BIGGS, William

BIGGS, STEWART, CLARK, CUSTER, HANSELL, BASSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker
Date: 1/20/2014 at 06:25:08

History of Decatur County Iowa and Its People
Illustrated, Volumne II.
Prof. J. M. Howell and Heman C. Smith, Supervising Editors
The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 219-23. Chicago. 1915.

WILLIAM BIGGS

Among the prominent citizens of Leon is William Biggs, retired farmer, merchant and minister of the gospel. His birth occurred in Licking county, Ohio, May 24, 1844, and he is a son of James W. and Susan Ann (Stewart) Biggs, the latter being a descendant of the royal house of Stewarts of Scotland. The birth of the father occurred on the loth of January, 1814, in Fauquier county, Virginia, and there the mother was born on the 7th of April, 1809. The paternal grandfather of our subject, James Biggs, was born in England but soon after the Revolutionary war emigrated to America and settled in Fauquier county, Virginia. His brother, William Biggs, who also lived in Virginia for some time, returned to England and is thought to have left a large estate there.

The marriage of James W. Biggs and Susan Ann Stewart was solemnized in Fauquier county, Virginia, on the 24th of February, 1834. Subsequently they removed to Licking county, Ohio, where Mr. Biggs engaged in farming and preaching, being a minister of the Primitive Baptist church, serving without compensation. He passed away at his home on the 14th of May, 1862, but was survived by his widow until November 20, 1893. They were well known among the pioneers of central Ohio and were highly esteemed and respected. To their union were born seven children: Lucy A., who has passed away; Rebecca, residing at Pleasanton, Iowa; William; Phylena, deceased; James, a resident of Marion county, Ohio; and Mary E. and Sarah C, both of whom are deceased.

William Biggs attended the public schools in his native county and received a good education. He at one time thought of fitting himself for teaching, but as his father died when he was but eighteen years of age it was necessary for him to give up that plan. He remained at home with his mother and had charge of the farm of ninety-four acres, about half of which was under cultivation when his father died. It being timber land there was a large sugar camp of hard maple trees which was used to supply sugar and molasses for the family. There was an abundance of fruit on the farm and with the practical application of mind and muscle there was a good living provided on this small piece of land for the family. When in his twenty-first year he left home and came to Iowa to visit a sister. He met Miss Caroline Clark, and after a brief courtship they were engaged to be married.

Mr. Biggs left Decatur county and during the summer of 1865 lived in Des Moines. Returning in November he was married on the 30th of that month to Miss Caroline Clark, daughter of John and Margaret Clark of Morgan township, Decatur county. This marriage was solemnized at Leon, Iowa, by Elder J. C. Porter, of the Christian church, in the old Brown Hotel. As life in a new country did not suit Mr. Biggs he took his bride to Ohio, but her parents desired to have her closer to them and offered to give the young couple eighty acres of land just north of the Clark homestead if they would return. In 1866 Mr. Biggs came again to this county and lived for a time with the parents of Mrs. Biggs. He worked in the woolen mill operated by his father-in-law. There were four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Biggs: Edmond, who resides in Leon, Iowa; Cora Biggs Custer, who resides in Bethany, Missouri; Nora, who resides in Los Angeles, California; Dora, who died aged two months and twenty-one days.

In the fall of 1866 Mr. Biggs erected a three room house on his eighty acres and began clearing his land. He also purchased ten acres of white oak timber land and personally split from six to seven thousand rails, which he had to haul home three miles. With these rails he fenced his land and in time his place was well improved and under cultivation. For a number of years he rented land from his father-in-law, which he farmed, and in the meantime cleared and developed his own place. Subsequently he purchased another eighty acres of land adjoining, and with the aid of his son Edward began stock-raising extensively, but poor health made it necessary for him to give up farming. In 1889 he purchased thirty-nine acres adjoining the town of Leon, which he improved and upon which he located. In 1899 he bought and built his present residence in Leon. Since giving up agricultural pursuits he has concentrated his attention largely upon the work of the ministry, having made a confession of his faith in Christ when he was twenty-three years old. He belongs to the Primitive Baptist church and has preached over a large section of country and without receiving any salary. He has an extensive Bible reference library and is recognized as a thorough student of the Bible and a deep thinker along religious lines. He has made a careful study of theology and is a contributor to the Messenger of Peace, published at St. Joseph, Missouri, and Spiritual Law Counsel, published at Salem, Virginia.

