Alexander Lincoln Fowler

FOWLER

Posted By: Janelle Martin - volunteer (email)
Date: 4/7/2011 at 14:42:23

History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Vol. II, 1912, J.W. Lee, pp. 200-205.

Alexander Lincoln Fowler, who has been a resident of Hamilton county for about twenty-nine years, during which period he. has been identified with various enterprises, was born near Pawpaw, in De
Kalb county, Illinois, April 15, 1862, and attended the rural schools in that vicinity. In 1874 the family moved to a farm four and one half miles southwest of Manson, Calhoun county, Iowa. Here he assisted his parents on the farm until one year after his marriage, the wedding ceremony being performed about a half mile southwest of Blairsburg, Hamilton county, Iowa, at the home of the bride's parents. He returned to Calhoun county with his bride and a year later came back to Blairsburg, Hamilton county, the young couple being employed on the Eiker farm for eight months. Mr. Fowler cultivated the A. L. McCarthy farm during the following year and has remained a resident of Blairsburg continuously to the present time. After engaging in farming these years he closed out his stock at public sale on the 14th of October, 1891, and purchased the meat market in Blairsburg, which he conducted for one year. He immediately thereafter purchased the barber shop in the above place and successfully conducted this for a period of about fifteen years. In 1905 he was appointed (in the will) administrator of the McCarthy estate and satisfactorily settled the same. He is at present engaged in cultivating his land adjacent to Blairsburg, his home being located in the latter place. His father, Hugh Fowler, was born near Enniskillen, in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and died near Valentine, Nebraska, September 11, 1906, at the age of about ninety-three years. His mother, Jane (Gallagher) Fowler, born near Enniskillen, Ireland, November 28, 1824, died near Valentine, Nebraska, April 6, 1889. They made their home with the son Daniel, at whose home they passed their declining years. They were among the early settlers of Iowa. There were seven sons and one daughter in the family, as follows : James, who was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 6th of July, 1847, and is a street car conductor of Sioux City, Iowa; Thomas, born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 3d of June, 1849, who is an assistant in a mission at Rosebud, South Dakota; Daniel, who was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 20th of January, 1852, and died on the 20th of August, 1906; Henry, whose birth occurred in County Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 14th of April, 1854, and who is residing near Seneca, Missouri; Robert, who was born in Megantic county, Quebec, Canada, on the 14th of January, 1857, and who is now a city mail carrier in Sioux City, Iowa; John, who was born in Megantic county, Quebec, Canada, on the 11th of January, 1858, and who now resides four and one-half miles north of Blairsburg; Sarah (Fowler) Wells, born in Megantic county, Quebec, Canada, on the 6th of December, 1860, who now resides at Pomeroy, Iowa, her husband being a retired farmer of that place;
and Alexander Lincoln, of this review.

On the 1st of February, 1883, near Blairsburg, Alexander L. Fowler was married to Elsie Emeline McCarthy, who was born five miles southeast of Wenona, La Salle county, Illinois, on the 1st of April, 1863. She came with her parents to Hamilton county in November, 1872, and with the exception of one year in Calhoun county, Iowa, has been a continuous resident at Blairsburg. The McCarthy family were among the early and most successful settlers of Hamilton county. Abram L. McCarthy, the father of Mrs. Fowler, was born near Decatur, Otsego county. New York, on the 2d of March, 1836, a son of Patrick and Catherine (Cooper) McCarthy, both natives of the Empire state. The father was of Irish descent and the mother of German lineage. Abram L. McCarthy died in Blairsburg, Iowa, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Fowler, Saturday evening, November 25, 1905. His wife, Mary (Mason) McCarthy, was born near Home City, Hamilton county, Ohio, on the 24th of October, 1842, and now resides in Webster City, Iowa. Her grandson, Charles Allen McCarthy, whom she has reared, is living with her. Charles Allen McCarthy, the son of Charles Emery (deceased) and Jennie (McCarthy) McCarthy, was born August 8, 1894, at Blairsburg, Hamilton county, Iowa. Mrs. Fowler's parents were married in Marshall county, Illinois, September 2, 1860. They came to Iowa in November, 1872, and purchased land a half mile southwest of Blairsburg. On the 8th of May, 1900, Mr. McCarthy went to Enid, Oklahoma, invested in real estate there and continued to live there until twelve days before his death. There were nine children born to this union, as follows: Mrs. Elsie Emeline Fowler; Charles Emery, who was born on the 15th of July, 1865, and died on the 8th of October, 1897; Ella May (McCarthy) Wells, born March 28, 1869, who now resides in Roswell, New Mexico ; Walter Sherman, whose birth occurred on the 23d of January, 1872, and who passed away on the 23d of May, 1880; Lois Aline, who was born on the 30th of April, 1874, and died on the 9th of June, 1880; Bertie Burdette, who was born on the 21st of June, 1876, and died on the 14th of May, 1880; Cora Edith, who was born on the 19th of August, 1878, and died on the 8th of May, 1880; Everett Adelbert, whose birth occurred on the 7th of April, 1880, and who now resides in Webster City, Iowa; and Bertha Mary, who was born May 31, 1883, and passed away on the 8th of August, 1899. The four eldest children were born southeast of Wenona, La Salle county, Illinois, the younger ones a half mile southwest of Blairsburg, Hamilton county, Iowa.

To Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have been born two daughters : Pearl Blanche (Fowler) Alford, whose natal day was March 15, 1886; and Mary Jane, who was born on the 20th of November, 1892, and died on the 3d of April, 1895. Mrs. Alford attended the rural and high schools of Blairsburg, graduating from the latter in 1904. She supplemented the same with a term in music at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. She was married on the 3d of February, 1909, to Adolphus Edison Alford, who was born at Mooers Forks, Clinton county, New York, on the 8th of October, 1882, a son of Leslie (deceased) and Elmina Dorcas (Chesbrow) Alford. Leslie Alford was born at Beekmantown, Clinton county, New York, on the 21st of January, 1855. He was a gentleman of American descent and a farmer by occupation. His demise occurred on the 16th of May, 1886, and his remains were interred at Mooers Forks, New York. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elmina Dorcas Chesbrow, was born at Beekmantown, Clinton county, New York, on the 8th of June, 1857, and is also of American descent. They were married at West Chazy, Clinton county. New York, on the 4th of July, 1877, and became the parents of six children, as follows : Alice Mary, who was born at Mooers Forks, New York, on the 8th of April, 1878; Herbert Franklin, who was born at Mooers Forks, New York, on the 22d of January, 1879, and died on the 23d of March, 1899; Wallace James, whose birth occurred at Saranac Lake, Franklin county, New York, on the 1st of August, 1881; Adolphus Edison, whose birth occurred at Mooers Forks, Clinton county. New York, on the 8th of October, 1882; Bertha Elizabeth, who was born at Mooers Forks. New York, on the 20th of March, 1884; and Fred Leslie, who was born at Malone, Franklin county, New York, on the 15th of April, 1886. In June, 1892, the mother of this family gave her hand in marriage to J. Griffith, by whom she has two living children, Lorenzo and Francese.

It was in 1890 that Adolphus Edison Alford removed to Cropsey, Illinois, with his mother, brothers and sisters, attending the schools of that place. His parents were farmers in New York. He and his brother Wallace came to Iowa in September, 1906, and together rented a farm four and a half miles southwest of Blairsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Alford own a farm of choice land about three miles north of Blairsburg, with good improvements.

The politics of both families is republican. Both families are members of the Congregational church of Blairsburg. Mr. Fowler united with the Methodist Episcopal church in 1875 and Mrs. Fowler, November 25, 1877, at the organization of the Wesleyan Methodist church at Blairsburg. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fowler remained members of Wesleyan church until the building and organization of the Congregationalists at Blairsburg, which took place in 1891, when at that time they united and have been members ever since, Mr. Fowler now serving as treasurer. For six years he held the office of deacon. He has served as recorder of the town of Blairsburg four years, has served as a member of the board of education in times past and at the election held in March, 1912, was elected again. He has been a member of the town council and is one at the present time. He is held in high regard by his fellow townsmen, as he is a man of good standards and upright principles whose influence is always exerted on behalf of every progressive movement.