William Dock Bigler (1814 - 1880)

Born 1 Jan 1814 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Maria Jane (Reed) Bigler — married 23 Mar 1836 in Clearfield, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, 16830, USA

Descendants

Died 9 Aug 1880 at age 66 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA

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Preceded by 11th Governor William Johnston Preceded by James Cooper

William Bigler 12th Governor of Pennsylvania 1852—1855 US Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1856—1861

Succeeded by 13th Governor James Pollock Succeeded by Edgar Cowan

Biography

William Bigler is Notable.

From Gov William Bigler Pennsylvania 12th Governor ^{[1] [2]}

William Bigler, barefoot and fatherless at age thirteen, overcame hardships in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Bigler was born of German descent on January 1, 1814 (some references state December 31, 1813), one mile west of Dromgold at the Gibson mill, Sherman Valley, Cumberland County (now in Spring Township, Perry County). Bigler's mother was the former Susan Dock from a well-known Harrisburg family. His father, Jacob Bigler, moved the family to Mercer County, but a defective land title destroyed the family's wealth. The elder Bigler soon fell ill and died in 1827. As a result, educational opportunities were limited. William's primary education was under the mentoring of his older brother John, publisher of the Centre County Democrat. John Bigler later became the third governor of California at the same time his brother William was governor of Pennsylvania.

In 1833 William moved to Clearfield and founded a political newspaper, the Clearfield Democrat. In 1836 he married Maria J. Reed, daughter of lumber merchant Alexander Reed. Bigler disposed of the newspaper and, between 1845 and 1850, in partnership with his father-in-law, became the largest producer of square timber on the west branch of the Susquehanna River. Bigler earned the nickname "the Clearfield Raftsman" because he personally rode lumber rafts on the Susquehanna as far south as Harrisburg, but the lumber business made Bigler very wealthy.

During this same time, the public became more impressed with his political views and sent him to the state senate from 1841 to 1847. He stressed railroad expansion in the western counties and was twice elected by colleagues as speaker of the senate. In 1849, while he was serving as Pennsylvania's revenue commissioner, the Democrats nominated Bigler for governor. The incumbent Whig governor, William F. Johnston lost popularity due to the Christiana riots in Lancaster County triggered by the federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that directed states to assist in the detention and return of runaway slaves. Although Bigler opposed slavery and did not speak against those who criticized slavery, he insisted that enforcing federal law was an obligation under the U.S. Constitution. In defeating Johnston in 1851, Bigler became the youngest governor since 1790. He continued the emphasis of previous governors on government thrift, but he also became the first to criticize the State Works system and to propose, though unsuccessfully, that the state sell it off. He vetoed many special interest railroad and bank charter bills, and he convinced the General Assembly to halt its practice of logrolling-the passing of omnibus statutes in which incongruous amendments to bills favoring friends and political cronies went unchallenged.

Political parties and support for Bigler changed dramatically in 1854. The public reacted negatively to the governor's support of the federal Kansas-Nebraska Act. While the act created new states westof Missouri and Iowa, it also repealed the section of the Missouri Compromise that prohibited slavery in the new territories. The Whigs, "Know Nothing" Native American party, and anti-slavery Democrats joined forces to form the Republican Party in July 1854. The new party coalition gained the support of Nativists and temperance people and put forth gubernatorial candidate James Pollock to defeat Bigler's bid for a second term.

After leaving office, Bigler served as president of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad until he was elected to serve in the United States Senate from 1856 to 1861. Like President Buchanan, Bigler became concerned about the growing threats of military confrontation with southern states. He visited strife-torn Kansas in 1857, encouraging opponents of slavery to vote in favor of the LeCompton Constitution despite its pro-slavery wording. Before leaving the Senate, while secession fever was rising, Bigler worked hard for the compromise proposed by pro-Union Kentucky Senator John J. Crittenden as alast ditch effort to appease the South. Both the LeCompton Constitution and the Crittenden compromise were defeated.

Bigler later served as a Democratic elder statesman by being a delegate to several Democratic National Conventions, a Union National Convention, and the state constitutional convention of 1873. As a member of the 1876 Centennial Commission, he helped convince Congress to fund the Centennial held in Philadelphia as an international exhibition rather than just a national event. That same year, in anelection that is compared to the U.S. presidential election of 2000, Bigler helped witness a vote recount in which Samuel J. Tilden, for whom he campaigned, won the popular vote, but lost the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes by just one Electoral vote. Bigler died August 9, 1880, in Clearfield and is buried there in Hillcrest Cemetery.

William was born on 11 January 1814 in Gibson Mill, Sherman's Dale, PA. He was the son of Jacob Bigler and Susan Dock.

