Gardner Sawin Bowers was the son of Nehemiah (II) Bowers (1752-1828) and Sarah Sawin (1757-1856)
------
Gardner Sawin Bowers, born in Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1802. He was the youngest son of Nehemiah and Sarah who had lived near Boston and later moved to Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. They were among the second wave of New England immigrants whose search for land led them into central New York State. They moved from New Hampshire into an area which was part of the Boston Purchase in 1822.
Straight down the Nanticoke Creek was the Andrew Taylor farm, and Gardner Sawin Bowers, a young man of twenty-two, bought land in 1824 adjoining this Taylor farm. Andrew Taylor, with his fine family of nine children had several pretty daughters, among them Achsah, two years younger than Gardner. Gardner and Achsah were married in 1827 and went to live in the modest frame house that Gardner had built with his own hands half a mile south of the fine mansion of Andrew Taylor.
Gardner was a millwright by trade but had made a profession of religion and united with the Presbyterian church in 1825, two years before his marriage. There was no mills started at that time and the people in the area soon found his skills in clearing the timber and making ready to cultivate the land and building houses were in great demand. He took an active part in the building of houses for the new settlers and later on, in the erection of saw and grist mills.
His military title of Captain is derived from commissions held in the New York State militia during the "training days" and granted by Governor DeWitt Clinton from 1829 to the mid-1830's. An interesting conflict between church authority and State authority was brought out a trial and excommunication of Captain Gardner Sawin Bowers, a commissioned military officer who had been forced to court-martial a brother member for failure to obey a militia training order. Since the church trial was for slander, only evidence bearing directly upon this charge was admitted and Captain Bowers was not permitted to introduce evidence regarding the situation as a whole. In 1834 he was excommunicated from The Congregational Church of Maine, New York. The family withdrew from the church and thereafter attended the Baptist church, although never becoming members. Although physically unable to serve, he was again commissioned as honorary Major in 1861 in order to raise troops for Lincoln's second call for the Civil War.
As a millwright, Gardner became interested with several others in a patent milling process. The partners bought territorial rights. The patent proved worthless. Gardner alone was financially responsible (as his friends were without means) and was obliged unassisted to pay the notes which the partners had given, and he had endorsed, besides the expenses of a long and unsuccessful litigation. It was more that twenty years before he was able to discharge this debt, principal and interest.
He served as a justice of the peace, learned the rudiments of law, often acted as attorney in local suits when not presiding, and was for one term associate judge on the County bench He was a vigorous and sometimes a vehement speaker. He was the local boss of his township for the Republican party, pulled all the political wires and dominated the party caucuses. The outbreak of the Civil War filled him with excitement and zeal. Despite financial difficulties which plagued the family throughout most of Gardner's life, he became a prominent member of this small community.
Gardner and Achsah had six children. All of these children died without issue except Sarah Jane Bowers and LaMont Montgomery Bowers. The old family mansion at "Bowers Corners" with its invaluable keepsakes and heirlooms burned to the ground in 1870 and the present rather tasteful building was erected in its stead immediately after, by the filial piety of the sons.
Gardner Bowers died in 1882 at the ripe age of eighty. His brothers and sisters inherited with him the longevity of his mother and of the Sawin family. He had a fair share of personal and family pride, and desired to have the old farm kept permanently in the family as a memorial. The old farm was inherited by LaMont M. Bowers and past down through his descendents. (Ref: Clement Gray Bowers letter 07 March 1968) (Ref: Biography: Lamont Montgomery Bowers, written by Jerry Pepper) and (Ref: Our American Ancestry, by Frederick Taylor Gates)
------
Gardner Sawin Bowers, born in Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1802. He was the youngest son of Nehemiah and Sarah who had lived near Boston and later moved to Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. They were among the second wave of New England immigrants whose search for land led them into central New York State. They moved from New Hampshire into an area which was part of the Boston Purchase in 1822.
Straight down the Nanticoke Creek was the Andrew Taylor farm, and Gardner Sawin Bowers, a young man of twenty-two, bought land in 1824 adjoining this Taylor farm. Andrew Taylor, with his fine family of nine children had several pretty daughters, among them Achsah, two years younger than Gardner. Gardner and Achsah were married in 1827 and went to live in the modest frame house that Gardner had built with his own hands half a mile south of the fine mansion of Andrew Taylor.
Gardner was a millwright by trade but had made a profession of religion and united with the Presbyterian church in 1825, two years before his marriage. There was no mills started at that time and the people in the area soon found his skills in clearing the timber and making ready to cultivate the land and building houses were in great demand. He took an active part in the building of houses for the new settlers and later on, in the erection of saw and grist mills.
