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William Bigler

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William Bigler
United States Senator
fromPennsylvania
In office
January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861
Preceded byJames Cooper
Succeeded byEdgar Cowan
12thGovernor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 20, 1852 – January 16, 1855
Preceded byWilliam F. Johnston
Succeeded byJames Pollock
Member of thePennsylvania Senate
from the20thdistrict
In office
1841–1846
Preceded byWilliam Stewart
Succeeded byAugustus Drum
Personal details
Born(1814-01-01)January 1, 1814
Sherman Valley, Pennsylvania,US
DiedAugust 9, 1880(1880-08-09)(aged 66)
Clearfield, Pennsylvania,US
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMaria Jane Reed (m. 1836–1880; his death)
ProfessionPolitician,Printer,Lumberman,Railroad President
Signature

William Bigler(January 1, 1814 – August 9, 1880) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as aDemocratas the 12thgovernor of Pennsylvaniafrom 1852 to 1855[1]and as a member of theUnited States Senatefor Pennsylvania from 1856 to 1861. His older brother,John Bigler,was electedgovernor of Californiaduring the same period. As of 2023, he is the last Democratic incumbent to lose reelection as Governor of Pennsylvania.

Early life and education[edit]

Bigler was born inSherman Valley, Pennsylvania,to Jacob and Susan Dock Bigler. He attended public schools and worked as a printer's apprentice, a journalist and as a member of the staff of theCentre County Democratnewspaper under his elder brotherJohn Biglerwho later became thegovernor of California.[2]

Career[edit]

In 1833, at the urging of his friends, including future Pennsylvania GovernorAndrew Curtin,[3]Bigler founded his own political newspaper, theClearfield Democratwhich supportedJacksonian democracy.In 1836, he married Maria Jane Reed and together they had five children.[4]He sold the newspaper and joined his father-in-law's lumber business as co-partner. Between 1845 and 1850, his lumber business became the largest producer of building supplies on the West branch of theSusquehanna River,earning him the nickname "The Clearfield Raftsman".[2]

He served as a Jackson Democrat member of thePennsylvania Senatefor the20th districtfrom 1841 to 1846, including as Speaker from 1845 to 1846. He played a key role in the abolition of imprisonment for debt in Pennsylvania and the development of two insane asylums in Philadelphia and Harrisburg.[5]He was a proponent of a central railroad from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh as competition to theB&O Railroad.His efforts resulted in a cross-state line in 1847 which was eventually sold and became thePennsylvania Railroad.[2]In 1849, he served as Pennsylvania revenue commissioner.[6]

He waselected the 12th Governor of Pennsylvania in 1851,defeating incumbent governorWilliam F. Johnston.He and his brother John were the first brothers to serve as governors of two states simultaneously. He fought vigorously againstwildcat bankingand vetoed multiple bank charters and bank bills in his time as governor.[7]He lost popularity through his support of theWalker Tariff,the right of southern states to retain slavery,[2]and theKansas-Nebraska Act,[8]and his enforcement of the1850 Fugitive Slave Act.[9]

In 1855, he was defeated for re-election in a landslide byJames Pollock,the candidate of the newly formedRepublican Party.[6]

After leaving the governor's office, he became president of thePhiladelphia and Erie Railroad.He was elected to theUnited States Senatefor Pennsylvania in 1856 (the legislature having failed to elect anyone in 1855), and served until 1861.[2]

As a senator, he supported pro-slavery measures to appease the South. He visitedKansas Territoryin 1857, and thereafter advocated Kansas statehood under the pro-slaveryLecompton Constitution.He was a delegate to the1860 Democratic National Conventionand opposed the nomination ofStephen A. Douglas.[10]

During the secession crisis in 1861, he supported thecompromise proposed by Kentucky Senator John J. Crittendenas a last ditch effort to avoid secession.[6]

He remained active in Pennsylvania politics and served as a delegate to thePennsylvania constitutional conventionin 1873 and as a key organizer of the 1876Centennial Expositionin Philadelphia.[11]

He died on August 9, 1880, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, and was interred in Hillcrest Cemetery.[12]

Legacy[edit]

Biglerville, Pennsylvania,inAdams County, Pennsylvania,is named after him.[13]Bigler Hall on theUniversity Parkcampus ofPenn Stateis named after Bigler,[14]as are Bigler Street inPhiladelphia,Bigler Township inClearfield County,[15]and Bigler Avenues in bothClearfieldandNorthern Cambria,Pennsylvania.

Gallery[edit]

  • Biglerville, Pennsylvania
    Biglerville, Pennsylvania

References[edit]

  1. ^"The Governors of Pennsylvania."Mount Union, Pennsylvania:The Mount Union Times,January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).
  2. ^abcde"Pennsylvania State Senate - William Bigler Biography".www.legis.state.pa.us.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  3. ^Hain, Harry Harrison (1922).History of Perry County, Pennsylvania.Harrisburg, PA: Hain-Moore Company, Publishers. pp. 637–638.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  4. ^Aldrich, Lewis Cass (1887).History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers. p. 336.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  5. ^Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Biography of Pennsylvania.New York: Atlantic Publishing & Engraving Company. 1898. p. 107.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  6. ^abc"Governor William Bigler".www.phmc.state.pa.us.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  7. ^McClure, Alexander Kelly (1905).Old Time Notes of Pennsylvania.Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company. pp. 194–195.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  8. ^Fitzgerald, Thomas."Wolf defeats Corbett".www.inquirer.com.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  9. ^"Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War".www.explorepahistory.com.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  10. ^Armor, William Crawford (1872).Lives of the Governors of Pennsylvania.Philadelphia: James K. Simon. p. 422.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  11. ^"Bigler, William".www.hdhousedivided.dickinson.edu.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  12. ^Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  13. ^"The Borough of Biglerville - History".www.adamscounty.us.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  14. ^"Bigler, Curtin, Geary & Packer Halls".www.housing.psu.edu.RetrievedJanuary 5,2020.
  15. ^Aldrich, Lewis Cass (1887).History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers. p. 426.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.

External links[edit]

Party political offices
Preceded by
Morris Longstreth
 Democraticnominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania
1851,1854 		Succeeded by
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by
William Stewart
 Member of thePennsylvania Senatefrom the20thdistrict
1841–1846 		Succeeded by
Augustus Drum
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Pennsylvania
1852–1855 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania
January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861
Served alongside:Richard BrodheadandSimon Cameron 		Succeeded by
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