Children of Silas L.and Mary L. ( __ ) Bigelow:
15326.3921 Leland J. (or "G" [obit of bro. John A.], was given in obituary of Silas Leland and Mary L. as their son by his first marriage. Nothing further known of him in Apr 2000, except that on 15 Sep 1928 he lived in Washington,D.C.
15326.3922 Mary Edith Bigelow, was second of their three children. She married Alvin Robey and 15 Sep 1928 lived in Hendersonviulle, NC.
15326.3923 John A. Bigelow, son of Silas Leland Bigelow, was born in 1878 possibly in Brooklyn, L.I., NY. At age six, he moved to Tampa, FL where he lived for 42 years when he died on 17 Sep 1928, age 50. He was president of the Tampa Sheet Metal Contractors Association, and died at hishome, 704 Louisiana Avenue. He was buried at Oaklawn Cemetery, Tampa, FL. Funeral was at the Tampa Heights methodist church, Rev. T.L.Z.Barr conducting services. The W. Windhorst lodge of Masons, of which Mr. Biglow was a member, will have charge of services at the grave in Oaklawn cemetery. He was survived by two daughters, Misses Annie and Gladys Biglow and two sons, Thomas and Frank Biglow, all of Tampa; a brother and a sister. Mrs. John A. Bigelow died 5 July 1941, age 41 and interred at Jackson Cemetery, Tampa, FL. Miss Barrett was daughter of William J Barrett of Charleston, SC. Her pallbearers were Oscar Worrall, A. D. Pimm, J. L. Brown, Garnet Robey, J.J. Beddingfield and A. E. J. Anderson. Rev. Steinmeyer officiated at her funeral and the address was given 3315 Tampa St.
Children of Silas L.and Mattie (Lucas) Bigelow:
15326.3924 Troup Lucas Bigelow, was born about 1902 in Tampa. He lived in Jacksonville as an adult when his sister, Charlotte Louise, died there at age 22 in 1926. He with his mother accompanied her body to Tampa for burial. Nothing further known of him in Apr 2000. Recently heard from grand-daughter of Troup (see below)
15326.3925 Charlotte Louise "Louise" Bigelow, was born at Tampa, Hillsboro co., FL in 1904. According to her obituary in the Tampa Tribune on 22 Jan 1926, at age 22, she had married a Bigelow and they had a daughter, Maxine. Relatives accompanied her body from Jacksonville where she died, to Tampa where she was buried. Funeral held at parlors of B.Marion Reed, burial in woodlawn cemetery. Survived by her mother, brother Troupe Bigelow and a daughter, Maxine.
Sources:
Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol II , p 72;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America.; p 318;
records of Bigelow Society historian/genealogist.
records of Bigelow Society historian/genealogist prior to 1995; Rod Bigelow
and Jean Legereit 14 April and 18 April, 2000 went to Tampa and Rod took videos
of the Bigelow Mansion built by Silas which still stands in beautiful condition
and obtained history of the Mansion. On 18 April 2000 Jean and Otto
went to the Tampa Library and copied obituaries of Bigelows including Silas
and family and records of his activities in Tampa.
Note1:
15326.392 R15204, Silas L. Bigelow, son of John Boynton Bigelow, (Silas,
Solomon, Samuel, Samuel, Samuel, John) and Martha Bigelow, was born December
12, 1841 in Brooklyn, L.I., NY. He attended public schools until the
age of 14. For the next six years he worked as a clerk for various business
establishments. During the Civil War, while stationed in VA and NC,
he served as a clerk in the Quartermaster Department of the 18th Army corps.
In 1865 he traveled West and worked for railroad and express companies for
the next 18 years. Silas went to Tampa, Florida in 1884 from Brooklyn, L.I.
He was a merchant, real estate and held city offices in Ybor City and Tampa,
FL. 7 children (two died in childhood) Silas married (1) Mary L. by whom he
had three children. He married (2) Mattie L. on 27 Feb 1900 and they
had four children, two living in 1913. Silas died 22 April 1913 of a heart
attack after a weeks illness. Bigelow Society Genealogy says he died
by suicide,
but his obituary [below in total] does not indicate that. He was a
highly respected citizen of Tampa. His second wife, Mattie L. (Lucas)
Bigelow was born 1867 and died in Jacksonville, FL 11 July 1942 at age 75,
presumably living with her son Troupe who lived in Jacksonville. She died
at St. Luke's hospital in Jacksonville. She was survived by one son,
Troup (this family used Biglow without the "e") Biglow, Jacksonville and a
brother, Eugene H. Lucas, Tampa. The body was taken to Tampa for burial.