Mr. Biggs has had much to do with the commercial and financial growth of Leon and everything he has undertaken has prospered. In 1895 he erected a two-story brick building upon a lot which Mrs. Biggs owned on the north side of the public square and opened a general store known as C. Biggs & Company, with G. W. Custer as general manager, who three years later was succeeded by Mr. Biggs' son Edward as manager.

In 1899 Mr. Biggs purchased a lot on the northwest corner of the square and erected a fine two-story brick building, fifty by ninety feet in dimensions, and the following year the store was moved to that building. In 1909 the business was sold to Basson & Company, who sold to F. N. Hansell, who still rents the building from Mr. Biggs. In 1907 Mr. Biggs built adjoining this structure a building fifty by ninety feet, now occupied by the Stewart Furniture & Undertaking Company. Mr. Biggs owned a lot on Commercial street in Leon, and the city being in need of water for public use, he hired a well driller and drilled to the sandstone formation over eight hundred feet, at a cost of over two thousand dollars, and got an abundance of water. He sold one-half interest to Mr. Dorn of Leon and they dug a cistern sixteen by thirty feet, installed a pressure tank, then Mr. Biggs sold all of his interest to Mr. Dorn at a loss of about fifty per cent of the cost, which was about three thousand six hundred dollars, including the cost of the lot. The city purchased the lot and drilled a larger well, which affords an abundance of the best water. What Mr, Biggs lost the city gained.

In 1911 Mr. Biggs went to California purchased a lot fifty-three by one hundred and fifty-two feet in Los Angeles, and erected a two-story flat thereon, where he and is family live when in the Golden state. In 1914 he erected an apartment house containing six suites on the same lot.

In the late '90s Mr. Biggs sold out his entire interests in Morgan township and invested in farm land on the Leon and Davis City road, three miles from Leon. In 1895 his wife fell heir to her father's estate and the money which she received was invested in mercantile business and in one hundred and twentv acres of land in Center township, adjoining the corporation of Leon. In the fight to remove the county seat of Decatur county from Leon to Decatur City, Mr. Biggs took an active part in the contest, was influential in retaining the county seat for Leon and was the originator of the movement to build the fine new courthouse.

In his political belief he is independent, voting according to the dictates of his judgment rather than at the behest of a party leader. He has accomplished much in his life along material lines and is one of the prominent men of Decatur county, while his activities have also resulted in the growth and development of Leon.

He has also achieved much as a minister of the gospel and his work has been a potent force in the building up of the kingdom of Christ. His has been indeed a well balanced life and financial success has gone hand in hand with religious zeal and loyalty to the teachings of Christ and Christianity.

This sketch will not be complete without mentioning Mrs. Biggs as a true helpmate in doing her part faithfully during almost fifty years of their married life. The reader should read the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs, beginning at the tenth verse to the close of the chapter. This teaches the possibility of a true woman. Also the first Psalm tells us of the possibilities of a man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. Mr. Biggs has never joined any secret order, as he believes he is under obligations to be just and fair to all men without respect of persons. The only protection is in the God that he serves.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2014

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1887 Biographical Record
Transcription by Christy Jay

WILLIAM BIGGS

WILLIAM BIGGS resides on section 18, Morgan Township, where he owns 160 acres. The south eighty, where he resides, were entered by JOHN CLARK, who made the first improvements. The north eighty were entered by another man who made no improvements. Mr. Clark lived here until 1875. The farm is now all fenced, and besides improving the north eighty, he has cleared and improved about twenty-eight acres of the south half. Mr. BIGGS was born om Licking County, Ohio in 1844, where he lived until twenty years of age. His parents were JAMES and SUSAN BIGGS, natives of Virginia, who were early settlers of Licking County. The father died in 1862. The mother is still living on the homestead in Ohio, at the age of seventy-six years. There were seven children, two sons and five daughters, six are living – REBECCA wife of BENJAMIN RICHARDSON, of Mercer County, Missouri; Mrs. SARAH C. BOYD, of Licking County, Ohio; WILLIAM; Mrs. PHILENA HAYNES, of Grundy County, Missouri; JAMES, a resident of Ohio, and Mrs. ELIZABETH DAVIDSON, of Macon County, Illinois. WILIAM is the only one who has ever lived in Iowa. He married CAROLINE CLARK, of Davis City and they have three children – EDMUND B., CORA and ELNORA. DORA died in infancy.