Preceded by James Cooper Party Democratic Party Preceded by William F. Johnston | Political party Democratic Succeeded by Edgar Cowan Name William Bigler Siblings John Bigler | |
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Born January 1, 1814
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania ( 1814-01-01 ) Spouse(s) Maria Jane Reed (m. 1836–1880; his death) Profession Politician, Printer, Lumberman, Railroad President Role Former Governor of Pennsylvania Died August 9, 1880, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Previous office Senator (PA) 1856–1861 | ||
William Bigler (January 1, 1814 – August 9, 1880) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 12th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855, and later a U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania from 1856 until 1861.
Biography
Bigler was born in rural Pennsylvania and received little formal education; he studied informally under his elder brother John Bigler (later governor of California), publisher of the Centre County Democrat newspaper. Bigler founded his own political newspaper, the Clearfield Democrat, in 1833, and later became wealthy in the lumber business. In the 1840s he served in the Pennsylvania senate, and he defeated incumbent governor William F. Johnston for the governor's seat in 1851. Although Bigler opposed slavery in principle, he supported the federal government's Fugitive Slave Act and the pro-slavery Kansas-Nebraska Act. He was defeated for a second term by James Pollock, the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party. Following his term as governor, he served in the United States Senate from 1856 to 1861. William and Brother John Bigler were listed in Ripleys Believe It or Not relating to the brothers being governors of two different states simultaneously. One of his daughters Ida Annettee Bigler married Holmes Eugene Ruhe of Allentown PA. Biglerville, Pennsylvania in Adams County, Pennsylvania is named after him. Bigler Hall on the University Park campus of Penn State is named after William Bigler, as are Bigler Street in Philadelphia, Bigler Township in Clearfield County, and Bigler Avenues in both Clearfield and Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania.