Hobart B. Bigelow

Hobart Baldwin Bigelow
50th Governor of Connecticut
In office January 5, 1881 – January 3, 1883
Lieutenant	William H. Bulkeley
Preceded by	Charles B. Andrews
Succeeded by	Thomas M. Waller
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
In office 1875
Personal details
Born	May 16, 1834 North Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1891 (aged 57) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Eleanor Lewis Bigelow
Children	Frank Lewis, Eleanor Mary, Walter Pierpont, Philo Lewis
Profession	manufacturer, politician

Hobart Baldwin Bigelow (May 16, 1834 – October 12, 1891) was an American politician and the 50th Governor of Connecticut.

Biography

Bigelow was born in North Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut on May 16, 1834. He was educated in the South Egremont Academy in Massachusetts. On May 6, 1857, he married Eleanor Lewis and they had four children;^[1] Frank Lewis, Eleanor Mary, Walter Pierpont, and Philo Lewis, who died at two weeks.^[2]

Career

In 1851 Bigelow left there and afterward learned the machinist's trade at Guilford, Connecticut with local companies. He became a leading manufacturer of boilers and heavy machinery. He purchased the Bigelow Manufacturing Company in 1861, which later conducted business under the name of the H.B. Bigelow & Co. He served as the company's president for life.

Bigelow served as councilman of New Haven from 1863 to 1876. He then served as mayor of New Haven from 1879 to 1881. He also served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1875.^[3]

Bigelow was the Republican nominee and was elected the Governor of Connecticut on November 2, 1880. He was sworn into office on January 5, 1881. During his term, legislation was enacted that disallowed deceptive election registration procedures and a bill was constituted that regulated companies of 12 or more employees to install fire escapes. The Storrs Agricultural School was founded and assessments were cut back on mutual life insurance companies.

Bigelow left office on January 3, 1883 and retired from public service.He was a delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1880.^[4]

Death

On October 12, 1891, Bigelow died at the New Haven House hotel on October 12, 1891 (age 57 years, 149 days). He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut.^[5]

References

1. "Hobart B. Bigelow". National Governors Association. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
2. "Hobart B. Bigelow". Bigelow Society, Inc. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
3. Hobart B. Bigelow. The governors of Connecticut: biographies. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
4. "Hobart B. Bigelow". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
5. "Hobart B. Bigelow". Find A Grave. Retrieved 7 December 2012.

External links

• Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2
• "Hobart B. Bigelow". RootsWeb.com. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
• National Governors Association
• Find A Grave
• The Political Graveyard
• Bigelow Society, Inc.
• The governors of Connecticut: biographies