Dr. Reuben Miles 6 BIGELOW
16C59.6 Dr. Reuben Miles 6 BIGELOW, son of Reuben
5 ( Jabez 4
, Eleazer 3
Joshua2, John1), and
Abigail (BROOKS) BIGELOW, was born in Peru, Vermont 06 April 1807.
After obtaining a medical education, he left home and traveled to New York,
where in the town of Lisbon, he married, at unknown date, Sarah Margaret
Conant, she was born at Lisbon, St. Lawrence co., NY in 1812. She died in
Otsego, MI 15 November 1847, shortly after the birth of their youngest son.
She was a daughter of George and Sally (Tibbitts) Conant. They moved from
Odgensburg, NY to Allegan, seat of Allegan county, MI. Some years
later he moved a few miles up the Kalamazoo River to the town of Otsego
(still in Allegan county) and practiced medicine there. He suffered a mild
stroke about the time of his wife's death, and fearing (despite good recovery)
that his days were numbered, he left the children behind in Otsego to travel
west and seek his fortune, as security for the three sons.
He took up a claim on the Black River, in the state of Washington,
and while clearing the land, came upon evidence of coal underlying his farm.
He and three friends formed Duwamish Coal Company in 1853, but due to their
lack of capital, there was little development until years later. In 1855
Dr. Bigelow was one of the expedition which explored the Snoqualmie River.
His discovery of coal later brought wealth to the country, but he himself
lived in comparative poverty. He died of a second stroke on 17 February 1861
near Seattle, WA.
Children of Reuben M. and Sarah M. (Conant) Bigelow:
16C59.61t George M.,
b _____ 1839 Allegan, MI; d in the Battle of Corinth in the Civil War 04
Aug 1862; m, unknown date, Lelia Grimes; 1 son, who died 1863.
16C59.62t Henry Childs,
b 25 Dec 1845 Otsego, MI; d 14 Aug 1882 Memphis, TN; m 1874 Belle White;
res Memphis, TN. 4 children.
16C59.63t Bishop Perkins,
b 27 Oct 1847 Otsego, MI; d 30 Mar 1886 Allegan, MI; m 27 June 1867 Harriet
E. Colburn, who later m (2) James Kent. 4 children.
Sources:
Bigelow Family Genealogy Volume. I page.370-371;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America; pg 277; (see below)
Seattle Genealogical Society;
vital records MI;
Pioneer Collections of Michigan State Library;
Letter dated 3/12/1995 from Jean M. Medford (Mrs. Edward E.) dated 3/12/1995,
Cape Coral, FL 33914.
Addendum, Vol.I and II, 1996 (Loring Bigelow) states source of changes
as : Parochial Records, St. John's Church, Ogdensburg, NY, vol.1. ( p.287,Vol.1,
16C59.631).
Source: Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America by Gilman Bigelow
Howe.
p.277
BIGELOW.
Dr. Reuben M. Bigelow, son of Reuben and Abigail (Brooks) Bigelow - was
born at Peru, Vermont, April 6,
1807. He m. at Lisbon, N.Y., Sarah Margaret Conant, dau. of George C.
& Sally (Tibbets) Conant. He moved
from Ogdensburgh, N.Y., to Allegan, Michigan, about 1835 and afterwards
moved to Otsego, where she died
November 15, 1847. Some years later he went to Seattle, Washington, where
he took up a tract of land
thinking to provide for the little ones he had left behind in Michigan
and while waiting for the government to
survey the land that it might be legally secured for his children, he
was stricken a second time with paralysis
and died February 17, 1861. Their children:
1. George M. Bigelow b. at Allegan, 1839; m. Lelia Grimes.
2. Henry Childs Bigelow b. in Otsego, December 25, 1845; m. Belle
White.
3. Bishop Perkins Bigelow b. in Otsego, Oct. 27, 1847; m. Harriet
E. Colburn.
Modified - 11/12/2007
(c) Copyright 2007 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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