[1] Bivins was brought to the petroleum industry in his later years with the discovery of large amounts of gas and oil on much of his property.

[2] Bivins was born in a small Grayson County settlement, the son of a rancher, merchant, and mill operator.

His father, a native of Indiana who moved to Texas in 1849, ranched, ran a mercantile store, and operated the county's first mill.

[3][4][5] By 1889, Bivins had established a makeshift shack in Claude, Texas, where he lived alone; his family joined him after he expanded business.

The situation only worsened when Bivins’ brother Richard began courting Skid’s niece, prompting him to shoot and kill Dick.

A dispute began when it became apparent both Bivins and rancher R. Ben Masterson both wished to purchase more than 100,000 acres of grassland from the British owners of the LX Ranch.

According to a family story, Bivins and Masterson agreed on a coin toss which would give the winner a choice of purchasing land from the north or south side of the Canadian River.

He purchased the Coldwater Ranch, which made up part of XIT properties, and extensive holdings near Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

Bivins died as a result of a heart attack on the night of January 17, 1929 during a stay in a Wichita Falls hospital.