Curtis Alexander Higgins 
Curtis Alexander Higgins one of the early settlers of Adin, Modoc County
His brother, Vincent Lafayette Higgins is also found in the 1874-1879 Modoc County Great Register, but he moved on the Washington State (his diaries are actually at Washington State University). His brother William Thomas "Tom" Higgins came west too, but he ended up being killed while he was napping by Lewis Knott in Washington State (Lewis was later lynched.).
Curtis Alexander Higgins b. 12-30-1846 in Yancey County, NC; d. 11-27-1932 in Adin, Modoc County, CA, son of Hosea J Higgins and Margaret Marinda Byrd. Tried to enlist in CSA in 1861 but was told he was too young. Several months later enlisted in Company G, 58th NC Regiment. In later years he mused " seemed like it was always fight and run for us fellers... appeared as though our bellies were always empty and that we were cold most of the time." In recalling the long, weary march home he said it was the hardest experience of his youthful years - "some of us were barefoot, a lot of us were sick and hurt, we were all tired out and half starved. A lot of the boys never did get home, just lay down and died along the way." He stayed through to the end. He was one of only 3 or 4 surviving veterans of the Civil War in all of Modoc County, California by 1930. The 58th Infantry Regiment was organized in Mitchell County, North Carolina, in July, 1862. Its twelve companies were recruited in the counties of Mitchell, Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, McDowell, and Ashe. In September it moved to Cumberland Gap and spent the winter of 1862-1863 at Big Creek Gap, near Jacksboro, Tennessee. The 58th participated in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee from Chickamauga to Atlanta , guarded prisoners at Columbia, Tennessee, during Hood's operations, then moved to South Carolina and skirmished along the Edisto River. Later it returned to North Carolina and saw action at Bentonville . It lost 46 killed and 114 wounded at Chickamauga, totalled 327 men and 186 arms in December, 1863, and took about 300 effectives to Bentonville. The unit was included in the surrender on April 26, 1865. After the war, he hung around Yancey County, NC, for several years. Stories of the prosperous west, now being opened up by the Union Pacific Railway, made their way back to the Southland. Curtis and several other young southerners, hooked up with Dick Sparks, a stockman of some means who was taking livestock across country to California to show in the 1869 State Fair in Sacramento. Curtis was responsible for driving twelve head of cattle, twelve hogs and a small bunch of chickens in return for an interest in the livestock. The small group was well armed and rode horseback across the plains from the Missouri River to Sacramento but the entire group won a total of only $10.00 in cash prizes in the showing of their livestock, which was mostly in poor flesh from their long journey. The chickens, which survived the trip, proved almost worth their weight in gold, since most of the poultry in California at that time were of the scrubby, Spanish variety. Curtis settled in Modoc County in 1874 and he bought and operated the first stage line between Susanville and the Big Valley, bringing the first mail service to Western Modoc County, CA. Parts of his ranch are still known as Higgins Flats in the area. Stopping places along the route were few and far between where a man could get accommodations and Curtis’ ready rifle contributed game to the stage stations along the route as well as to his own family larder. While delivering mail he noticed mail addressed to Chandler’s in the area. Now Curtis had gone to school at the Day Book Grade School in Yancey County, NC with Mary Eleanor Chandler’s brother, John Addison Chandler, and went to see if they were the same Chandler’s. They were, he married Mary Eleanor Chandler, and they moved to Lassen County in mid’ summer 1876(?) Note that John Addison Chandler’s (3-18-1852 Yancey Cty NC - 1-12-1924 Chino, CA) second wife was Elizabeth Higgins. Even in his later years, Curtis was a good rider and a crack shot. It is said that even in his late seventies, with a modern automobile standing at his ranch house door, he could often be seen riding along the highway, rifle across his saddle pommel. On one occasion, when a very old man, he was riding home from the nearby town of Adin during a violent thunderstorm. A lightning bolt hit a big pine tree that fell across the highway just as Curtis was passing underneath. A group of motorists reaching the scene, found the horse crushed to death, with the old rider’s leg pinned beneath the animal’s body. Badly bruised and shaken, Curtis, nevertheless, suffered no permanent injury from the accident. The 1880 Census shows a white female servant, age 14, Luise Buff?? Modoc CA The 1885 Directory of Modoc County CA lists Curtis A Higgins, Farmer. The 1892 Great Register of Modoc County CA lists Curtis Alexander Higgins, 6'2", aged 47, brown hair, blue eyes, occup. Miller. The 1900 Census shows a Dorie B. Higgins living with them (age 14 years). Various newspaper archives (Big Valley Gazette, Lookout News, New Era, Lassen Advocate, Adin Argus) mention Curtis, as