, a bright, intelligent Irishman, who was murdered and thrown into a well four years later, was appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction, on the organization of the county. At the election in 1871 John Harshbarger was elected superintendent, but refused to qualify. Washington Smith, a scholarly old gentleman, served till the election of 1872, being succeeded in 1874 by John P. Harmon. In 1876 A.T. Biggs was elected, and served six years. He was followed in 1882 by H.B. Harris, who served two years. In 1884 James H. Allsworth was elected, and served four years, being succeeded in 1886 by A.T. Biggs, who served till 1892. Howard Trueman, E.D. Smith, W.E. Lyon and A.J. Stanley, the present incumbent, each served four years. The leading characteristic of each superintendent might be summed up in a single word. Washington Smith, oldest; Wright, handsomest; Harmon, finest presence; Biggs, busiest; Harris, strictest; Allsworth, laziest; Trueman, jolliest; Smith, most dignified; Lyon, most scholarly; and Stanley, most forceful. Brains and energy pervaded the office of superintendent for many years, until today the county stands without a peer."

Another close relative of J.W. Biggs who was popular with many people was his brother, the late Thomas Aubrey Biggs, who was postmaster of Barnard at the time of his death about two years ago. T.A. Biggs had been in the Bank at Barnard several years, he operated a grocery store for a time, was active in the Shady Bend Bank for several years, later bought a novelty store from Fred Sweazy, and received his appointment as postmaster through Hays B. White when the latter was Congressman from the Sixth District. Mrs. T.A. Biggs served out her husband's unexpired term in the post office.

J.W. Biggs, lovingly known as "Bill" by his many friends, was associated with the Blanding Hardware Company for 15 years and was active in the Bank of Barnard for 7 years. Mr. Biggs has farmed extensively for many years; only since 1934, having rented out his farm land to be operated by others. He has lived at his farm home south of Barnard since 1933 where he now resides with a daughter who teaches school and a grandson whom Mr. Biggs fully expects will do justice to the family tradition by being "a good Republican," and possibly exceeding his own "deeds of honor" so liberally given in behalf of his party and country. Bill, himself 73 now, voted Republican at the age of 21 and he's still going strong.

Mr. Biggs, incidentally, is very fond of young people; he appreciates having lively girls and boys come to his home and share an enjoyable time. Thank you, Mr. Bill, we've enjoyed visiting with you, too.

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