Mathew Everard 9 BIGELOW
Page 2
Mathew Everard "Ed" 9 Bigelow, wife Emma, and thirteen
children
15336.5757 Mathew
Everard 9, "Ed" BIGELOW, son of William 8 ( George 7 , Cornelius 6 , Paul 5 , Cornelius 4, Samuel 3, Samuel 2, John1) and Margaret (BLAIR)
BIGELOW, was born 04 July 1886 at Manistee co., MI. On 03 April
1916, he married Emma Florence Barnes. She was born 18 March 1897 at
Papineauville, Quebec. Death data unknown. Mathew died 10 May 1975 at Crossfield,
Alberta, Canada. R22530
History from Phyllis:
From: Forge: The Bigelow Genealogy Quarterly; vol 16, no 2; April 1987;
BLIZZARDS. DROUGHT, AND GRASSHOPPERS
As we prepare to meet for the 1987 reunion to be
held in Alberta, Canada, we call your attention to the
groups of Bigelows who helped settle this Canadian province.
These Bigelows fall mainly into three categories:
the Nova Scotia branch (see Forge Vol. 13,
no 2); a few descendants of Cyrus Bigelow of
Ontario; and some of the Thurso, Quebec Bigelows (see Forge,
vol. 12, no. 3). This article deals with
the last-named family.
15336.5757 Matthew Everard 9
Bigelow, son of William 8 (etal.
above) and Margaret E. (Blair) Bigelow, was born 04 July
1886 in Manistee, Manistee county, MI. While he was very young, his
parents returned to Thurso, Quebec, where Ed, as the boy was nicknamed, grew
up. In his youth he was influenced by the posters of the Canadian and
British governments urging young men to "Go West to the
Golden Harvest Fields", the posters usually portraying a farmer
in shoulder-high grainfields that stretched into the horizon. Grasshoppers
and climatic problems were not mentioned.
The heyday of the lumber industry having
passed, work was very scarce in Quebec, so Ed and his brother
George in 1906 took the train to
Calgary, where work was promised at the unbelievable wage of
$7 per day. It was too good to
believe. Of course the reality was
that there was little work, and that at $1.75 per day,
with the men docked for rainy days and breakdowns.
At the end of two weeks, Ed returned
to Calgary and hauled stone for school buildings
at $1.50 daily, driving team. Later
Ed worked for pat Burns in the area between
the Burns ranch and Crossfield, herding cattle until November.
Later in life Ed said that on this job he fell
in love with Alberta—the bright blue prairie skies,
the invigorating air, the outline of the
foothills and the Rockies to the west.
One of his main duties in herding was to keep
the cattle grazing away from other farms and villages.
But perversely, when heel flies were bad, the cattle
simply headed for the slough on the edge of Crossfield,
on what is now Nanton Avenue. At night,
the cowboys slept rolled in blankets under the
shelter of the cookwagon. Occasionally
they were invited into some homesteader's barn, or
slept in Sheep Camp shack, still standing at the
intersection with 2A Highway.
Over the winter, Ed was off to
the logging camps of British Columbia, returning in -spring to
Alberta to work on irrigation ditches at Bassano,
driving 12 mules on a grader. At one time he
homesteaded briefly mear Stettler. The years passed,
and in 1915 Ed returned for a brief visit to Quebec
at his father's death. When he returned
to Calgary, he brought with him a bride
Emma Florence Barnes, born 18 March 1897
Papineauville, Quebec, daughter of Archie and Josephine
(Albert) Barnes.
For a number of years Ed and Emma worked and lived
in and around Calgary, with most years seeing an increase
in the family. In 1933, with ten
children, Ed decided the only way to feed them was
to farm. Work in Calgary was non-existent
during the Depression, so both Ed and his oldest
son had no choice but to accept "workfare".
The Canadian government then sponsored a "Back
to the Farm" movement. Under this program,
Ed located on a farm near Sundre, Alberta,
60 miles northwest of Calgary.
