BIOGRAPHIES

BIOGRAPHIES

RANDOLPH COUNTY ARKANSAS GENEALOGY TRAILS

WILLIAM R. BIGGER

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, c1891 Goodspeed Publishing Co., p. 373.

William R. Bigger is a native resident of Randolph County, Ark., and was born on the farm where he now lives January 1, 1850, and was the eleventh of thirteen children, three now living, born to the marriage of James N. Bigger and Lucretia Parrish, who were born in the State of Missouri in 1810 and 1812, and died in Randolph County, Ark., in 1872 and 1874, respectively.
Their marriage was consummated in Missouri, and they afterward came to this State and settled on the farm on which their son, William R., is now living, which they made their home until their death. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and were well-to-do residents of the county. Their children who are living are Chesterfield, who is a farmer of the county; Caroline, wife of Arthur Barm, also a farmer of the county, and William R. The latter remained with his parents until their demise, and at that time he and his brother took charge of the home farm, which then consisted of 400 acres of land, and by industry and good management have added considerable more land to the original amount.
Laura McKee, who was born in North Carolina in 1855, a daughter of John McKee, became his wife in 1879. She is an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he is a stanch Democrat in politics. He is an energetic and successful agriculturist, and has vastly improved the property left him by his parents. --Transcribed by Anna Newell.

B. F. BIGGER

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, c1891 Goodspeed Publishing Co., p. 373-374.

B. F. BIGGER has been the proprietor of the Bigger's House, one of the first-class hotels of the county, ever since 1881, but previous to that time, his attention had been given to directing the plow and in attending to the duties of farm life. He is a native-born resident of Randolph County, Ark., his birth occurring in 1851, and he is principally self-educated, his knowledge of business affairs being acquired mainly by contact with the world. At the age of twenty-two years, he was married to Miss Ida Simington, who was also born in Randolph County, and of the seven children born to their union, four are living: Thomas, Lute, Kate and George. The other children died in infancy. From the date of his marriage up to 1881, he was engaged in farming for himself, but since that time he has been keeping a hotel in Pocahontas, and by good management, hospitality and fair dealing, he has succeeded in gaining an excellent patronage, and his earnest endeavors to see that the wants and needs of his patrons are satisfied, have tended to make his establishment a favorite resort for the traveling public. He also manages a livery stable, the only one in the place, and has some excellent vehicles and animals ready for use. He owns two excellent farms, one comprising 600 acres and the other 400 acres, and although one place is rented to tenants, it is under his supervision, and he manages the other farm himself, devoting it to the raising of stock, grain and hay. He owns his hotel and stable, and is one of the wealthy citizens of the county. His parents, J. G. and Catherine (Lewis) Bigger, were born and reared in Randolph County, the father being engaged in farming. J. G. was a soldier in the Confederate army, and died in 1863. His father was a Kentuckian, who emigrated to Randolph County, Ark., with his parents when a child, the country at that time being a Territory. Mr. Bigger is a Democrat and a member of the A. F. & A. M. --Transcribed by Anna Newell.

W. T. BISPHAM

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas, c1891 Goodspeed Publishing Co., p. 374.

