James Fowler
John Fowler, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Bucks
county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1776. He lived for several years in Westmoreland
county, and married there, in 1802, Miss Margaret Carson. His wife died the
following year, leaving one child, and Mr. Fowler soon afterward removed to
Butler county, where he followed, as he had in Westmoreland, the occupations
of millwright and carpenter. In 1807 he married his second wife, Frances
Turner. The fruits of this union were six children, of whom three are living:
James, Sarah and Margaret C.ÂJames Fowler was born in 1817, and reared upon a farm in Parker township,
Butler county. His chief employment was that incidental to farm life, but he
was engaged for several years in cabinetmaking and carpentry, in both of which
trades he attained considerable skill. His advantages for obtaining an
education were quite limited, as he could only attend the common country
schools of the neighborhood, which were far inferior to those of the present
day. Nevertheless, he obtained through other channels a fair fund of
information while he was still a young man.ÂOn February 22, 1844, he was united in marriage with Miss Ann L. Leonard,
and in 1851 he came to Armstrong county, purchasing and settling upon 29 acres
of rough, unimproved land, in what is now Hovey township. This he cleared and
brought into good condition, handling some of the timber upon it, and much
more besides, in a sawmill which he put up in 1852, and which he operated for
six years. In 1859 he went across the Allegheny and leased a hotel in Foxburg,
which he carried on for seven years.ÂIn the meantime it had been found that the lands in the northwestern part
of Armstrong county were valuable oil territory, and he sold his hotel lease
and began leasing his land in small parcels to the operators who thronged into
the country. Soon some test wells were put down and petroleum found in
abundance. He received from one-sixth to one-fourth of the oil produced upon
his land as royalty, and it was only a comparatively short time before he had
$40,000 in the bank as a result.ÂNot long afterward he and the Messrs. Fox, of Foxburg, established the
ferry at that place, which proved a profitable investment. The amount of
travel, however, became so great that an iron bridge was thrown across the
river to accommodate it, and in this he invested about $20,000. He retained
his interest in this until quite recently, when it was sold to the railroad
company.ÂMr. Fowler has at this time, in addition to the place where he resides, a
good farm of about 128 acres in Kittanning township, a farm in Plum Creek
township, and a valuable property in Manorville. He ranks among the most
enterprising citizens of the county, is a man of large usefulness to the
people among whom he lives, and his friendly and kindly disposition have made
him generally esteemed. Both Mr. Fowler and his wife are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church.They have been the parents of six children, four of whom are living: Marion
L., Charlotte A., James T. and Nelson M. Charlotte A. married Philip Foust,
and resides at St. Petersburg, Clarion county. James T. married Hannah E.
Roof, and resides with his parents. Nelson M. married Jennie R. Reed, and
lives near Manorville, in which village he carries on a drug store.ÂSource: Page(s)
577,
History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq.
Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed March 2000
by Lisa Strobel for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Lisa Strobel for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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