As they moved, Ed and his sons walked all
the way, herding their cattle, driving a wagon
piled with household goods. Near Crossfield,
with the cattle in poor condition, Ed arranged to
board his stock for the winter while the family settled
in.
For the next 32 years they lived at Sundre.
By 1941 the family totaled 13 children. To help make
ends meet, Emma started a small second-hand
store in Sundre in 1947.
Emma
Note:
Subject: bigelowscalgaryalberta
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 20:00:13 GMT
From: Phyllis Bigelow
lilady70@telusplanet.net
My name is Phyllis Bigelow and I am from the family side of John, Samuel,
Samuel, Cornelius, Paul, Cornelius, George, William, Everard, who was my
grandfather.
I would like very much to join the Society and receive information of my
family.
I know there was a forge with them in it.
Please return some information if possible.
My Aunt Florence of Crossfield, Alberta is the one that keeps track of our
family tree here.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Bigelow
History from Phyllis:
Born July 4, 1886 at Manistee, Michigan. While still a child, the
family moved
to Thurso, Quebec where Ed lived until leaving for the West. In
1906 with his
brother George, he arrived in Alberta in response to the advertising
of the
day, "Go West, young man, go West", Plenty of work in the Golden Harvest
Fields.
As work was very scarce in Quebec, the promise of $7.00 per day
in the West
was too good to miss. However, when getting off the train in Calgary,
the only
harvest job Ed could locate was one north of Crossfield, at $1.75 per
day.
As he was docked for rainy days and breakdowns, he received only seven
day's
pay during the next two weeks. Ed returned to Calgary and got a
job for $1.50
a day driving a team of horses to haul stones for building a school.
He later
found employment with Pat Burns, herding cattle until November in the
area between
the Burn's Ranch and Crossfield. It was during this time that Ed
caught the
feel of the West. He always claimed to receive a special kind of
lift in breathing
the invigorating, fresh air and seeing the bright, blue skies and the
vividly
clean outline of the foothills with the Rocky Mountains in the distance.
One of the main duties was to herd the cattle away from the farmsteads
and hamlets.
However, when the heel flies were in action, the cattle ran
for the slough
at the south edge of Crossfield where they could stand and cool their
stinging
hoofs. This location is now Nanton Avenue and was previously the
site of the
old Chinese laundry. At night, the cowboys usually slept rolled
up in blankets
under the shelter of the cookwagon. Occasionally they were lucky
and would
be invited to spend the night in a homesteaders's warm barn or in the
Sheep
Camp shack which is still located at the northern intersection on 2A
highway.
The Burn's Ranch was just like home so when Ed Bigelow was offered a
job again
in the spring, he accepted. Meantime, he was off to the logging
camps of British
Columbia, Alberta, Canada, as this was the only type of work he knew
besides
farming. He had worked as a long line skinner in the Ottawa Valley
during past
winters. In the spring of 1907, he was back in Alberta working
for Tommy and
Pat Burns until going to work on the irrigation ditches at Bassano where
he
drove 12 mules on a grader. In 1915 he returned to Quebec where
he married
Emma Florence Barnes. Ed and Emma returned to Alberta in 1916 and
worked around
Calgary until the early 30's.
by the time Ed Bigelow owned his home in north Calgary and had some livestock
but was unable to find employment which he needed in order to feed his
large
family. Ten of their 13 children were already born-Violet, Bill,
Archie, Walter,
Ernest, Sidney, Leslie, Richard, Gordon and Florence. The family
finally had
no coice but to accept welfare and as the allotments had to be worked
off, both
Ed and the eldest son, Bill. worked for the city. Then the goverment
sponsored
a project called, "Back to the Farm". As it had always been Ed's
dream to have
a farm, he applied for assistance under this scheme. He was accepted
and located
on a farm at Sundre, Alberta, 60 miles northwest of Calgary.
