Bigler Graves
Hempfield Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Jacob and Susan Bigler, parents of two governors, are buried here. Their son William was Governor of Pennsylvania, 1852-55; and their son John, Governor of California, 1852-56.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the sod of this Mercer County ground lie Jacob and Susan Bigler, a Pennsylvania farming couple whose two sons rose to lead states on opposite coasts. Their son William became governor of Pennsylvania in 1852, while in that very same span his brother John presided over California, still fresh from the Gold Rush and newly admitted to the Union. It is a rare distinction in American history: one family, two brothers, two governor's chairs held at the same time.
Why it matters
The Bigler brothers embody the restless mobility of mid-19th-century America, a single frontier family sending sons east and west to shape the young republic on both edges of the continent.
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Related people
- · Jacob Bigler
- · Susan Bigler
- · William Bigler
- · John Bigler
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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