1886: Panama
John Bigelow sailed on a steamer of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company for Colon, Panama on Feb 18, 1886. He was invited by Ferdinand de Lesseps, President of the Interoceanic Panama Canal Company, to accompany him to inspect the Panama Canal.
Bigelow was a strong advocate of the development of the Panama Canal. He was friends with Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, the French engineer who helped to design the Panama Canal and who was responsible for bringing the project to the attention of the Americans. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt would communicate often with Bigelow, commending him for his work on the Panama Canal.
The entire Bigelow family became extremely close with the Bunau-Varilla family; all of the Bigelow children were friends with Etienne and Giselle Bunau-Varilla, and Ida, Philippe-Jean's wife, was close with both Jane and John. In fact, Panama's first proposed flag was made by Ida in the Bigelow's home in New York City. The Panamanian government rejected the design because it too closely resembled the American flag.