W. T. BISPHAM, circuit clerk, Pocahontas, Ark. The subject of this sketch needs no introduction to the people of Randolph County, for a long residence, and above all, a career of usefulness and prominence, have given him an acquaintance which shall last for many years. He is a native of Westmoreland County, Va., born in 1841, and is the son of John F. and Martha C. (Templeman) Bispham, both of whom were born in the same county in Virginia. The paternal grandather, William Bispham, was a native of Lancaster, England, and came to America with an older brother, when a child. He was a successful agriculturist, and died in Richmond County, Va., about 1852. The maternal grandfather, Samuel Templeman, was a native of Virginia, a minister in the Baptist Church, and was in the Home Guards during the War of 1812. He was one of the early settlers of Virginia. John F. Bispham was a successful agriculturist and followed this occupation until his death in 1872 at the age of fifty-two years. The mother died in 1870 at about fifty-four years of age. Both were members of the Baptist Church, and the father was for many years a deacon in the same. Both took a great interest in church work. They reared to maturity a family of five children, W. T. Bispham being the eldest. John H. was a soldier in the Ninth Virginia, Confederate army, and was killed at the Battle of Hatch's Run; Robert A. is a carpenter in Washington, D. C.; Samuel T. is a coach maker by trade, and resides in the District of Columbia; Emma died in 1875, and Lou H. married James May, and resides in Washington, D. C. W. T. Bispham remained on the farm until sixteen years of age, and received his education in the private schools. At that age his father engaged in merchandising and W. T. acted in the capacity of clerk, continuing as such until the breaking out of the war. In April 1861 he enlisted in Company C, Montrose Guards, attached to the Forty-seventh Virginia Regiment, Confederate Army, and served until the close of the war. He participated in the battle of Seven Oaks, and was in the entire Richmond Campaign, at Cedar Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and was appointed commissary of his regiment after the last mentioned battle. After the war he returned to merchandising in Virginia. His father was at that time sheriff of Westmoreland County, which office he held a number of terms, and W. T. was made deputy sheriff, filling this position for about a year. In March 1867 he moved to Brownsville, Tenn., and entered the employ of Yancey, Wilder & Co., merchants, as salesman. In January 1868 he accepted the agency of the Carolina Life Insurance Company, and finally located in Randolph County, Ark., and engaged in teaching school, after which be became salesman in a store for Levi Hecht, of Pocahontas and continued in this capacity for a few months, when he engaged as bookkeeper for E. B. Burr & Co. This position he held until July 1869 when he again resumed the position as local agent for the insurance business, and continued that about a year. He then engaged as bookkeeper for J. P. Black & Co. In 1872 he went to Walnut Ridge, Ark, and kept books until the fall of 1873, when he returned to his native State and remained there and taught in the public schools until the fall of 1877; then returning to Pocahontas, he kept books for R. N. Hamil, merchant, until 1885, when he engaged with L. E. Imboden in the same capacity, and remained in that position until 1886. He was then elected clerk and recorder of Randolph County and has held that office ever since, being re-elected without opposition by the people of his county in 1888. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, a Royal Arch Mason and member of the Knights of Honor. He is unmarried. --Transcribed by Anna Newell.

THOMAS STEVENSON DREW

Thomas Stevenson Drew (25 August 1802--January 1879) was a Democratic Governor of the State of Arkansas. He was born in Wilson County, Tennessee. Drew moved with his family to Louisana and then in 1818 to Arkansas. He worked as a traveling salesman and school teacher. Drew settled in the area around Batesville, Arkansas.
In 1824 Drew was appointed county clerk. In 1836 he was chosen as a delegate to the Arkansas constitutional convention. He was elected Governor in 1844, where his administration concentrated on the state's financial solvency and attempted to repair the state's credit. Drew was reelected in 1848 but only served a year of his term before resigning due to the low salary provided for the governor. He retired from politics and worked to try and recover from financial losses. He moved to Weatherford, Texas and later moved to Hood County, Texas. Drew died in January 1879 at Lapin, Texas.
Drew was originally buried in the Old Baptist Cemetery in Lapin, Texas but his body was removed in 1923 by Arkansas officials and moved to the Masonic Cemetery in Pocahontas, Arkansas. Drew County, Arkansas was named after Thomas S. Drew.
Drew was Governor of Arkansas 1844-1849. He was preceded by Samuel Adams and was succeeded by Richard C. Byrd.
Governor Thomas S. Drew was the only governor ever to be elected from Randolph County. While in office, Governor Drew proclaimed December 19, 1841 as the first Thanksgiving Day ever celebrated in Arkansas.
(Sources: Wikipedia and Randolph County Tourism Association.)