Bowersock, Justin De Witt, member of Congress, was born at Columbiana, Ohio, Sept. 19, 1842. His father was of Irish and his mother of Scotch descent. He was educated in the common schools, and at the close of his academic course went to Iowa City, Iowa, where he engaged in business as a grain merchant, in 1877 he located at Lawrence, Kan., where he saw the possibilities of water power. He built a dam across the Kansas river, and with the power thus developed established several manufacturing plants. Mr. Bowersock was made president of the Kansas Water Power company; organized the Douglas County bank (now the Lawrence National) in 1878, and was elected president of that institution in 1888. He is also president of the Bowersock Mills & Power company, the Kansas Water Power company, the Griffin Ice company, the Lawrence Iron works, the Lawrence Paper Manufacturing company and the Kansas & Colorado Railroad company. He has always taken an active part in municipal affairs and in 1881 was elected mayor of Lawrence, which position he filled until 1885. In 1886 he was elected to the Kansas house of representatives, and to the state senate in 1894. In 1898 he was nominated by the Republican party of the Second district for Congress, and in November was elected. His record during his term commended him to the people of his district, who honored him with four reëlections. Mr. Bowersock is a member of the Congregational church, the Lawrence Commercial club and the Merchants' Athletic association. On Sept. 5, 1886, Mr. Bowersock married Mary C. Cower, of Iowa City, Iowa.