Unknown Bower
"Unknown" Bower's family was known to the community in Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA. Nine of the children are listed in the notes of the Salem Lutheran Cemetery Association, and seem to be confirmed by census records. This cemetery association record seems to function as much as a genealogy of the community, as a record of the family members buried at Salem Lutheran, and it is curious that the nine children, but not the parents, are listed. As for the family of "Unknown" Bower, it appears that only (2nd son) David Bower & his wife Carolyn S., and an infant son of (1st son) John Bower are buried there.
Three of the siblings of John & David appear to have married in Clarion or Venango counties, and were residing there at age 20's. Charles was still living in Venango County at age 40. At least some of David Bower's children are known to have stayed in Clarion County. But some of the family moved on to Iowa (John & his children), and all or the Bowers seem to disappear from the Clarion County census in 1870.
David died from illness in 1866. At some point between 1860 and 1870 his brother Dr. John Bower lost his wife, presumably to death, and moved to Iowa. His son Giltner Bower, also a physician, lived in IA. in 1870.
We know from the 1880 census for Dr. John Bower in Iowa, that both his parents were born in PA, so "Unknown" Bower & wife were not the immigrant generation. Perhaps the parents also moved west to Iowa with their oldest son; it appears their youngest children would have been mature by 1860, and could be left behind. It is also possible that they died in Clarion County and were buried at Salem without a stone. Being buried at another church in Clarion might explain their not being listed in the Salem Lutheran records. It is less likely that they died in some eastern PA county, as it would be highly unusual for all their children then to migrate to the Clarion Co. area. If they were farmers, they may have been buried in a private cemetery on their farm. The children don't seem to be farmers however. John was educated to be a physician. David started out as a potter. Reuben was a blacksmith. Charles at age 40 is listed as "laborer". More research is needed, both in Clarion County and in Iowa, to locate Unknown Bower and wife.
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | PA | [1] | ||
| Marriage | wife b. PA | [1] | ||
| Death | ||||
| Burial |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 4 Generation 5 Generation 6
+-- Unknown Bower
| (????-????)
+-- David Bower --+
| (1825-1866) |
Olive Samantha Bower --+ +-- [unknown]
(1862-1895) | (????-????)
+-- Caroline Snyder
(1831-1905)
Sources: [6][7]
Children
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. John Bower | M | ~1823 | PA | Mary Giltner | [2][6] | |
| Rachel Bower | F | John August | [2] | |||
| David Bower | M | 1826 | PA | Caroline Snyder | Direct line | [2][6] |
| Barbara Bower | F | ~1830 | PA | Reuben Disler | [2][3] | |
| Reuben N. Bower | M | ~1835 | PA | Lydia Disler | [2][4] | |
| Jesse Bower | M | [2] | ||||
| Charles Bower | M | ~1840 | Matilda unknown | per 1880 census [2][5] | ||
| Elizabeth Bower | F | [2] | ||||
| Samuel Bower | M | [2] |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA | birth, expect ~ in 1800 +/- | [1] | |
| expect Clarion Co, PA | by 1840-1850 | children known to community | [2] |
| possibly went to IA | son's family went to IA; grave not yet found in PA |
[1] |
If as expected, the family name was originally "Bauer", then the J. Bauer of Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA on the 1877 Caldwell Atlas may be relevant.
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1880 United States Federal Census, District 77, Jackson Twp, Guthrie Co, IA, page 28. Guthrie Center, Valley Fork. Census dated 5-6 June, 1880. Lines 45 -49: John Bower, 57, physician, born PA (parents born PA); Ella, 42, wife, keeping house, b. Ohio, (parents born PA); Mary Lockmiller, 13, step-dau., at school, b. Ohio,( father b. VA, mother OH); John R. Lockmiller, 9, step-son, b. Iowa,(father b. VA, mother b. OH), attended school; David Bower, 3, son, b. IA, (father b. PA, mother b. OH). |
 |
| 2 | Cemetery Association Record listing the siblings of David Bower, 1826-1856. | transcription |
| 3 | 1860 U.S. Census Venango Co. PA, Richland Twp., pg. 28. Date of census 22 June 1860. Rheuben Disler age 28, farmer, $4000 real estate, $150 personal estate; Barbara age 30; Children: Catherin 5, Melinda R, Maria 3, John 1. All born in PA. |
 |
| 4 | 1860 U.S. Census Clarion Co. PA,Salem Twp., pg 13. Date of census 29 June 1860. Lines 30-32 list Reuben N. Bower age 25, blacksmith, no real estate value, personal estate value $130; Lydia age 21, Elura, female 9 mos. All born in PA. |
 |
| 5 | 1880 U.S. Census Venango Co. PA, Jackson Twp, pg. 8. Date of census 7 June 1880. Lines 24-26: Charles Bower, age 40, laborer; wife Matilda, age 41; son Orva, age 3. All, and all parents, born PA. |  |
| 6 | Research Manuscript of Ella May Beals (Wilson) researched 1975-1985, including personal knowledge and interviews of her siblings Robert Beals and Bertha Beals (Chambers), and of her aunt Mary P. Kline (Fillgrove). | |
| 7 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams. | N/A
|
| 8 | Record books for Salem Lutheran Church, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA. This collection of church record books was in the keeping of then pastor Kathleen Anderson, and was partially extracted in March 1995 by Elizabeth Ann Wilson Williams and Nancy Elizabeth Beals Walls. Transcriptions were incomplete due to time limitations and the quantity of material. | Records of Salem Lutheran Church, partial transcription 1995 |
Source Notes
- Searching with Ancestry.com for Bower (or soundex) in Venango Co in 1830 and 1840 gave no families with the right children to be "unknown" Bower. A search of Iowa in the 1850 census gave no Bower who could be clearly identified although there were numerous Bower families with ties to Pennsylvania.
