BIO: James BIGELOW, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm 
**********************************************************
__________________________________________________________________  

Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 145-146.
__________________________________________________________________ 

  JAMES BIGELOW, M. D., McAlevys Fort, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born 
at Belleville, Mifflin county, Pa., September 28, 1844, son of Eliphaz 
and Elizabeth (Fife) Bigelow. Dr. Israel Bigelow, his grandfather, was 
a native pf Vermont, of Scotch descent; he settled in Plain City, O., 
where he practiced medicine for the remainder of his life. He was first 
married August 22, 1774, to Eunice Kathron; their children were: Israel 
J.; Isaac; Lebbeus L.; Daniel K.; Eunice; Dolly; Eliphaz; and Mary. 
Mrs. Bigelow died at Plain City, in August, 1825. Dr. Bigelow married 
again; his second wife was Polly Clippinger; they had one child, 
Timothy. By a third union there were two children: Hosea; and 
Chamberlain. Dr. Israel Bigelow died at Plain City, May 28, 1838. 
Eliphaz Bigelow, fifth son of Dr. Israel, read medicine with his father 
and his brother. After practicing at Millheim, Centre county, Pa., and 
at Belleville, he came to Jackson township in 1854, and continued in 
practice. He owned a farm of 250 acres, besides two other farms, one in 
Barree, the other in Jackson township. He had property also in Mifflin 
county. Dr. Eliphaz Bigelow was one of the first physicians that 
resided in the township; he is remembered as having a very large 
practice. He was an excellent judge of horses, which he bought and 
sold, besides dealing in cattle. He had a particular preference for 
swift horses, and rode a great deal. Eliphaz Bigelow was a Democrat; he 
was a noted character, well known to everybody in a large extent of 
country, and cordially esteemed. He was three times married; his first 
wife was Elizabeth Stucky, a native of Dauphin county, Pa. Their 
children are: Israel, of McAlevys Fort; Dr. John S., deceased; Benjamin 
F.; Eliphaz, died young. Mrs. Elizabeth Bigelow died in Mifflin county. 
The Doctor's second wife was Elizabeth Fife, a native of Brady 
township, Huntingdon county. Their children are: Mary (Mrs. Samuel 
Johnston), deceased; Lebbeus, deceased; Nancy (Mrs. Silas Miller), of 
Kansas; Lewis, postmaster at McAlevys Fort; Dr. James; and Rebecca, 
deceased, wife of Clay Hagans, of Jackson township. The mother of these 
children dying in 1846, at Belleville, Dr. Bigelow married Leah 
Weidman, and had four children: Jacob W., of Jackson township; Dr. 
Brown A., of Belleville; Barbara, died in childhood; and Francesca 
(Mrs. John Harman), of Barree township. The Doctor died in Jackson 
township in October, 1868; his wife is still a resident of McAlevys 
Fort.
  James Bigelow attended the public schools of Belleville, Mifflin 
county, and of Jackson township, Huntingdon county. He worked on his 
father's farm until he reached the age of seventeen. He then learned 
blacksmithing; while working at this trade, he enlisted at Belleville, 
in Company C, Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Cols. Walsh and 
Curtin, and Capt. Bigelow; the latter is now a doctor at Stormstown, 
Centre county. James Bigelow was in the battles of Fredericksburg, Va., 
Blue Spring, Tenn., Tennessee Station, the Siege of Knoxville and the 
battle of the Wilderness. In the last-named engagement, he was captured 
and taken to Andersonville, May 6, 1864. For seven months he was in 
prison; treated cruelly, and suffering much; he lost more than sixty 
pounds of weight during his imprisonment. He was discharged December 7, 
1864, but was on parole up to the time of Lee's surrender, after which 
he joined his regiment in camp, but was in no more engagements. He was 
in the grand review at Washington, and was discharged July 15, 1865.  
In 1866, he worked on the farm, and began the study of medicine with 
his father; he also spent six months in studying with Dr. William 
Bigelow, at Belleville. In the following year, he studied and practiced 
with his father in Jackson township, after which he attended lectures 
in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, 
Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1868. He then returned to his home, 
where he has ever since practiced, and has an extensive circle of 
patients. Dr. Bigelow is a member of Cummins Post, No. 380, G. A. R., 
of Jackson township. He is a Democrat. Having been a resident of 
McAlevys Fort for twenty-seven years, he is greatly interested in 
township and county affairs. He has built a fine dwelling, at a cost of 
$1,700; owns a farm of 185 acres of pasture land, and has been to some 
extent interested in raising horses and cattle.
  Dr. James Bigelow was married in 1867, in Jackson township, to Sarah, 
daughter of John Cummins, farmer, of Jackson township, where she was 
born in October, 1844. Their children are: John, farmer, of Barree 
township; Ada Zillah (Mrs. Thomas McCall), of Portage, Cambria county, 
Pa.; Eliphaz, farmer; Claudia (Mrs. Clarence A. Jackson), Charles W.; 
and Frank. Mrs. Bigelow is a member of the United Presbyterian church.