Children of Israel and Betsey (Smith) Bigelow, all born at Plain City, OH:
15923.7421 Lydia Irena.
15923.7422t Clarence Edgar, b 20 Nov 1851; d 28 Nov 1927; m (1)19 March 1871 Mary Lane, 2 children, (2)20 Dec 1876/77 Catherine Shipman, 4 children; res. Plain City.
15923.7423 an infant.
15923.7424t Eliphaz McClellan, b 16 April 1862; d 02 Nov 1932; m (1) 27 Sept 1882 Elizabeth Manning, 3 children, (2) 20 Sept 1893 Lucy Donner, 3 children; res. Plain City.
15923.7425t Daniel Crocker, b 0l Sept 1864; 31 Oct 1949; m 18 Jan 1888 Louise Campbell; 4 children.
15923.7426t Emmett Custer, b 19 March 1866; d _ ; m 21 Dec 1887 Emma Rathbum; 2 children.
Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol II, pg 139-140,
415;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
Bigelow Society records from research by Society historian/genealogist;
family records and correspondence with members of family.
Forge
Vol 17 NO. 3 July 1988. and pic above (scanned by Don Bigelow)
He and his family came early to Ohio ( See article on Bigelows in the Ohio census, page 59). His father Israel Bigelow is considered the Founder of Plain City, Madison County.
Daniel 7 Bigelow, Israel’s father, was born in Saratoga county, New York, and settled first in Adamsburg, Westmoreland co, PA. Daniel and four of his brothers were all physicians of considerable local repute. In 1831 Daniel decided to follow his father Israel to Ohio, and came with his young family to Plain City settling on a farm just outside of town.
Israel 8 born 7 June 1825 in Adamsburg, PA was thus but six years of age when he traveled overland with his parents to Ohio. He remained on the farm until he reached the age of 21. During his late teens he studied medicine with the idea of going into medical practice, but for some unknown reason he instead took up a farm in 1847. Ten years later he was appointed postmaster of Plain City, and addition became a general merchant.
After Israel’s retirement, he traveled East to visit relatives, meeting over one hundred Bigelows. He also visited his Custer* cousins (His Grandfather Custer had been a cousin of President George Washington)
* see note from Marguerite Emmons about the Spelling of the name --- 4/7/98
On June 27 1847, the same year he took up a farm, Israel married Betsy A. Smith, daughter of Capt. E.Crocker and Irena (Doty) Smith. Betsy was born 21 October 1828 in Washington County, Vermont. She died 28 January 1914 in Plain City, Israel having died July 17 1896.
A tradition exists in this branch of the family that their ancestor Isaac 4 Bigelow passed on his gold watch and gold-headed cane to his son Isaac, and that these keepsakes were to be inherited by the oldest living Isaac Bigelow in the family at the time of the owner’s decease. In the 1890’s the watch was in the possession of Isaac Bigelow of Newark, Licking county Ohio, the fifth person to own the watch. Yet no one today knows what has become of either item.
4/07/98--From Marguerite Atteberry Emmons (emmons@gte.net) :
My BIGELOW data is currently in the form of notes
and letters collected by my great grandmother Adda Timmons MOSS in the
1890's. Perhaps of greatest interest to you and other researchers is a
copy she made of notes of an interview with Dr. Eliphaz BIGELOW
(probably the Israel Eliphaz Bigelow whose bio is on your site.
He was a nephew of her grandmother Mary Milvina BIGELOW who had
married William D. Daugherty. Her mother was Mary Dimmis Daugherty. Adda's
uncle G. W. Darety (sic) conducted the interview. The notes include the
family information on the CUSTIS (not CURTIS) family and it's connection
to George Washington. I have been amazed that the misspelling of this name
as CURTIS persists. Most history books speak of the CUSTIS family relations
to Washington. In my mother's possession is a cloisonne and pearl pin that
is supposed to have been owned/worn by Martha Washington. I have no documentation
of this but have heard of this and the CUSTIS family since I was a child.
My grandfather, Adda's son had told the story. Finding the notes was both
exciting and disappointing. Exciting because
it leant credence to the pin's story; disappointing because it showed no
direct relation to the CUSTIS family. Eliphaz's notes also include the
battle his greatgrandfather Isaac was supposed to have been in the Rev
War. I too, have had no luck finding his service.
Marguerite Atteberry Emmons emmons@gte.net
< rodbigelow@netzero.net
> 
