Biggar

History

Biggar was incorporated as a village in 1909. It was named after William Hodgins Biggar, general counsel of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP), which had come through the area in 1908. Prior to that, the major means of transportation was via the nearby Swift Current–Battleford Trail. The GTP made Biggar a divisional point on its line, building a large station and roundhouse. The population grew as Biggar became a home terminal where train crews were changed. In 1911 Biggar was incorporated as a town. Settlement continued and the population increased to greater than 2,000 by the mid-1920s, peaking at 2,755 in 1966. The town is known for its slogan "New York is big, but this is Biggar." It was created in 1914 by a survey crew who painted it onto a town sign as a drunken prank. According to The Biggar Museum and Gallery, the graffiti remained unchanged until 1954 when the slogan was officially adopted. The world-record typical white-tailed deer was harvested near Biggar in 1993 by Milo Hanson. The Boone and Crockett Club scored the buck at .