Originally published to facebook.com/NorthPlattePL on July 29, 2022.
Welcome back to another Facebook Friday History!
Today we look at an early pioneer, Jonathan Higgins. I chose to highlight this pioneer because of the paragraph below that was written about him in “An Illustrated history of Lincoln County Nebraska and her people” by Ira Bare:
“Jonathan Higgins was a member of a family that never succeeded in raising its condition above the line of self-respecting poverty, and consequently, he was obliged to confront the serious problems of life at an early age. He had limited schooling in subscription schools in North Carolina, but attended school only when the weather did not permit work in the open fields. He had some farming experience in Virginia and was about seventeen years of age when he came to Nebraska in 1854.”
So many of the people we highlight each week in this post became pillars of our community, county, and state. Roads are named after them, they left their impact on our community for decades after they are deceased.
But so many pioneers were just people. God-fearing people. Hard-working people. People who worked hard their entire life; and their life consisted of sadness and struggle. Even though this man was poor and led a life of misfortune; he was so highly regarded for his integrity and grit; that he was highlighted and included in the quintessential historical book of Lincoln County, right alongside doctors, lawyers, mayors, businessmen and ranchers. Please read on!
Jonathan Higgins was born in North Carolina on October 14, 1837 to Vincent and Jane (Wilson) Higgins. Jonathan was the sixth of seven children born to Vincent and Jane. Jane Higgins was a member of an English Quaker Colony in Virginia and when Jonathan was 4 years old, they moved back to the Quaker Colony in Virginia. The Higgins family were hard-working farmers. Jonathan’s father passed away when he was 10 years old (1847). When he wasn’t working, he did attend some school.
At age 17, Jonathan joined his older brother, Andrew and his wife on a journey west. They traveled overland by oxen team in a covered wagon to the Nebraska Territory, arriving at Fort Kearny on November 11, 1854. At this time, the First Fort Kearny was located in present day, Nebraska City, Nebraska.
Like many pioneers, life was hard a challenging at this time period (1854). Jonathan Higgins spent the next five years moving freight with an ox team from Nebraska City to Denver, Colorado. This trip took three months to make one round trip.
Jonathan Higgins joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in February 1858 in Nemaha County, Nebraska. He spent much of his time reading and studying the bible. While living in Nemaha, he served two terms as county commissioner; justice of the peace; and a member of the school board.
On November 26, 1857, Jonathan Higgins (age 20) married Mary Fletcher Good. Twelve children were born to them:
- Lamira Isabelle “Belle” Higgins (1858-1946). She married James H. Edmisten, Nemaha County, Nebraska. ;
- Lowell Mason Higgins (1860-1916). Born in Auburn, NE. Elected Sheriff of Red Willow County (McCook), Nebraska in 1900-1911. ;
- Lillian Lavica Higgins (1862-1898) Born in Nebraska City, NE. Married C.F. Stuck and lived in Nuckolls County, Nebraska. Died of consumption. ;
- Ulysses Grant Higgins (1864-1952). Became a breeder of full blood Red hogs at Fairmont NE. ;
- Elbert Arlington Higgins (1866-1901). Died of consumption. ;
- Emery Hubert Higgins (1868-1919). ;
- Dennis W. Higgins (1870-1871); Born and died in Glen Rock, NE at one year of age. ;
- Oliver Burton Higgins (1872-1874). Died at age two. ;
- Oscar Higgins (1874-1874). Researchers believe that Oscar and Ida (#10) were twins. Both Twins died on the day they were born. ;
- Ida Mae Higgins (1874-1874). ;
- Mary Ethelyn Higgins (1877-1975). Married A.R. McCain, an oil operator and lived in Wyoming. ;
- Homer S. Higgins (1879-1880). Died at eight months of age. ;
As Jonathan’s luck came and went, the family would move around Nebraska, with children born and buried in several different Nebraska counties. Sadly, Mary Higgins died three days after giving birth to Homer 1880. She was forty years old.
On November 7, 1881, Jonathan married Phebe Helane Delay (1857-1923) in Nelson Nebraska. Phebe and Jonathan had three children:
- William Clarence Higgins (1883-1931). He became a farmer near Cambridge, NE;
- Clara Viola Higgins (1888-1972). Married H.C. Woodgate, a farmer living south of North Platte;
- Jennings Bryan Higgins (1897-1948). Graduated from North Platte High School. Served in WWI. He lived in California and was a postal worker.
When Jonathan first came to the Nebraska territory in 1854. He settled in what became Nemaha County and underwent horrible difficulties and just had one bad thing after another happen to him. It was difficult to make a living, as he was isolated from the markets; and had to contend with dry, hot weather. Not to mention grasshoppers and nearly every other infestation of pests. His land was reclaimed at one point.
When the Civil War occurred (1861-1863), Jonathan was involved in “freighting.” This meant that he was operating a team of ox, hauling goods by wagon over the Oregon Trail, from Nebraska City and Denver, including all the western forts and post in between those places. During the war years, he carried government supplies to the Forts across the prairie.
During the “Panic of 1873,” Jonathan lost every cent he had worked so hard for. Have any of my readers heard of the “panic of 1873?” This panic was a financial crisis that started in Europe and spread to North America. It lasted from 1873 to 1877. This “Panic” was known as the “Great Depression” until the events of 1929 and the early 1930s set a new standard for inflation and economic instability.
In 1880, Jonathan moved to Nuckolls county, where he bought land. By 1884, he bought additional land in Furnas county and was successfully raising livestock. He stayed in Furnas County until 1908. At that time, he sold his ranch and arrived in Lincoln County, and purchased land near Bignell. He maintained 340 acres and ranched until 1916, when he retired in North Platte. He was well known by many North Platte residents.
Jonathan Higgins died on April 26, 1924, at age 86, in North Platte, Nebraska. He was a devout Methodist, a Mason and an independent voter. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Cambridge, Nebraska.
Thank you for reading! See you next week!
