Rufus Wilson Higginbotham along with his brother Joseph Martin (Joe) Higginbotham began the Higginbotham store in Dublin not long after their older brother Boliver opened the first store in De Leon. 

   Rufus served as President of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank in De Leon and the Dublin National Bank and was a director for many years of the First National Bank of Dallas.

   As the Higginbotham chain grew, in 1913 he moved from Dublin to Dallas to manage the businesses.  He became President when the corporation was reorganized in 1917 and served in that capacity until his death on March 26, 1931.

   He and his siblings like so many other De Leon area pioneers, were born in Lafayette County, Mississippi near Taylors Depot.  R.W. was born on Sept 18, 1858 and died in 1931.  The brothers came to Dublin in 1879 and were followed by their parents in 1882.

   At the time of his death, he was President of the De Leon Peanut Co., Higginbotham Bros. & Co. Higginbotham Bailey, Logan Co. Higginbotham Bartlett Lumber Co., Higginbotham Millinery Co., and Chairman of Higginbotham  Pearlstone Hardware.

R.W. Higginbotham

The R.W. Higginbotham home in Dallas