The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The grain trade in Biggsville developed slowly. Both Robert Moir and John McKinney of Oquawka bought and shipped it from this point, but in the summer of 1857 the trade became a commercial attraction when B.H.Martin purchased the old South Henderson U.P.Church and moved it to Biggsville where it served as a grain warehouse.
At first, corn bought here by him was shelled by hand, weighed in a flour barrel on a small pair of Fairbanks scales and loaded on the railroad cars on the tracks.
The trade flourished and one day's transactions included 398 loads of grain received, 26 cars loaded plus 22 cars of stock making two full trains of 22 cars each, which was pulled out at night, leaving four cars of grain standing on the side track.
That same day Mr. Crosthwait removed the furniture from his parlor and filled the room with grain and then turned his horses out and filled the stable too.
In later years Biggsville's trade declined and buyers in 1882 were M. Belden and James Montgomery.
1882 History of Henderson County