William Bigler (1814-1880)
Carroll Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Governor of Pennsylvania, 1852-55; birthplace, about one mile west of here. In office he opposed the chartering of wildcat banks and passage of "omnibus bills." U.S. Senator, 1856-1861. A brother, John, also born here, was Governor of California, 1852-56.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
William Bigler was born about a mile west of here in 1814 and went on to serve as governor of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855, then as a United States senator from 1856 to 1861. In office he fought the reckless chartering of "wildcat" banks and opposed the log-rolling omnibus bills of the day. In a remarkable family coincidence, his brother John — born on the same ground — was serving simultaneously as governor of California, giving one Pennsylvania household two statehouses at once.
Why it matters
The Bigler brothers embody the sweep of a restless young republic, in which sons of a single frontier family could govern states on opposite ends of the continent as the nation stretched to the Pacific.
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Related people
- · William Bigler
- · John Bigler
Themes & tags
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