When William was 22 he married Maria Jane Reed on 23 March 1836 in Clearfield, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, 16830, USA. ^[3]

The couple had 5 children: ^[3]

1. Edmond Alexander Bigler,
2. Reed A. Bigler,
3. John W. Bigler,
4. William Dock Bigler
5. Harry F. Bigler.

William died at the age of 66 on 9 August 1880 in Clearfield, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, 16830, USA.^{[4] [2]}

William was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, PA.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Pennsylvania Histocial & Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Governor Gov William Bigler Pennsylvania 12th Governor
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} BIGLER, John, published in ["Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume 1"] Editors: James Grant Wilson, John Fiske. (Edition reprint) (Publisher Gale Research Company, 1888) (Original from the University of Michigan) (Digitized Sep 1, 2006) (Free e-book. Available at Google Play) (page 202) Accessed 09 Sep 2023 by Scheffer-943.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Marriage: UPD 22 SEP 2012 17:34:03 GMT-5 Title: Gorman Family Archives. Citing: Record ID Number: MH:SC5742 Page: #217.23 (accessed 27 February 2021) Banns of Marriage:,
4. ↑ Death: UPD 22 SEP 2012 17:34:03 GMT-5 Title: Gorman Family Archives. Citing: Record ID Number: MH:SC104 Page: #217.25 (accessed 27 February 2021)
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 27 February 2021), memorial page for William Bigler (11 Jan 1814–9 Aug 1880), Find A Grave: Memorial #7105828, citing Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave Gravestone picture

See also:

• Title: Aldrich History Project Publication: http://www.pa-roots.com/clearfield/aldrich/ Text: Chapter X: Alexander B. Reed was born in Lancaster county in 1786. At the age of twenty-five years, while at Big Island, he met John Ferguson and came with him to this county, in the winter of 1811 He made his home for a time with the family of Hugh Hall. In 1815 he married Rachel Read, and took up lands about a mile north of Hall's place, but did not occupy it at once. The children born to Alexander B. and Rachel Reed, were: Maria Jane, who married William Bigler, late governor of the State; Henrietta Ann, Read A., George Latimer, William Milton, and Rebecca, who married John F. Weaver. William Reed, father of Alexander B. Reed, did not come here until 1813. Alexander B. was familiarly known as "Black Alex.," to distinguish him from Alexander Read, who was called "Red Alex." The childrenof Maria J. (Reed) Bigler by her marriage with William Bigler, were: Reed, John W., William D., Edmund A., and Harry F. William Bigler was elected governor in 1851. George Latimer Reed married Sarah E. Weaver. The children or William Reed, the father of Alexander B., were: Isabella, Jane, Sally, James, Alexander B., Betsey, Polly, and William. Chapter XXI: William Bigler came to Clearfield town in 1833, and soon after started the newspaper called the Clearfield Democrat. In 1836 he married Maria Jane, daughter of Alexander B. Reed, by whom he had five children, viz: Reed, John W., William D., Edmund A., and Harry F. In 1842 Mr. Bigler was elected to the State Senate, and re-elected in 1844. In 1848 he was a candidate for the nominationin the State convention for the office of governor, but was not successful. The succeeding term, 1851, he was again a candidate and elected. He was again a candidate in 1854, but defeated. After his term of office expired he was made president of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad Company, which position he held one year, when he was elected to the United States Senate and served until 1861. In connection with the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, in 1876, he occupied a prominent position. From the time of his coming to the county until the time of his death, William Bigler was a prominent figure in social and political life. He engaged extensively in lumbering, and acquired considerable real estate. He died in September, 1880. Call Number: 5.319 Record ID Number: MH:SC101 Page: www.pa-roots.com/clearfield/aldrich/chap21.html
• Author: Jacquie Moran Title: Pat Connolly Text: MyHeritage.com family tree Family site: Pat Connolly Family tree: Pat-Connolly Media: 3684821-1 Type: Smart Matching Record ID Number: MH:SC102 Page: William Bigler Event: Smart Matching Role: 1000744 Data: Date: 14 OCT 2012 Text: Added by confirming a Smart Match Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
• Title: Rootsweb Abbreviation: Rootsweb Publication: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pamercer/PA/C/bible/bigler.htm Text: William Bigler was born January 11, 1814 in Shermans Dale, Perry County, Pennsylvania and died August 9, 1880 in Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Burial: Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. He married Maria Jane Reed, born July 7, 1816 to Alexander Reed and Rachel Read in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. She died July 14, 1898 in Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. Burial: Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. William fathered 5 children and has left descendents in Pennsylvania and many other states. William followed his brother John, in the newspaper publishing enterprise then entered the lumber business. William served in several state offices then as Governor of Pennsylvania. Afterwards he served as President of the Philadelphia & Lake Erie Railroad. He was elected United States Senator in 1856 for one term. He also served as a commissioner to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Record ID Number: MH:SC100
• William Bigler on Wikipedia
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• former Gov William Bigler at National Governors Association

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Christopher Gorman for creating WikiTree profile Bigler-108 through the import of Gorman 2013-09-07 1526.ged on Sep 14, 2013.

Research Notes

FamilySearch Person: LKG7-ZSP