Gaston, Joseph. "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912." Vol. 4. Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 768. JAMES W. HIGGINS The name of no single individual is perhaps more closely associated with the development, upbuilding and improvement of Montavilla than that of James W. Higgins, for he located here when the town contained only one hundred and fifty inhabitants. He has lived to witness the growth of its population to eight thousand and in all the material improvement of the city he has taken active part. He was born in Brunswick, Missouri, November 20, 1857, and is a son of Robert H. and Rebecca A. (Henderson) Higgins, in whose family were six children. Fannie, the eldest, is the wife of George Brannon, of St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest engineer on the Missouri river, having entered the steamboat service a long time prior to the Civil war. He was engineer on the first boat that went up to Fort Benton and he has a very wide acquaintance along the Mississippi and the ports to which his work has taken him. Unto him and his wife have been born four children, Cora, Lee, Joe and Edna. Arbelia Higgins, the second of the family, became the wife of Major J. H. Townson, of Gallatin, Missouri, and they have three children, Walter, Robert and Bessie. John, the next of the family, is living in Arleta, Oregon, and has one child, Mabel. Charles G. is a resident of Guthrie, Oklahoma. James W. is the next of the family. Minnie is the wife of W. E. Osborn, of Gallatin, Missouri, and they have three children, Robert, Margaret and Edwin. The youthful days of James W. Higgins were passed in the manner of most boys of his locality and period and when sixteen years of age he began learning the carpenter's trade in Missouri, in which state he resided until the spring of 1879. At that date he went to Leadville, Colorado, where he worked for a short time, receiving fifteen dollars per day as his wage for carpentering. He next proceeded to Canon City, Colorado, where he also spent but a brief period, and later was located for a time in Colorado Springs and afterward in Kansas. From the latter point he returned home, continuing in Missouri until the spring of 1880, when he went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he worked for the government for four years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Harrisonville, Missouri, and while living there was married. He wedded Miss Emma Abbott, a daughter of Silas and Mary J. (Webb) Abbott. Mrs. Higgins is a native of Illinois, but the family had removed to Harrisonville, Missouri, ere her marriage. Three children have been born to them: Blanche, who is engaged in dressmaking and makes her home with her parents; Lee R. S., who is engaged in the plumbing business in Montavilla and is married and has two children, Elnery and, Dorothy; and Roy, who is at home. Following his marriage Mr. Higgins continued to reside in Harrisonville for a year,. after which he located in Oberlin, Kansas, where he lived for two years. He then returned to Colorado Springs, where the succeeding four years were passed, after which he came to Oregon, making his way at once to Portland. He chose Montavilla as the place of his residence, arriving here in 1891. He found a small town of about one hundred and fifty inhabitants. There was a little grocery store owned by a Mr. Johnson, now deceased, a small meat market owned by Murray & Sloan and a little water plant, which was the property of Warren Burrden. School was held in a hall and the only car service was a motor car running to Mount Tabor every thirty minutes. A year later a car line was built out Glison street to Eighty-fourth. The town has enjoyed substantial and rapid growth, having now a population of eight thousand. There are six handsome churches, a fine school, built in an attractive style of architecture, and the improvements of the town include electric lights, cement sidewalks, water works and a thirty-minute car service to Mount Hood and seven-minute service to Portland. After living in Montavilla for a few months Mr. Higgins purchased property and built a home, erecting the first house on Eightieth street. He has continuously engaged in contracting and building, erecting the first house in Hawthorne's first addition and carrying on his building operations throughout the town. He has been an, active participant in the growth and progress of the city and he owns business as well as residence property in Montavilla, which has increased largely in value since he made his first investment. In his political views Mr. Higgins has always been a stalwart democrat and has taken an active interest in politics but not as an office seeker. He has been offered political positions in the city of Portland but would not accept, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the latter organization he has filled all of the chairs in the subordinate lodge and he is ever loyal to the teachings of the order, and faithful to the high principles for which it stands. His upright and honorable life has gained for him the high respect and good-will of those with whom he has come in contact during the twenty years of his residence in Montavilla. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.