The amount of money one had determined the area to which the applicant
was assigned.
Ed and the older boys wallked all the way. The cut across
country with a wagon
piled high with household goods and herded the cattle along the way.
This was
the next passing aquaintance Ed Bigelow had with Crossfield. Travelling
west
of town, he made an overnight camp at Rovert Laut's farm. As the
season was
getting late and the cattle being in poor condition, Ed arranged to board
them
for the winter on the farm of Mr. Waterhouse.
The Bigelos lived in Sundre for the next 32 years and three more childre
were
born there: Alice, Roy and Eva.
On retirement, the Bigelows moved to Crossfield where they remained for
ten years
until Ed died at the age of 88. They purchased a small house on
Nanton Avenue
on the edge where the slough had been when Ed herded cattle in 1906.
The old
Chinese laundry hadbeen renovated into a house and before Ed died, it
had been
torn down and replaced by a new house. The old Sheep Shack, now
noticeably
awry, still stands guard of all coming and going traffic at the north
junction
of 2A HIGHWAY.
This was written by my Aunt Florence Walker of Crossfield, Alberta..
More:
I have some adjustments and added some information you do not have.
My grandfathers family:
Violet Ward-married John Dolphin. He died March 27, 1992. He died
in Calgary, Alberta.
Archie Alex Andrew (my father)-married Dorothy Mayer. She passed
away March 6, 1992, in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Walter James-only have 4 children not six. He passed away August
3/83.
Ernest Albert-married Ethel Grummett-she passed away October 4/87,
Calgary, Alberta. Information on funeral papers states she was born in Tummel,
Manitoba.
Sidney Oliver-born May 12, 1923, died January 14/89, Surrey, B>C>
Leslie Frank-died March 29/94. Calgary, Alberta.
Florence Josephine-married William Walker also known as "Santa Bill",
died December 25, 1998, Crossfield, Alberta.
More:
1) Violet Ward Bigelow04 children. 1 boy who drowned years ago, and 3 daughters.
2) William Everard Bigelow-son George Everette died September 22, 2000.
3) Archie Alex Andrew-6 children:
1) Annie Emma Bigelow-born September 13, 1948.
More:
3) Archie Alex Andrew-6 children:
1) Annie Emma Bigelow-born September 13, 1948.
2) Phyllis Mary Bigelow-born November 21, 1949. 2 children,
Maryanne Latham-
2 children Garrett, and Selena.
3) Loraine Beverly-(notice name) born April 29, 1951.
4) Archie Alexander-born November 1953-died January 12, 1953.
5) Diane Sheron-born January 7, 19 , 2 children Sheldon
Dale Whitford and
Selena Lori.
6) Janet-born September 23, 19 . 3 children-Crystal Ann,
Natalie, and Leana.
More:
5) Ernest Albert Bigelow-6 children-ist child a daughter,
1) Florence who died at the age of 16, 1966.
2) George Thomas- b____; died July, 2000.
3) Edward Albert.
4) Robert.
5) Alan Joseph-2 children-Shawn and Michele.
6) Barbara Marlene.
6) Sidney Oliver-4 children-Kathy, Shirley, Loretta, and Daniel.
More:
7) Leslie Frank-2 children. 1) Linda Ann-2 children-Darline and John.
8) Richard Ivan.
9) Gordon David.
10) Florence Josephine-My Uncle William Hubert Walker-born March 26, 1914.
3
children-Randall Cecil Walker-born-April 8, 1964-died-September 20, 2000.
11) Alice Edna-no children.
12) Roy Everad (Edward)-2 children Michael and I can't remember his name
right now.
13) Eva Marie.
Modified - 07/18/2005
(c) Copyright 2001 Bigelow Society, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rod Bigelow - Director
rodbigelow@netzero.net
Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon12 BIGELOW)
Box 13 Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
rodbigelow@netzero.net 
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