Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 244 - 245

 SOLOMON S. BOWMAN.  The subject of this personal history is a resident of Waco Township, living on section 15, and is well esteemed as a man of industry and enterprise, besides being a worthy citizen and having to his credit an unblemished war record.  He is a native of Lebanon County, Pa., born April 14, 1830, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Seachrist) Bowman, natives of the Keystone State.  His father died March 8, 1852, and his mother about six months previous to that date.  Our subject was the youngest of five children, the names of the others being John, Magdalen, Elizabeth and Catharine.

      Solomon Bowman drew his education from the district schools of his native county in his boyhood, and in his youth attended the excellent academy at Annville, Pa.  For a portion of his time, after leaving the latter institution, he was engaged in teaching school during the winter months, following that profession for about three years.  He then took up the occupation of butcher, which vocation he carried on for about five years, but since that time has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits.  His patriotism having been awakened by the imminent danger to our country from the hands of rampant traitors, he enlisted Aug. 6, 1862, in Company A, 116th Illinois Infantry, and was mustered into the United States service at Decatur, Ill.  He served gallantly for three years, and participated in the siege and capture of Vicksburg, and the battles at Arkansas Post, Champion Hills and Haines Bluff.  Some time after the latter engagement he was taken sick and sent to the hospital, and on convalescence was placed in the Reserve Corps, where he remained until honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Ind., in January, 1865.  While in the service he made a fine record, and was "in his duty prompt at every call."

      On returning from the army he felt it incumbent upon him to establish a home of his own, and therefore, Jan. 28, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Maggie L. Moss, a native of Scott County, Ill., born March 19, 1827.  She is the daughter of Matthew and Jane (Lyon) Moss, natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively.  Her father was born in 1787, and had served in the American army during the contest with Great Britain in 1812-15, and died in Missouri in 1848.  His wife died in 1832, having been the mother of seven children, who bore the names of Elizabeth, Maggie, Nancy J., Helen and two who died in infancy unnamed.

      The subject of this biography came to Kansas in February, 1872, from Macon County, Ill., where he had been living some fifteen years.  He pre-empted eighty acres of land on section 15, where he now resides, and still holds the original Government patent.  Since coming to this State his efforts upon his farm have been eminently successful and he has rapidly progressed toward an ample competency.  He has always taken an active part in the official life of the township, and has filled many of the local offices.  During the year 1878 he was Township Trustee and Assessor, since which time he has filled for three years the position of Township Treasurer, the office of Town Clerk for one year, and School Director for an extended period of time.  In 1887 he was re-elected Township Trustee, and holds that position at the present writing.  His industry in the pursuit of his own business, his spotless private life, and the character of the services he has rendered in his several official capacities, have elevated him to the highest estimation in the community in which he has lived.  In his political affiliations he entirely coincides with the doctrines and platforms of the Republican party, and in the exercise of his elective franchise supports the candidates of that organization.

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