Herbert T. "H.T." Bigelow

Herbert Townsend Bigelow was a World War I Army veteran, Stoughton businessman, and an early leader of Otis Sampson Post No. 59 of the American Legion.

Born in Waukon, Iowa, Bigelow came to Stoughton in 1907. When he registered for military service in 1917, he was living in Monroe, Wisconsin, where he worked as an express agent for Wells Fargo & Company. He entered the U.S. Army on May 4, 1918, during World War I.

Bigelow served as a Sergeant with Headquarters Company, 330th Service Battalion. His military service continued beyond the November 1918 Armistice, and he was discharged on June 26, 1919. His later government headstone application specifically records his rank and organization as “Sgt., Hqs. Co., 330th Service Bn.”

Following the war, Bigelow returned to civilian life and became involved with the growing American Legion in Stoughton. In November 1924, he was installed as Commander of Otis Sampson Post No. 59, succeeding Edwin Olson. Fred Mattingly served as First Vice Commander during Bigelow’s administration, while T. J. Rippchen served as Adjutant and Finance Officer.

The Post was still relatively young during Bigelow’s leadership, and records from his term provide an interesting look at its development. An Executive Committee composed of the elected officers was established to allow Post business to be handled more efficiently between regular meetings. Bigelow also appointed delegates to represent Post 59 on the Dane County Council of the American Legion.

In January 1925, Bigelow and Fred Mattingly were selected to represent Post 59 at the State Conference of Post Officers in Baraboo. Later that spring, Bigelow urged local veterans to attend an important Post meeting where former servicemen who had not yet completed their military bonus applications could receive assistance. His announcement called upon members to attend “for the good of the Legion and ex-service men,” reflecting the Post’s early emphasis on helping veterans obtain the benefits they had earned.

Bigelow also became a Stoughton businessman. In February 1926, he opened Bigelow’s Floral & Fountain Shop at 315 East Main Street. The business combined a floral shop offering flowers, corsages and funeral arrangements with a fountain serving ice cream, sodas, desserts, candy and tobacco products.

He married Hazel Patterson in Stoughton in 1922, and the couple had two children, Herbert Jr. and Ann Lorraine. In later years, Bigelow worked at the Fairbanks-Morse plant in Beloit.

Herbert T. Bigelow died in December 1939 at his home in Stoughton following an illness of several months. He was only 52 years old. Military services were held in his honor, and he was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Stoughton.

Bigelow belonged to the generation of World War I veterans who helped establish the foundation of American Legion Post 59. His service as Commander came only a few years after the Post was organized, during a period when its members were building not only a veterans organization, but a lasting presence in the Stoughton community.