Eli C. Bower

As printed in 1908

ELI C. BOWER, a successful farmer of Clark County, Ohio, is located on a farm of eighty-Jive acres in Pike Township, and is also owner of a tract of forty-eight acres in Bethel Township, Miami County. He was born in a log house on a farm in Perjy Township, Franklin County, Ohio, October 8. 1849, and is a son of Peter and Mary (Davis) Bower.

Henry Bower, his paternal grandfather, came west from York County, Pennsylvania, with his family, and settled in Franklin County, Ohio, near Columbus, when that city was about the size of a frog pond. They settled on a farm in the woods and it took three men two days to cut the timber and make a clearing for their cabin. Later Henry Bower moved to Clark County where he died.

Peter Bower was born in York County,

Pennsylvania, and was one of two children, having a sister, Rachael, now deceased, who married Jacob Miller. He there grew to maturity and during his early days learned the trade of a tanner. He was a young man when he moved with his parents to Franklin County, Ohio, and thereafter he followed farming. He acquired a tract of ninety acres near the Scioto River, in Perry Township, was married there and continued to make that place his home throughout life. Mrs. Bower died in 1874, and he survived her two years, dying at the age of seventy-six. He married Mary, a daughter of William and Mary Davis, she being a young girl when brought from their home in Maryland to Franklin County% Ohio. This union was productive of the following issue: Mary Ann, wife of John Reiley, both deceased; Joseph, deceased; William; John; Amanda, wife of R. Sells; Sal'ah, deceased, formerly wife of James Thomas: Margaret, who died young; Alexander; Eli Cicero, whose name heads this sketch; Walter; and Frank.

Eli Cicero Bower remained on the home place and cared for his parents until their death. He attended the common schools of his home district and has always followed agriculture. At the age of twenty-five years he started out for himself, going to Plain City, where for some time he worked on the Pike. After his marriage he purchased a farm of forty acres of the Thomas heirs in German Township, Clark County, and later bought additional land in S])rino'field Township, but continued to make his home on the former place for eight years. August 12, 1885, he purchased his present farm, known as the old Andrew Black farm, from Jeanetle

Dilly, remodeled and improved the buildings and has resided there since. He has followed general farming and stock-raising and the success attending his efforts has been the result of hard work and capable management.

Mr. Bower was married October 26, 1876, to Rebecca Thomas, who is a daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Vale) Thomas, well known residents of Clark County. P'ive children have been born to them: Charles Eber, who married Nancy Funderburg and lives on his farm in Bethel Township, has two children — Herma and Ruth; Delbert, who married Bessie Musselman, has two children — Verna and Marie. (He lives in Miami County, Ohio, on his father's farm); Homer; Harrison; and Hazel. Our subject is a Republican in politics, and while a resident of German Township served on the Republican Coimty Central Committee. He formerly was a member of the order of Odd Fellows, passing through all its chairs at Dublin, and is now a member of the Evening Star Lodge. He and his wife belong to the Brethren in Christ Church. Mr. Bower also served as member of the Board of Education of Pike Township for several years.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.