Conjecture
- Since so many families is the Clarion-Venango Counties border area migrated from Lehigh County, it is worth noting that Michael Brey, (whose daughter married Olive Bower's father-in-law), owned land in Upper Milford township, (in then Northampton, later Lehigh County) in 1806, near land of a Henry Bauer. Also a land transaction by one Joseph Klein in October of 1865 mentions land of the "late John Bower', in Salisbury township.
- Tax Recorder's Ledger, Beaver Twp., Clarion Co. PA, 1873, & 1874 notations, published in the Western Pennsylvanian Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 3, 2008, pg.37-48. Section I, real estate taxes, lists a Jacob J. Bower, property valuation $214. Relationship if any unknown.
Research
1850 U.S. Census, Reserve T., Allegheny Co. PA, Pg 4 line 42 & pg 5 line 1-4. Sarah Bower, 41, no occupation listed, $1200 real estate. Children: Samuel E. , 11; Albert ?, 9; Charles, 8; Mary E., 6. Sarah Bower born in England, all children born PA.
If the father were dead and the older children migrated to Clarion Co. area from elsewhere, this family might be the mother and younger children. It would require that Mary E. be Elizabeth, and that Albert be Jesse, to match the names listed by the Salem Lutheran Cemetery Assoc. , for which the ages/birth dates are unknown.
No matching Jesse Bower, Charles Bower, Samuel Bower, Elizabeth Bower, Rachel Bower, or John August has been found in 1850 or 1860 for Clarion or Venango Counties.
*1850 Census Farmington Twp., Clarion Co. pg 20, Aug. 14 or 17, 1850. Ln. 7-11: John Bower, age 56 farmer, $500 real estate; wife Anna Marie age 55; children: Frederick age 25, farmer, $800 real estate; Barbara age 19; Joseph age 17. All born in Germany except Joseph born in PA.
Note: The child Barbara is a match to the children listed by the Salem Lutheran cemetery board, the other 2 children are not; the location in Farmington Twp. is in the northeast corner of Clarion Co.; the German origins are expected.
*1850 census Fairfield Twp., Crawford Co. PA, pg. 11, Oct. 1850 (no day listed). Ln 1-2: Henry Bower age 66, farmer, $300 real estate. Wife Elizabeth age 62. Both born in Germany. Note: Crawford Co. PA is in northwestern corner of the state (south of Erie), main city is Meadville. It shares a boundary with Venango Co.
* 1850 census Columbia Co. PA, Briar Creek Twp., 9Aug. 1850, ancestry.com pages 12-13 shows several Bower families living in proximity. Pg. 12, ln 21-25 Michael Bower age 69 , wife Mary 62, son George M. 27 & his wife, & a grandson. Pg. 12 ln 41-42 Solomon Bower age 62, wife, & on pg 13 ln 1-8, their 8 children (do not match siblings in Salem Lutheran Cemetery Assoc. record). Other Bowers in proximity: Pg. 12 ln.10 Isaiah Bower, 21; ln. 11 Solomon Bower, 44 & family; ln. 26 John Bower 29, wife Elizabeth Ann 23,& family; ln. 32 Reuben Bower 35 & family; pg 13 ln 35 Jacob Bower 37 & family.
All Bowers on these 2 pages born in PA. The most likely possibility for parents of John Bower, David Bower, & siblings are the Michael & Mary Bower on pg.12, line 21-22. Their son George appears to be the same age as our direct line David Bower's oldest known brother John, b. 1823. George could have married in Columbia Co. and stayed behind while the rest of siblings migrated to Clarion Co., but this scenario seems unlikely. It is unusual for an entire family of sons & daughters to migrate together, without parents.
Research Wishlist
- Iowa census search for a Bower family, somehow linked to John Bower (by grandchildren living with them), or to the youngest siblings of John Bower, who could have also migrated to Iowa.
- A Bower will in Clarion Co. PA or in Iowa, listing the siblings of John and David Bower, or their children.
- Clarion Co. tax records for Bower, establishing residency, and year of residency change.
- Descendants of John Bower possibly still living in Guthrie or Carroll Co. IA. Descendants of his siblings still living in Clarion Co. PA. Contact for information.
