Bivins

Bivins is on State Highway 43 and the Missouri Pacific Railroad seven miles southwest of Atlanta in southern Cass County. It had its origins in two large sawmills built at the tracks of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1884. The station that opened there soon became a shipping and gathering place for local farmers. The post office at nearby Wayne was moved to this location in 1889, and the town was named Bivins, in honor of J. K. and Frank H. Bivins, the owners of one of the sawmills. By 1896 it had two churches, a school, numerous businesses, and a population of 300. Although the sawmills in the area closed, the town remained a shipping point, and the population remained stable until the end of World War II. From 1972 through 1990 the population was reported at 105, and in 1986 Bivins had seven rated businesses. In 2000 the population was 195 with eleven businesses.