Lyman Waldo Bigelow & Sons

Lyman Waldo Bigelow: From Boxborough Roots to Norwood Pioneer

Lyman Waldo Bigelow was born in Boxborough, Massachusetts, on March 7, 1828. Raised in Boxborough and nearby Groton, he received a typical rural New England education before beginning his early business career. On September 12, 1849, he married Catherine B. Howard, and just a few years later the couple made a life‑changing move.

In 1853, Lyman and Catherine relocated to South Dedham—soon to become the town of Norwood—and opened a country store. The business quickly prospered, serving a growing community and establishing the Bigelow name as one of reliability, fairness, and civic-mindedness.

By the 1870s, Lyman had become one of the town’s most respected citizens. A devoted member of the Universalist Church, he supported social-improvement movements, including the temperance cause. His reputation for integrity led to his election as Norwood’s first Town Treasurer, a position he held from the town’s incorporation in 1872 until his death in 1886.

His tenure was not without controversy: Lyman claimed that interest earned on town deposits constituted part of his salary. Although the town voted to support this interpretation, the practice ended when his successor, C.E. Pond, took office in 1887. Despite this dispute, Bigelow remained widely respected for his dedication to the town’s financial stability during its formative years.

Lyman died on December 13, 1886, leaving behind a thriving business and a legacy of civic leadership.

The Rise of L.W. Bigelow’s Sons

After Lyman’s death, his sons—Erwin Augustus Bigelow and Edgar Laban Bigelow—took over the family dry goods store, located in Village Hall. They renamed it L.W. Bigelow’s Sons, continuing the family’s commitment to quality goods and community service.

A Cornerstone of Local Commerce

Town reports from the 1880s show regular payments to L.W. Bigelow’s Sons for municipal needs.

The store shared the ground floor of Village Hall with Moses F. Webb, as seen in an 1885 photograph.

The business supplied the town lockup with beds and blankets and provided clothing for Major Benjamin Guild, who oversaw the facility.

Expansion and the Bigelow Block

In 1899, the family constructed the Bigelow Block at the corner of Washington and Day Streets—today numbered 692–702 Washington Street. The building became a commercial anchor in downtown Norwood, housing the dry goods business, later the L.W. Bigelow’s Sons Furniture Company, and eventually Edgar’s real estate and surveying offices.

The Bigelow Block remains one of Norwood’s most recognizable historic commercial structures, largely unchanged for more than 120 years.

Erwin Augustus Bigelow

Erwin married Mary Cragin in 1890. They had three children: Catherine, Amy, and Harry.

Erwin died in 1907, but his son Harry Augustus Bigelow carried the family’s intellectual legacy to national prominence:

• Graduated from Norwood High School, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School.
• Joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1909.
• Became Dean of the University of Chicago Law School in 1929.
• Specialized in property and real estate law.
• Introduced interdisciplinary courses in economics, accounting, and psychology—innovations that helped shape modern legal education.

Edgar Laban Bigelow

After Erwin’s death, Edgar expanded into real estate and served as a Justice of the Peace. He married Abbie White, a Norwood schoolteacher, in 1878. They had three children: Bernice, Ednah, and Lyman Waldo Bigelow, named for his grandfather.

The younger Lyman became a civil engineer and operated his surveying office from the Bigelow Block, continuing the family’s presence in the building his father and uncle had constructed.

L.W. Bigelow’s Sons in Historical Context

The Bigelow family’s business reflects a broader pattern in 19th‑century New England, where general stores served as economic and social hubs. Dry goods merchants like the Bigelows supplied everything from clothing to household necessities, often extending credit and acting as informal community centers.

By the late 1800s, successful family-run stores frequently expanded into furniture, hardware, or real estate—exactly the path the Bigelows followed. Their longevity and adaptability mirrored Norwood’s own evolution from a rural village to a thriving industrial town.

A Lasting Legacy

Today, the Bigelow Block stands as a testament to the family’s enduring impact on Norwood’s commercial and civic life. Though the original store is long gone, the building remains a familiar landmark—one that connects modern residents to the entrepreneurial spirit of the town’s early years.

Lyman Waldo Bigelow and his descendants helped shape Norwood’s identity through business leadership, public service, and educational achievement. Their story is woven into the fabric of the town itself, reminding us how individual families can leave a lasting imprint on a community.