Babbs was the scene of the nationally known Babbs Switch Fire on December 24, 1924, in which 36 people died in a school fire. Many of the dead were children, but several families were completely wiped out. Although the Babbs school house fire is the event for which this community is best known, Babbs had as its largest feature a grain elevator that served the local farmers as a depository for small grains (wheat, barley, oats, milo) until the late 1970s, when the elevator was closed due to its age and lack of repair by its owners, "Hobart Farmer's CO-OP".
Babbs is a community known for the tragic Babbs Switch Fire in 1924, which resulted in the deaths of 36 people, including many children. The town also had a large grain elevator that served local farmers until it closed in the late 1970s due to age and lack of maintenance by its owners, "Hobart Farmer's CO-OP".