Charles Higby.

Push to Enlarge.

CHARLES HIGBY, proprietor of Higby House. Among the pioneer hosts in eastern Kansas, there are but few, if any, who are more popularly known to the traveling public than Charles Higby. He is a native of New York, and was born in Lewis County, August 10, 1819. His father, Benjamin, was a New-Yorker, a miller by profession, and a part of the time pursued farming. His milling interests had been at West Flagg and Booneville. His mother, Hannah Crowfoot, was a native of Connecticut, as was also his grandfather Crowfoot. Charles learned the carpenter's trade, and engaged extensively in the manufacturing of cars, which he followed for sixteen years, doing business at different periods in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In 1857, came to Kansas, locating and pre- empting a farm near where Severance now is located. In 1861, traded his farm for a hotel in Troy and has since been before the public as a landlord. He is possessed of a splendid memory, has a keen perception pertaining to the ludicrous, and appreciates a good joke. He was married in 1845, to Miss Sarah Lombard, of Oswego County, N. Y.; by the union they have one son, O. W. Mr. H. is a member of the Masons, and a charter member of Troy Lodge.

TROY Kansas.

Push to enlarge.

Troy, the county seat of Doniphan county, is located a Httle east of Ihe center of the county at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, St. Joseph & Grand Island, and the Burlington & Missouri River railroads, and is 14 miles West of St. Joseph, Mo. It has a national and 2 state banks, an opera house, a flour mill, a newspaper (the Chief), and is a shipping point for live stock, grain, produce and fruits. There are telegraph and express offices and an international money order post-
office with six rural routes. The population in 1910 was 940.

Troy was located in 1855 by the county commissioners, who ordered James F. Forman to lay off 80 acres in town lots. This was done and a public square 300 feet each way was laid out in the center of town. The first house was built by Nelson Rodgers in 1856. The first store was opened in 1857 by Heed & Hampson, the first hotel was opened in that year by John Wilson, and the postoffice was established with Albert Heed, the first lawyer, as postmaster. The city was incorporated in 1860 by a special act of the legislature, which provided that the following men should be judges of election: S. D. Benight, Leonard Smith and John B. Brady. The election was held in March of that year and the following officers were chosen: Isaac Powers, mayor; W'illiam H. Trusdell, clerk. The first court-house was burned in 1867. The next year, after a little county seat war, another court-house was built. Two other fires have occurred in Troy, one in April, 1875, and the other Dec. 22, 1883, the latter destroying $20,000 worth of property. In 1867 a contract was made for completing the St. Joseph & Denver R. R. to Troy, but it was not built till three \'ears later. The first bank was established in 1870 by Henry and Louis Boder. Telephones were installed in 1885. In 1899 there was a fire which destroyed one-third of the business part of town.  The St. Joseph fire department came in time to save the other buildings
and the residences.