History Bigelow, Minnesota

hiawatha pageant, bigelow school, 1908



postcard of main street, bigelow, minnesota, dated 1910



grain elevator formerly located in bigelow, mn, exhibit in pioneer village, worthington, mn

beginnings: town of bigelow third community come existence in nobles county. first 2 worthington , brewster. 3 towns appeared on map in 1871, though bigelow remained nothing more - spot on map - until spring of 1872, when tracks of st. paul & sioux city railway reached site of present-day town. throughout summer of 1872, site occupied large tent furnished shelter construction crew. railroad depot constructed in september 1872, , mr. s. o. morse assumed duties station agent. went partnership man named frothingham, , 2 established small grocery store in depot. business established in 1872.

source of name: before railroad tracks had reached present-day bigelow, town s future name had been decided. named after charles h. bigelow. director of st. paul & sioux city railway, , board decided flatter him naming new town after him. bigelow township named after mr. bigelow. there no record of charles bigelow visiting town bears name, though passed through on railroad helped create.

incorporation: townsite platted , dedication made on september 24, 1873. 2 new business came town in 1873. s. d. tinnes opened general merchandise store , john deboos , john colvin opened hardware store. grain dealer, lumber yard, , coal business established in 1874. school house built in year , began fall 24 students. village grew slowly. 1880 census gave bigelow population of 28. (one must assume many of 24 students enrolled in bigelow school resided on farms outside of village.) charles l. davidson, of hull, iowa, purchased townsite on january 25, 1892, , decided boom town , or attract investment , settlers. efforts apparently paid off, 1894, bigelow claimed 150 residents. census taken on november 16, 1899, counted 224 residents. on february 13, 1900, election held, , vote of 37 6 decided time had come municipal government. first president of bigelow mr. w. c. wyatt.

bigelow today: according 2010 census, bigelow has population of 235. perhaps half-dozen businesses exist in town. in recent years, minnesota state highway 60, once passed directly through town, upgraded four-lanes, , bypassed bigelow entirely. bigelow not have public school. children attend school either in nearby worthington or in ellsworth. minnesota s open-enrollment law gives them option.