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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Randolph County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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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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.

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This family biography is one of 110 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Randolph County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Randolph County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Randolph County, Arkansas family biographies here: Randolph County, Arkansas Biographies

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