His military title of Captain is derived from commissions held in the New York State militia during the "training days" and granted by Governor DeWitt Clinton from 1829 to the mid-1830's. An interesting conflict between church authority and State authority was brought out a trial and excommunication of Captain Gardner Sawin Bowers, a commissioned military officer who had been forced to court-martial a brother member for failure to obey a militia training order. Since the church trial was for slander, only evidence bearing directly upon this charge was admitted and Captain Bowers was not permitted to introduce evidence regarding the situation as a whole. In 1834 he was excommunicated from The Congregational Church of Maine, New York. The family withdrew from the church and thereafter attended the Baptist church, although never becoming members. Although physically unable to serve, he was again commissioned as honorary Major in 1861 in order to raise troops for Lincoln's second call for the Civil War.
As a millwright, Gardner became interested with several others in a patent milling process. The partners bought territorial rights. The patent proved worthless. Gardner alone was financially responsible (as his friends were without means) and was obliged unassisted to pay the notes which the partners had given, and he had endorsed, besides the expenses of a long and unsuccessful litigation. It was more that twenty years before he was able to discharge this debt, principal and interest.
He served as a justice of the peace, learned the rudiments of law, often acted as attorney in local suits when not presiding, and was for one term associate judge on the County bench He was a vigorous and sometimes a vehement speaker. He was the local boss of his township for the Republican party, pulled all the political wires and dominated the party caucuses. The outbreak of the Civil War filled him with excitement and zeal. Despite financial difficulties which plagued the family throughout most of Gardner's life, he became a prominent member of this small community.
Gardner and Achsah had six children. All of these children died without issue except Sarah Jane Bowers and LaMont Montgomery Bowers. The old family mansion at "Bowers Corners" with its invaluable keepsakes and heirlooms burned to the ground in 1870 and the present rather tasteful building was erected in its stead immediately after, by the filial piety of the sons.
Gardner Bowers died in 1882 at the ripe age of eighty. His brothers and sisters inherited with him the longevity of his mother and of the Sawin family. He had a fair share of personal and family pride, and desired to have the old farm kept permanently in the family as a memorial. The old farm was inherited by LaMont M. Bowers and past down through his descendents. (Ref: Clement Gray Bowers letter 07 March 1968) (Ref: Biography: Lamont Montgomery Bowers, written by Jerry Pepper) and (Ref: Our American Ancestry, by Frederick Taylor Gates)
Gardner Sawin Bowers was the son of Nehemiah (II) Bowers (1752-1828) and Sarah Sawin (1757-1856)
------
Gardner Sawin Bowers, born in Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1802. He was the youngest son of Nehemiah and Sarah who had lived near Boston and later moved to Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. They were among the second wave of New England immigrants whose search for land led them into central New York State. They moved from New Hampshire into an area which was part of the Boston Purchase in 1822.
Straight down the Nanticoke Creek was the Andrew Taylor farm, and Gardner Sawin Bowers, a young man of twenty-two, bought land in 1824 adjoining this Taylor farm. Andrew Taylor, with his fine family of nine children had several pretty daughters, among them Achsah, two years younger than Gardner. Gardner and Achsah were married in 1827 and went to live in the modest frame house that Gardner had built with his own hands half a mile south of the fine mansion of Andrew Taylor.
Gardner was a millwright by trade but had made a profession of religion and united with the Presbyterian church in 1825, two years before his marriage. There was no mills started at that time and the people in the area soon found his skills in clearing the timber and making ready to cultivate the land and building houses were in great demand. He took an active part in the building of houses for the new settlers and later on, in the erection of saw and grist mills.
His military title of Captain is derived from commissions held in the New York State militia during the "training days" and granted by Governor DeWitt Clinton from 1829 to the mid-1830's. An interesting conflict between church authority and State authority was brought out a trial and excommunication of Captain Gardner Sawin Bowers, a commissioned military officer who had been forced to court-martial a brother member for failure to obey a militia training order. Since the church trial was for slander, only evidence bearing directly upon this charge was admitted and Captain Bowers was not permitted to introduce evidence regarding the situation as a whole. In 1834 he was excommunicated from The Congregational Church of Maine, New York. The family withdrew from the church and thereafter attended the Baptist church, although never becoming members. Although physically unable to serve, he was again commissioned as honorary Major in 1861 in order to raise troops for Lincoln's second call for the Civil War.
As a millwright, Gardner became interested with several others in a patent milling process. The partners bought territorial rights. The patent proved worthless. Gardner alone was financially responsible (as his friends were without means) and was obliged unassisted to pay the notes which the partners had given, and he had endorsed, besides the expenses of a long and unsuccessful litigation. It was more that twenty years before he was able to discharge this debt, principal and interest.
