 
Frank Bigelow is a lifelong Madera County resident who resides
in O’Neals, California with his wife, Barbara, and three
children. His ancestors settled in the O’Neals area
in the late 1800’s where his great grandfather and grandmother,
Harman and Leota Bigelow, operated a cattle and sheep business,
along with a freight service by wagon and a stage line to
the higher country.
Great-great grandfather, Harmon, started the Ponderosa Telephone
Company with two wires strung through trees so that his wife,
Leota, could talk to her friend a half-mile away. Requests
from other residents for service and when the Forest Service
wanted Mr. Bigelow to take over its phones, in 1908, the Ponderosa
Telephone Company was officially established.
Frank Bigelow has been an employee of the Ponderosa Telephone
Company since 1973 and is currently vice-president. He worked
his way up through the ranks of the company, learning all
facets of the business.
Frank Bigelow officially became a firefighter on his 18th
birthday, but volunteered “unofficially” before
that, working with his father and meeting a need for the local
community. He volunteers to this day, having served over 30
years with the local volunteer fire department and feels that
a volunteer fire department should be run by people in the
community to meet a need, not as a second source of income
or for personal gratification. Volunteers should do firefighting
as a community service.
Frank Bigelow has and is involved in many organizations and
committees, including his appointment by Governor Wilson to
the Madera District Fair Board, his election to the Madera
Ag Boosters Board of Directors, California Shorthorn Breeder’s
Association Board of Directors and the Madera County Cattleman’s
Association Board of Directors. He served as a leader in the
Spring Valley 4-H Club and is a strong supporter of the Future
Farmers of America. In keeping with family tradition, he has
continued to raise champion registered Shorthorn cattle and
champion registered Columbia Sheep.
In November of 1998, Frank Bigelow won the Supervisorial
seat for District 1 in Madera County on the belief that there
is a need for strong leadership in order to confront several
important issues, such as growth, impact of growth on agriculture,
lack of jobs that pay a decent wage and especially, water.
In 2002, Frank Bigelow was appointed as Chairman to the Board
of Supervisors and won a 2nd term as Supervisor to District
1, which started in 2003. He also spearheaded the formation
of the San Joaquin River Task Force that consists of several
counties and agencies with the same concern for the water
interests of the San Joaquin River and groundwater located
within the central San Joaquin Valley.
Chairman Bigelow currently serves on the following:
Central Sierra Watershed Committee
CSAC Board of Directors
CSAC Policy Committee-Housing/Land Use/Transportation
Eastern Madera County Water Oversight Advisory Committee
Flood Control/Water Conservation Agency Advisory Board
Foreign Trade Zone Advisory Board - Alternate
Interagency Children & Youth Services Council and Executive
Committee - Alternate
Local Agency Formation Commission
Madera Co. Transportation Authority
Madera Co. Transportation Commission
Mid Valley Water Authority
Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) Alternate
Resource Advisory Committee
Resource Conservation & District
San Joaquin River Conservancy
San Joaquin River Task Force (Chairman)
Sierra National Forest Committee
Water Oversight Committee
Workforce Development Council - Alternate
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Strategy (YARTS) –
Alternate
Citizen Opportunities
Citizen Oversight Committee Application
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