Higginbotham Brothers began in late 1880 when JM Higginbotham along with his family moved from Water Valley, Mississippi to Dublin, TX. According to recorded documents, the trees were just being cleared for the town site and the Central Texas Railroad had just made its advent in the area, when two brothers decided to open a General Mercantile in Deleon, TX. So began the first link in the Higginbotham Brothers chain.
By the early 1900s the brothers, along with other relatives, opened 8 other General Stores in towns such as Ballinger, Comanche, Dublin, Rising Star, and Stephenville. In the early years, the stores did a tremendous amount of credit business. Many times they would carry the farmers from early spring to fall when the crops were harvested. The stores either bought the crops or saw to it that the farmers were paid full market prices for what they had to sell. There were some notably tough years with drought, the Great Depression, and boll weevils, but the company adjusted and continued to prosper.
It can be said that in most towns, Higginbotham Brothers served the customers from their birth to the grave. All locations sold dry goods and clothing, and most also operated an undertaking department. Along with, of course, lumber and the above, the company dabbled for a time in the automotive industry as well as farm implements.
That same enduring spirit that began over 140 years ago is still alive in well in the Higginbotham Brothers Company. In October 1999 Rufus H Duncan, Jr., a great-grandson of one of the founders, purchased the existing Higginbotham Brothers stores, adding this to the Big Tin Barn locations of East Texas that he already owned. In 2001, the Higginbotham-Bartlett’s of West Texas were added to the Higginbotham family.
Higginbotham Brothers today operates 40 locations within Texas and Oklahoma. Through the years, many components of the business have changed. We’ve replaced dry goods with a notable hardware department. In addition to the core of Lumber and Building Materials, we’ve added lines and departments such as Husqvarna, Stihl, and hunting and fishing supplies including guns and ammo to fit our community growing needs.
The existence and continued success of our Higginbotham Brothers are due to our dedicated and hardworking staff and the communities that have supported our stores since 1881. We are proud to say that Higginbotham Brothers has served local communities for over 140 years and will continue to do so.