Sources: Howe, "Bigelow Family of America"; records of Bigelow
Society
historian/genealogist prior to 1995. Vol. II, "Bigelow Family Genealogy";
Records of Bigelow-Helms Mansion, April 2000; Videos of Mansion taken
by Rod
Bigelow and research 12 April 2000 and 14 April 2000 with genealogist.
Library research done by Jean Legereit 18 April 2000.
Note2:
Silas Leland Bigelow's Obituary 21 April 1913, from Tampa Tribune states:
Silas L. Bigelow, who was among the first members of the city council and
who since he came to Tampa thirty years ago has become one of the city's
most
prominent business men, died suddenly at his Bayshore home early yesterday
morning of heart failure. As it was not generally known that he was ill,
the
news of Mr. Biglow's death came as a dread shock to his army of friends,
many of whom are pioneer citizens and leaders in the business life of the
city.
Although Mr. Bigelow has been at his residence the past 10 days complaining
that he was unwell, his condition was not regarded as serious. The
weight of
seventy-one years of strenuous business life proved too great, however,
and yesterday morning when he arose, he stayed up only a short while. His
weakened condition forced him to return to his bed. When he reached
it his heart failed him. His death occurred at about 7 o'clock.
The funeral will be conducted this afternoon at 2 o'clock by the Rev.
J. E. Skinner, pastor of the Palm Avenue Baptist church, at the late residence
[corner of Gandy Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa]. The pallbearers
will be L. C. Bigelow, J.A. Bigelow [see obit.], A. G. Robey, E. W. Monrose
and Allen Thomas. The honorary pallbearers will be C. L. Knight, A.
Ramirez, W. V. Cole, A. Manarra and John Savarese. Interment will be
at Woodlawn
Cemetery.
Mr. Bigelow is survived by his second wife, Mrs. Mattie Bigelow, and by
five children--three by his first wife and two by his second. Those
by his first
wife are Leland J., Mary Edith and John A.. Those by his second, Troupe
L. and Charlotte Louise.
A native of Brooklyn, L. I., he came to Florida in the early eighties,
settling first at Cedar Key. He came to Tampa in 1884, before the
first
railroad had been built. When the old Plant system began running trains
into Tampa he was appointed this city's first express agent. He organized
the
wholesale grain firm of Ross & Bigelow in 1890, but in later years abandoned
it to devote his time and energy to other endeavors. He dealt actively
in
real estate and at the time of his death was secretary of the Ybor City
Land and Improvement company, and secretary of the Ybor city building and
Loan
Association.
Also, he was president of the Bigelow Machine company, a separate line
of business with shops on the Hyde Park side of the Hillsborough River.
Up to this time increasing business began to make greater drafts upon his
energy. Mr. Biglow took active interest in the city politics.
He was a
member of the first city council after the consolidation of the old town
of Tampa with the surrounding territory [including Ybor City] He was elected
councilman from the Fifth Ward, five consecutive times and during the last
term of office was president of the city council. He was the first chief
of
sanitation. When the board of public works was organized he was appointed
its secretary, which honor he retained a number of years.
Funeral arrangements will be in charge of Undertaker J. L. Reed."
Note3:
The Bigelow Mansion is one of the most historically significant early twentieth
century residences on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa. In 1917 or 1919,
his second wife, Mattie, sold this "mansion" to Dr. John Sullivan Helms
who had a hospital there called Bayside Hospital. After building a
wing on the
west side of the Hospital in 1920, the success of the hospital required
more space yet, and in 1927 Tampa Municipal Hospital, known today as Tampa
General
hospital, was built in place of Bayside. Helms restored the mansion
to a residence, which was home to his family until 1974. In spite of the
fact that
the added west wing was removed between 1927 and 1930, some pictures indicate
possibility of an addition being built during the time the Helms lived there
as a residence. Two pictures show a curved structure with white round
columns in back. A picture taken before rennovation began shows a
wood frame
addition in bad condition and records state there was one at the rear built
with curves in compliance with a curved plate glass window. Records state
that between 1927 and 1930 the west wing that had been added during the
time it was used as Bayside Hospital, was removed. Until 1965 Jack Bonaker
Wilson,
(b.Lakeland, FL 2 Feb 1913-d.at the Bigelow-Helms mansion 28 Apr, 1965,
age 52.) a first cousin of the Helms family, (nephew of Mrs. Dora Helms)
lived on
the second floor of the attic of the mansion. He was a well-known
artist who painted portraits of prominent Tampa families. After his
death in 1965, the
fate of the mansion was undecided until it was purchased and restored by
the Borel Saladin family of Perroy, Switzerland. It was restored in
1982-1988 as
"Bigelow-Helms Mansion". Large Banyan trees on the property were destroyed
by a freeze in the 1980s and had to be removed. The original Bigelow
home was
located farther back on the property than it is now and was moved nearer
Bayshore Boulevard. "The Bigelow House also has architectural significance.
