Subject: Alexander Bigelow
Source: History of Worcester and Its People
by Charles Nutt, A.B. 1919
Vol. 4 p.679
Alexander Bigelow, woolen manufacturer, was
born at Natick, Mass., Dec 12, 1814; died January 22, 1887 in this
city, son of
Col. Abraham Bigelow and his wife, Louisa Train. He had a common school
education
and went to work in a woolen mill at the age of fifteen.
About 1850, in partnership with George Barber he
started in business in this city in a mill on the site of the Whittall
Carpet Mills at south Worcester. The firm of Bigelow & Barber
manufactured woolen goods.
In 1853, the firm bought the mill and water
privilege at Hopeville on Middle river below the present power station,
building a new mill. Twice their mill was destroyed by fire, and
rebuilt. In 1870
Mr. Barber withdrew from the firm and Mr. Bigelow became associated
with
Edward D. Thayer in a stock company which continued the business under
the
present name - the Hopeville Manufacturing Company. Mr. Thayer
was
president, Mr. Bigelow treasurer and Edward Gould third director of the
corporation.
After ten years Mr. Bigelow bought the other
interests in the company and remained the sole owner until the time of
his death. He started in life without capital, built up a large
business, acquired a very creditable competence and won high rank among
the manufacturers
of the city and county. He was prudent, thrifty, upright and
industrious. He was a member of the Church of Unity. In
politics he was a Republican.
Mr. Bigelow married (1) April 5, 1845, Adeline
Stockwell who died in this city Dec 24, 1879, dau. of Cyrus
Stockwell. He m. (2) Oct 18, 1881, Sarah M. Goodwin.
Children by his first wife:
1. Elizabeth Bigelow born here, married David Manning, Jr.
2. George Alexander Bigelow
Mr. Bigelow was a descendant in the seventh generation from John
Bigelow whose descendants have been very numerous and prominent in this
town and city. The line of ancestry is: Alexander Bigelow (7);
Abraham Bigelow (6); William Bigelow (5) Lieut. Josiah Bigelow
(4); Thomas Bigelow (3); Samuel Bigelow (2); John Bigelow (1). The
first five generations lived in Watertown (complete file transcribed
from Bond's Watertown on
request) and the towns formerly a part of Watertown.
William Bigelow (5) went to Natick in
1778; was a soldier in the Revolution. Colonel Abraham Bigelow
(6) held a commission for many years in the state militia. He was
commander of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company 1827-1828.
George Alexander Bigelow, President and
treasurer of the Hopeville Manufacturing Company, was born in this city
July 19, 1853 and was educated in the public schools here and Worcester
High School, class of 1870.
Beginning in 1871 he had a few years of
experience in the banking business as clerk in
the Central National Bank. He engaged in the wool business in 1875 in
partnership with
George W. Coombs of Worcester and Joseph Hyatt of Delaware, Ohio, under
the firm name
of Hyatt, Coombs & Company. The firm's place of business was
at 184 Front Street. Mr.
Hyatt retired from the firm in 1879 and the name became Coombs &
Bigelow. In 1883 the
business was moved to Boston and the office was on Federal
Street. Mr. Bigelow retired
from the wool business January 1, 1887 and since that time has been one
of the principal
owners of the Hopeville Manufacturing Company of this city, serving
since 1887 as presi-
dent and treasurer of the corporaton. Mr. Bigelow is a director
of the Hahnemann Hospital
and a member of the South Unitarian Memorial Church of which he was
treasurer for ten years
and member of the standing committee. He is a member of the
Commonwealth Club, Worcester
Country Club, Economic Club, Worcester Chamber of Commerce, Worcester
County Mechanics
Association and the Manufacturers Textile Association.
George Alexander Bigelow married at Norwich, Connecticut, Oct 10,
1877, Dora L. Tucker
b. at Norwich, Sept 21, 1854, dau of James and Ellen (Walbridge)
Tucker. Her father was
born in Griswold, CT Feb 29, 1828 and d. Jan 4, 1916. Her mother was
born at Bennington,
VT Sept 7, 1832 and d. Nov 28, 1902. Mrs. Bigelow is a member of
the Col. Timothy
Bigelow Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mr. &
Mrs. Bigelow have four children:
1. Adelaide W. Bigelow b. July 27, 1878 m. 1905, Asa Merrick Parker.
Children:
1. Edward
Harrrison Parker b. Feb 4, 1909.
2. Ruth
Bigelow Parker b. June 6, 1911; d. Mar 12, 1912.
3. Paul R.
Parker b. Oct 22, 1913.
4.
Frederick Parker a twin of Paul R., who died Oct. 24, 1913.
2. Helen Louise Bigelow b. Aug 5, 1880; m. in 1904, George D. Church.
Children:
1. Helen
Elizabeth Church b. July 7, 1905.
2.
Adelaide Bigelow Church b. Feb 27, 1907; died July 25, 1910.
3. Edward Alexander Bigelow May 5, 1885.
4. Dorothy Elizabeth Bigelow b. Sept. 10, 1887.
Edward Alexander Bigelow, manager of the
Hopeville Manufacturing Co., a woolen manufacturer,
was born in this city May 5, 1885, son of George Alexander Bigelow
& his wife, Dora L.
(Tucker) Bigelow. He received his early education in the public
schools of this city.
He attended Worcester Academy, and the Abbott School, Farmington,
Maine. After taking
the course in the Lowell Textile School, Lowell, Massachusetts, he
became associated
in business with his father in the mills at Hopeville. Since then
he has been manager in the
Hopeville Manufacturing Company. He is a member of the
Commonwealth Club; the Economic
Club, Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Heatherly Golf Club,
No. Scituate, Mass.,
Worcester Country Club and the director of Associated Charities.
His home is at 9 Otsego
Road, Worcester. He married Mary Abbott Ball, of Keene, New
Hampshire on Nov. 10, 1909.
One daughter, Katharine Abbott Bigelow b. at Worcester, Dec 8,
1911.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth