My Genealogy Hound

Charles W. Huggins, postmaster of Lamar, Mo., was born in Liverpool, Penn., January 8, 1848, and is the second of five children born to John and Anna M. (Reifsnyder) Huggins, both natives of Pennsylvania, and of Scotch and German descent, respectively. The father was collector of tolls on a Pennsylvania canal for many years. He died in 1859. The mother is still living, and is a resident of Pennsylvania. Owing to the death of his father, the education of Charles W. Huggins did not receive the attention merited, and he did not attend school after he was fourteen years of age. At the age of fifteen years he came to Logansport, Ind., to live with a rich uncle; but, not liking the appearance of that gentleman, he came on to Clark County, Mo., where he clerked in a store for several years. He then spent five years in the Black Hills and in the West, after which he returned to Clark County, Mo., and was there married to Miss Mary Folker, who bore him a son. Mr. Huggins followed farming in Clark County until 1882, when he moved to Lamar, bought the paper, Barton County Progress, and, in connection with Mr. Lee Chiswell, ran it until 1888, Mr. Huggins being business manager, and Mr. Chiswell editor. Although without experience, Mr. Huggins went to work, and soon could set up a column as quickly as anyone. The name of the paper was changed to Lamar Democrat, and the circulation increased from 450 to 1,500. In 1885 Mr. Huggins was appointed postmaster at Lamar. March 15, 1887, he married Miss Sarah Groves, a native of Illinois, who bore him one child, a daughter. He is an Odd Fellow, and, in his politics, affiliates with the Democratic party.