It was built in what is known as the Prairie style, an American school of
design associated with Frank Lloyd Wright. The emphasis is on the
horizontal
line with low-hipped roof and flared eaves. This style was particularly
prevalent between 1905 and 1915. Also of note is the use of concrete
blocks
molded to simulate rusticated stone. This technique was part of the
contemporary fascination with technological innovation." House is
10,000
square feet in size. "Interior of second floor measures approx. 3,100 sq.
feet and originally was divided into ten rooms. Central entrance hall is
flanked by parlors on either side and terminated by the staircase.
The curvilinear hall to the left leads to dining room., butler's pantry and
back rooms. Rooms to the right and back of house were used as bedrooms.
Rooms are panelled with a varnished yellow heart pine, milled in a corduroy
pattern. Halls and stairway have a raised panel dado and cornice of hearty
pine and cherry, respectively..."(Hist. & significance of Bigelow-Helms
House); Silas was a member of Tampas first City Council and was 1st
Chief of Sanitation in Tampa. Silas died in 1913. In 1916, his second wife,
Mattie, sold the house to Dr. Helms. Mattie lived some years after
Silas died. Rod
Bigelow, in charge of the internet for the Bigelow society, researched this
information 12 Apr 2000 when in Tampa. He and genealogist then went
to Tampa
and visited this mansion, fully restored to A-1 condition and beautiful,
14 April 2000. Carriage house is still there also, in use, and also
restored. Townhouse apartments are built on property at the rear of the
mansion.(April 2000).
Note: An employee at the mansion said the house sat empty for several
years at one point and was considered to be "haunted." After some discussion,
it
was discovered that, besides having been a hospital for eight years, the
artist, Jack Bonaker Wilson died in the mansion in 1965 at age 52.
She said
some employees working at the mansion since, have had a priest come and
bless the house before they would work there. She has never met the
"supposedly
illusive ghosts," nor has anyone else she knows of.
Sources: Records of the Bigelow-Helms mansion in Apr.2000;
Reports to authorities in order to save the mansion from demolition 1982-1988
and
restoration records; (III.) Statement of Significance of Bigelow-Helms House--(gives
Dr. Helms middle name as Sullivan);Research by Dr. L. Glenn
Westfall, in "Bigelow Mansion a Gold Mine of Local History" which states
in part..."history of Mansion and its owners in June 1980 in an effort to
place the home on Tampa's list of historical buildings and avoid demolition
by developers, stating home sold to Dr. John Helms in 1916 (other dates are
1917 and 1919 in other records). (Dr. Helms used it as Bayside Hospital
for eight years so the 1919 date is when it was started as a hospital and
could have been purchased in 1916 or 1917); All material related to research
and designation of Bigelow-Helms House in on file at -- Historic/Tampa Hillsboro
County Preservation Book, 2009 North Eighteenth St., Tampa 33609, Phone 813-272-3843.
In Apr 2000, 4807 Bayshore Boulevard is called Bayshore Partners, a general
partnership comprised of Tampa Bay Resources, Inc. and Robert Borel-Saladin
purchased the property in August 1989 and restored the mansion to as close
to original state as possible. Present owner is Lee Scarfone (1988).
See photo: Adobe Photoshop5, New Briefcase: biglmansn.jpg.
Note4:
Subject: membership
Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 09:39:49 -0400
From: Lois Crew < lcrew@mailer.fsu.edu >
I am interested in becoming a member of the Bigelow Society. Do I
need to fill out an application form? Please let me know what I should
do. My name is Lois Barkoskie Crew and I live in Tallahassee, Florida.
My mother was Beverley Gray Biglow. She was the daughter of Troup
Lucas Biglow and he was the son of Silas Leland Biglow of Tampa who built
the Biglow-Helms mansion on Bayshore Boulevard. I have quite a bit of
information on this branch of the family including the family Bible of John
Biglow dated 1840 which lists many births, deaths and marraiges. Thank you.
email: jlcrew39@hotmail.com.......................................
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