William H. Bowlsby

BARR, BOWLSBY, COMPTON, GARRETSON, WAY

Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 4/4/2026 at 16:20:10

The following is an extraction from the biography of Benjamin F. Bowlsby, appearing in "The History of Madison County, 1915".
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William H. Bowlsby, father of Benjamin F. Bowlsby, was born in Union county, Indiana, March 18, 1815. He was but fourteen years of age when his father died and he was bound out to learn the blacksmith's trade, serving a regular apprenticeship. He was reared in the wilderness of Indiana and pioneer conditions existed when he opened, a blacksmith shop on his own account in Union county.

Later he removed to Delaware county, where he married and also conducted a blacksmith shop for several years. About 1843, however, he removed to Hollansburg, Darke county, Ohio, where he engaged in blacksmithing until June, 1852. That year witnessed his arrival in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

With a team of horses and a wagon he journeyed across the country and after reaching Oskaloosa he rented a shop and followed his trade. He exchanged his team for land at Linn Grove, Jasper county, Iowa, thus becoming owner of one hundred and sixty acres.

In the spring of 1854 he came to Winterset and entered two tracts of one hundred and twenty acres each in this county. He also entered two lots in the town, building a shop near the south side of the square. He conducted the business for a year and then built a gravel wall shop on the lots that he had previously purchased. There he conducted business for about a year, when he traded all of his town property for land in Scott township. At one time he was the owner of about four hundred acres. However, he built a shop on his farm and continued blacksmithing, while his son Benjamin conducted the farm.

The father continued at his trade until November, 1866, when he removed to Osceola, Iowa, where he conducted a smithy until about 1900, when he retired on account of his age. The last year of his life was spent at the home of his son in Clarke county, Iowa, where he died June 15, 1901.

He was a republican in his political views, active in his support of the party. He belonged to the Methodist church and he ever displayed those sterling traits of character which command respect and confidence. He was a self-made man and his was a successful life, indicating clearly what can be accomplished when determination and energy lead the way.

On the 5th of May, 1836, William H. Bowlsby was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Ann Garretson, who was born in Pennsylvania on the 18th of June, 1817, her parents being Benjamin and Hannah (Way) Garretson, likewise natives of the Keystone state.

On removing westward the Garretson family settled in Indiana in 1829 and in the year 1851 came to Iowa, establishing their home in Winterset in 1852. Benjamin Garretson was a Methodist preacher and also followed the trade of shoemaking in early life, but in his later years he devoted his entire time to the work of the ministry. In 1861 he removed to Osceola, Iowa, where he engaged in preaching until his death, which occurred in November, 1863. His wife survived him until about 1866 or 1867.

Their daughter, Mrs. Bowlsby, went to Indiana with her parents during her girlhood and was married in that state, after which she accompanied her husband to Iowa, becoming one of the pioneer women of Madison county. As there was no hotel in her locality she entertained all the travelers who came their way, her home being hospitably open. She died in Clarke county, Iowa, August 31, 1904.

In the William Bowlsby family were nine children, of whom four died in infancy. The eldest of the family were Benjamin F. and a twin, but the latter died in infancy; Eliza J. is the wife of J. R. Compton, living in Oklahoma City James F. is a retired farmer, making his home in Des Moines; Addison K. lived in Clarke county, Iowa, where he passed away; Hannah M. is the wife of Andrew Barr.
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Coordinator's note: The original biography of Benjamin F. Bowlsby was really a combination biography of Benjamin, his father, William, and William's wife's parents, the Benjamin Garretson family. Slight editing has been done to clarify, in some paragraphs, which of the three families was being documented.