A History of Madison County, Ohio
PLAIN CITY
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 Dr. Isaac Bigelow, son of Dr. Israel Bigelow, was born August 25, 1797, near Balston Spa, Saratoga county, New York.  At the age of seventeen, in the year 1814, he came on foot from Center county, Pennsylvania, to make a payment for his father on a land purchase from his uncle, Isaac, the land being that where Plain City now stands.  Returning to Pennsylvania, he studied medicine with his father, Dr. Israel Bigelow, and in 1817 returned to Ohio and located on Trickle’s creek, in Champaign county.  He remained there one year, and in 1818 came to Madison county and laid out the town of Westminster, in Darby township.  This name was afterward changed to that of Pleasant Valley, but in 1872, after Doctor Bigelow’s death, the citizens petitioned their representative in the Legislature--William Morrow Beach--for an act to change the name to Plain City, which was done, the reason therefore having been the fact that there were four or five towns in Ohio of the name Pleasant Valley, and perishable merchandise, shipped by railroad, was often sent wrong, thus becoming a loss to the receiver before reaching the proper destination.  In about 1828, after his father had located for practice in this county, Dr. Isaac Bigelow went out of practice and became a general trader, diligent, perservering and active in all his enterprises.  He had kept a hotel and store on the southeast corner of Main and Chillicothe streets until after the year 1838, when he sold out to Samuel O. Wearington.  He built a large brick dwelling house on the northwest corner of the same streets, about the year 1842.  He was mayor of Pleasant Valley at one time, and was postmaster during Polk’s administration.  He married, July 17 1815, Polly Bigelow, daughter of Isaac and Polly Bigelow, who then lived where Plain City now stands.  He died in Pleasant Valley, April 10, 1857, of pneumonia. (see Isaac 7, Dr.,)

 Dr. Israel Bigelow, father of the preceeding, was born August 21, 1774, in Dummerston, Windham county, Vermont.  His father was Rev. Isaac Bigelow, a Revolutionary soldier, and his grandfather was Isaac Bigelow, of the province of Maine.  At the age of about eighteen, or in 1792, he became a pupil of Doctor White, of Schenectady, state of New York, and practiced at Balston Spa, New York, until 1812, when he moved to Center county, Pennsylvania.  In 1823, he moved to New Philadelphia, Ohio, and in 1828 to Pleasant Valley, this county, where he remained the rest of his life.  He was very justly eminent in his profession, both as a physician and as a surgeon.  As a surgeon, he was many years in advance of any other surgeon of the county.  He operated in this county for vesical calculi by the lateral operation; removed the tibia by resection (on Brainard Hager); removed the entire breast for cancer (Mrs. Zenas Hutchison, Durbin); and performed many other important operations.  He married, first, Eunice Kathron [sic], daughter of Daniel Kathron [sic], of Balston Spa, New York, born on August 23, 1774.  He married, secondly, Miss Clippiner [sic]; and third, Mary Brown, the mother of Diana, Hosea B. and Chamberlain B. Bigelow.  He died of vesical calculi, at his home in Pleasant Valley, May 28, 1838, aged sixty-four.
(see Israel 6 , Dr.,)
[NOTE: Bigelow Society has his place of birth as uncertain and that his marriage to Eunice Kathan [sic] was in Dummerston, VT.  The Society also does not mention Mary Brown as a wife and attributes the children Diana, Hosea B. and Chamberlain to Polly Clippinger.]

 Dr. Daniel K. Bigelow, son of Dr. Israel Bigelow, born in Balston Spa, New York, March 22 1801, studied medicine with his father, and commenced practice with his brother, Dr. Lebbens [sic] Bigelow, at Morris Crossroads, Fayette county, Pennsylvania.  In 1823, he moved to Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1831, when he came to Ohio and settled on the farm near Pleasant Valley, this county, where he afterward died.  He never was idle and though his professional charges were ridiculously low, he accumulated a fair estate, continuing in active practice up to the time of his death.  He married, February 7, 1822, Lydia Custer [sic], of Georges township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, who was born on April 24 1826, daughter of George and Catherine (Leatherman) Custer [sic], and died at her home, near Pleasant Valley, November 14, 1854, of strangulated hernia.  He died at his home, near Pleasant Valley, on the 10th of November, 1850 of diabetes, aged fifty years. (see Daniel Kathron 7, Dr.,)

[NOTE: Bigelow Society Records list his death as 14 Nov 1854, apparently a misreading of his wife’s date of death for his.]
 
 Dr. William F. King, raised out on the Darby plains, a brother of Joseph, Benjamin and Sarah King, studied medicine with Dr. Israel Bigelow, of Pleasant Valley.  Tradition preserves a recollection of him as having been a particularly handsome, graceful and courtly gentleman.  He practiced in conjunction with Dr. Israel Bigelow, he attending mostly to the visiting of patients, while the old doctor looked after the office business.  He married Diana, daughter of Dr. Israel and Polly (Brown) Bigelow, and died not many years afterward, at Pleasant Valley.

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[NOTE: photocopies of the above pages sent to me by Joyce Mason; 7130 Keeneland Dr.; Dayton, OH;  45414-2246]

see Israel 6 Bigelow for more information.
also see Will of Israel Bigelow...................................ROD
Thanks to:   Marguerite Atteberry Emmons e-mail: emmons@gte.net


Modified - 02/17/99
(c) Copyright 1999 Bigelow Society, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rod Bigelow - Director
bigelow@slic.com

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon12 BIGELOW)

8 Prospect Circle
Massena, N.Y. 13662
bigelow@slic.com Rod Bigelow at SLIC 
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