C. A. Higgins. He was referred to as the Round Valley Stockman and Orchardist. New Era - October 1908 - Adin - C A Higgins was in town this week with a load of apples from his ranch north of Adin. Mr. Higgins’ orchard is about the only one in the section in which the fruit was not all killed last Spring. New Era - December 1908 - Mrs. C A Higgins went "below" for treatment. New Era - March 17, 1909 - Mrs. C A Higgins, who recently went "below" for surgical treatment, arrived on the Madeline Stage last Saturday. She is much improved in health. Lassen Advocate - March 5, 1915 - A rabid stricken coyote attacked Curt Higgins in Clover Swale last week but was killed before it could bite him. (Curtis would have been just under 69 years old.) New Era - February 1908 - John Barnes is engaged at the C A Higgins place putting up a substantial wood house. Lookout News - October 1898 - C A Higgins of Round Valley was in town the other day and purchased a spring wagon of Read and Morris. "Curt" has a little angel visitor that calls him papa, and in consequence, he is happy. Curtis also served on the Grand Jury several times. He was called as a witness in a famous investigation in June of 1901 at Lookout, CA. On or about May 25, 1901, Calvin Hall and his three sons and son-in-law were arrested for petty larceny or other misdemeanor and they were held in jail pending investigation/trial. On May 30, 1901, around midnight, a group of masked men raided the jail, took the sons & son-in-law to a bridge across Pitt River and hung them all. After they hung the (4) men, they came back looking for Calvin and aroused him from his "sleeping couch" and hurried him to another bridge and hung him as well. After investigation, on June 28, 1901, they arrested Robert Leventon, Isom Eades, and Jim Brown, very prominent citizens in Lookout. (No indication as to how the trial ended.) Curtis and Mary Eleanor Chandler had (5) children. Arthur Walden Higgins b. 8-06-1876 in Adin; died 9-28-1916 in Alameda, CA - he was law enforcement officer and was killed in the line of duty in Oakland, CA. Curtis Alexander Higgins (Jr) b. 10-09-1898 and died June 1954 - buried in Klamath Falls, OR. Ora Ett Higgins b. 9-22-1878 in Adin - I believe she married C E Hudspeth on 4-25-1902 in Eagleville, CA and she and her husband were both teachers. Jessica Belle Higgins b. 10-12-1885 in Adin, CA and Catherine Elgie Higgins b. 9-22-1880. Note that Curtis’ brother, Vincent Lafayette Higgins, has a daughter named Belle. Surprise Valley Record - September 1931 - Newspaper Article... STIRRING DAYS ARE RECALLED AT MODOC PIONEER BANQUET Following an annual custom of many years standing, the Alturas Parlor of the Native Daughters of the golden West, entertained the pioneers at a dinner on Admission Day. Few are living in Modoc County that crossed the plains, before the advent of the Union Pacific. Several of the older pioneers were unable to make the journey from their homes to the banquet hall. Among the covered wagon pioneers present were; Mrs. Mary Ivory, Colonel William Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Flournoy of Likely, C. A. Higgins and Mrs. C. C. Auble of Adin and Mrs. Addie F. Ralston. C. A. Higgins is the only Confederate veteran of the Civil War left in Modoc County. He was in one of the last desperate battles between the North and South, when 750 comrades of his division were left dead on the field and the raged regiment of which he was a member simply marched back home rather than stack their arms in surrender. Colonel William Thompson, who is in his eighty-sixth year, crossed the plains as a small boy in the middle fifties, his family becoming prominent in Oregon political life. Thompson himself won much honor as an Indian fighter in the early days of the west and later as a newspaperman and author. In the early sixties, John D. Flournoy rose a saddle horse all the way from Missouri to the Sacramento valley driving a herd of cattle. Following the special old-timer dinner, a special program led by Mrs. Mildred Boyd, president of the local chapter, rendered for the entertainment of the old folks. SG - State Grant SS - State Selection Key to Meridians: HM - Humbolt GS - Gila and Salt River (along the Colorado River) MD - Mount Diablo SB - San Bernardino MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RANGE SECTION DOCID DATE NAME MD 0400N 0090E 025 1523 1884/05/10 HIGGINS CURTIS A MD 0400N 0090E 026 1523 1884/05/10 HIGGINS CURTIS A MD 0400N 0090E 014 1625 1892/04/01 HIGGINS CURTIS A MD 0400N 0090E 015 1625 1892/04/01 HIGGINS CURTIS A MD 0400N 0090E 015 3330 1904/04/08 HIGGINS CURTIS A MD 0400N 0090E 022 4542 1906/05/01 HIGGINS MARGARET M MD 0400N 0090E 023 2505 1906/06/30 HIGGINS MARGARET MARINDA MD 0400N 0090E 024 2505 1906/06/30 HIGGINS MARGARET MARINDA MD 0400N 0090E 026 2505 1906/06/30 HIGGINS MARGARET MARINDA On 1900 census, family had William H. Bean, living with them as a servant. Male, 29, white.
We would be very interested in any information about the children of Curtis Alexander Higgins. We are also asking for any addtional information on Thomas A. Higgins and wife Mary Higgins whose grave sites are found in the cemetery at Adin.
Submitted the family of Curtis Alexander Higgins
February 2009