Bennington

BIGELOW, Reuben

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, pp 208-210

[The following biographical notes about Reuben BIGELOW were extracted from a 
section dealing with the history of Peru, Bennington County, Vermont.] The 
first settlement was commenced by William BARLOW, from Woodstock [Windham 
County], Connecticut. The first public road was surveyed through Bromley [in 
1800]. There were but four families in town at the time: David STRATTON's, 
Aaron KILLAM's, Jonathan BUTTERFIELD's, and Reuben BIGELOW's. On 01 March 
1800 the town [of Peru, Bennington County, Vermont, first chartered by Gov. 
WENTWORTH on 12 October 1761 under the name of Bromley, and sometime between 
December 1803 and February 1804 renamed Peru] was organized by a meeting 
warned for that purpose by Joseph CURTIS, Justice of the Peace. Said meeting 
was held on the west side of the mountain, at the house of E. HURLBURT. John 
BROCK was appointed Moderator and Town Clerk. David WHITE, Aaron KILLAM, and 
Ebenezer HURLBURT, Selectmen. Reuben BIGELOW and David COLSON, Constables. 
In the autumn of this year [1802] there were fourteen families in town. 
[Text omitted] The town was this year [1803] divided into two school 
districts. The first school was taught by Reuben BIGELOW, in a private 
house. Schools were taught in private rooms for four years. [Text omitted] 
The first schoolhouse was this year [1807] built, near where Ira K. 
BATCHELDER's barn now stands. It was used for Town Meetings, also for a 
church, until 1816, being furnished with a desk which served for a pulpit.

Reuben BIGELOW was born in 1775 in Westminster [Worcester County], 
Massachusetts (most of the early settlers of Peru came from Westminster and 
vicinity). He [Reuben BIGELOW] married [Miss?] Abigail BROOKS, and came to 
Peru before 1800, being one of the first four families in town. Mr. BIGELOW 
was college bred, and would have been an influential man in any place, but he 
was the man of Peru. Energetic in every good work, he was the prime mover of 
affairs in town; taught the first school in town; read the Bible in the first 
religious meetings; and sermons after the organization of the church, 
whenever they had no preacher. He first represented the town in the State 
Legislature, and has always filled some office, acceptably to the town, and 
creditably to himself; was for many years a Justice of the Peace; Sheriff, 
Town Clerk, etc.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly