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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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A. J. Biggers, one of the prominent farmers and stock raisers of Polk Township has been identified with Calhoun County since 1865. Soon after his arrival here he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Joanna Means, a daughter of J. H. Means (see sketch of T. N. Means); he then bought forty acres of wild land, on which he at once commenced improvements, and to which he added fifty-five acres more. In 1873, this place becoming too small, he sold it and bought his present farm of 325 acres, one and one-half miles northwest of town, 100 acres of which is under cultivation. Seeing the advantages of stock-raising, he soon turned his attention in that direction, and is now engaged in raising horses, cattle, hogs and sheep; he has nine head of horses, among which is a fine Morgan and Norman stallion; weight 1,204 pounds, and is sixteen and one-half hands high, which has always taken the premium wherever shown. His cattle are graded Durham, hogs, Jersey Red, and graded Cotswold, sheep. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Biggers were born nine children, viz.: May E., Thomas A., James A., Henrietta J., Bob M., Frank M., Margaret, Anna and Lula E. A. J., his wife and M. E. Biggers belong to the Christian Church. Mr. Biggers belongs to the Farmers’ Union, and is an active and enterprising citizen, at all times working for the good of worthy measures. He was born in Tennessee, in 1841, the sixth of a family of seven children born to Alexander and Margaret (McBride) Biggers, natives of Tennessee, in which State the father followed the occupation of farming until 1855, when the family moved to Missouri, settling in Jasper County. Here they lived until the spring of 1856, when the father went to Tennessee on business, and died on the steamboat. The mother died in Sharp County, Ark., in 1884. Our subject was reared on the farm, remaining at home until he was sixteen years, when, upon the death of his father, he began doing for himself, engaging in teaming from Carthage to points north in Missouri. He followed this occupation until the outbreak of the war, when he enlisted in Capt. Pott’s company from Carthage, Mo.; was soon attached to Talbot’s regiment, and sent to Northwest Arkansas, where he participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, also at Pleasant Hill, La., where he was captured; he was soon exchanged and was in service in South Arkansas, but in no more battles. At the close of the war he took up his residence in Arkansas, and has ever since been a worthy and respected citizen of Calhoun County.

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This family biography is one of 67 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Calhoun County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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