He served as a justice of the peace, learned the rudiments of law, often acted as attorney in local suits when not presiding, and was for one term associate judge on the County bench He was a vigorous and sometimes a vehement speaker. He was the local boss of his township for the Republican party, pulled all the political wires and dominated the party caucuses. The outbreak of the Civil War filled him with excitement and zeal. Despite financial difficulties which plagued the family throughout most of Gardner's life, he became a prominent member of this small community.
Gardner and Achsah had six children. All of these children died without issue except Sarah Jane Bowers and LaMont Montgomery Bowers. The old family mansion at "Bowers Corners" with its invaluable keepsakes and heirlooms burned to the ground in 1870 and the present rather tasteful building was erected in its stead immediately after, by the filial piety of the sons.
Gardner Bowers died in 1882 at the ripe age of eighty. His brothers and sisters inherited with him the longevity of his mother and of the Sawin family. He had a fair share of personal and family pride, and desired to have the old farm kept permanently in the family as a memorial. The old farm was inherited by LaMont M. Bowers and past down through his descendents. (Ref: Clement Gray Bowers letter 07 March 1968) (Ref: Biography: Lamont Montgomery Bowers, written by Jerry Pepper) and (Ref: Our American Ancestry, by Frederick Taylor Gates)
------
Gardner Sawin Bowers, born in Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire in 1802. He was the youngest son of Nehemiah and Sarah who had lived near Boston and later moved to Rindge, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. They were among the second wave of New England immigrants whose search for land led them into central New York State. They moved from New Hampshire into an area which was part of the Boston Purchase in 1822.
Straight down the Nanticoke Creek was the Andrew Taylor farm, and Gardner Sawin Bowers, a young man of twenty-two, bought land in 1824 adjoining this Taylor farm. Andrew Taylor, with his fine family of nine children had several pretty daughters, among them Achsah, two years younger than Gardner. Gardner and Achsah were married in 1827 and went to live in the modest frame house that Gardner had built with his own hands half a mile south of the fine mansion of Andrew Taylor.
Gardner was a millwright by trade but had made a profession of religion and united with the Presbyterian church in 1825, two years before his marriage. There was no mills started at that time and the people in the area soon found his skills in clearing the timber and making ready to cultivate the land and building houses were in great demand. He took an active part in the building of houses for the new settlers and later on, in the erection of saw and grist mills.
His military title of Captain is derived from commissions held in the New York State militia during the "training days" and granted by Governor DeWitt Clinton from 1829 to the mid-1830's. An interesting conflict between church authority and State authority was brought out a trial and excommunication of Captain Gardner Sawin Bowers, a commissioned military officer who had been forced to court-martial a brother member for failure to obey a militia training order. Since the church trial was for slander, only evidence bearing directly upon this charge was admitted and Captain Bowers was not permitted to introduce evidence regarding the situation as a whole. In 1834 he was excommunicated from The Congregational Church of Maine, New York. The family withdrew from the church and thereafter attended the Baptist church, although never becoming members. Although physically unable to serve, he was again commissioned as honorary Major in 1861 in order to raise troops for Lincoln's second call for the Civil War.
As a millwright, Gardner became interested with several others in a patent milling process. The partners bought territorial rights. The patent proved worthless. Gardner alone was financially responsible (as his friends were without means) and was obliged unassisted to pay the notes which the partners had given, and he had endorsed, besides the expenses of a long and unsuccessful litigation. It was more that twenty years before he was able to discharge this debt, principal and interest.
He served as a justice of the peace, learned the rudiments of law, often acted as attorney in local suits when not presiding, and was for one term associate judge on the County bench He was a vigorous and sometimes a vehement speaker. He was the local boss of his township for the Republican party, pulled all the political wires and dominated the party caucuses. The outbreak of the Civil War filled him with excitement and zeal. Despite financial difficulties which plagued the family throughout most of Gardner's life, he became a prominent member of this small community.
Gardner and Achsah had six children. All of these children died without issue except Sarah Jane Bowers and LaMont Montgomery Bowers. The old family mansion at "Bowers Corners" with its invaluable keepsakes and heirlooms burned to the ground in 1870 and the present rather tasteful building was erected in its stead immediately after, by the filial piety of the sons.
Gardner Bowers died in 1882 at the ripe age of eighty. His brothers and sisters inherited with him the longevity of his mother and of the Sawin family. He had a fair share of personal and family pride, and desired to have the old farm kept permanently in the family as a memorial. The old farm was inherited by LaMont M. Bowers and past down through his descendents. (Ref: Clement Gray Bowers letter 07 March 1968) (Ref: Biography: Lamont Montgomery Bowers, written by Jerry Pepper) and (Ref: Our American Ancestry, by Frederick Taylor Gates)
Family Members
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
