Born in Kansas, Higginson grew up in Oregon. In 1885, after marrying Russell C. Higginson, the couple moved to Washington state and opened a drugstore. Higginson began to publish her poetry at the time, and her first collection came out in 1902, titled When the Birds Go North Again. This volume received favorable reviews from The New York Times and brought attention to Higginson and her work.

In 1911, Higginson published her second volume, The Vanishing Race and Other Poems.

Throughout her life, Higginson was active in the promotion of women’s rights and education, as well as the arts.

–Christie Finn
Source: Poetry Foundation website