My Genealogy Hound

ABRAM A. BOWMAN, one of the representative residents of Silver Spring township, Cumberland county, was born in Fairview township, York county, Pa., Nov. 27, 1851, a son of Abraham and Mary (Hart) Bowman, also residents of York county.

Grandfather John Bowman was born in Lancaster county, Pa., where he followed the occupation of farming. He married a Miss Hurr, of the same county, and nine children were born to them: Christian married Miss Coover, of Carroll township, York county; John married a Miss Groft, of York City; Abraham was the father of Abram A.; Henry married Miss Goodyear and resided at Churchtown; Martha married Aaron Firestone and resided in York county; Fanny married John Baker, who resided near Churchtown; Mary remained unmarried, at home; Annie married Joseph Plough, a retired farmer living at Churchtown; Hetty remained unmarried and died in Churchtown.

Abraham Bowman, son of John, and father of Abram A., was born in Lancaster county, and when still a child was taken to Carroll township, York county. He received a fair education in the schools of York county, and after leaving school worked upon his father’s farm for some time, but later went into the distilling business with his father and brother John. They continued this business for a great many years, and were very successful. Abraham Bowman married when thirty-one years of age, Miss Mary Hart, daughter of Jacob Hart, of Fairview township, York county, and four children came to this marriage: Martha C. unmarried, is at home; John H. married Alice Best, of Lower Allen township ; Abram A. is mentioned below; Mary A. unmarried, is at home.

Abram A. Bowman received his education in the common schools of Lisburn, attending until he was seventeen years of age. After finishing school he worked upon the farm with his father until he was ready to begin farming for himself, in the spring of 1875, near Eberly’s Mills, in Fairview township, York county. On Jan. 26, 1875, he married Miss Elizabeth Eberly, daughter of Samuel and Fanny (Garver) Eberly, of Sporting Hill, Cumberland Co., Pa., and two children have been born to them: Bertha E., who died in infancy; and Samuel A., who holds a lucrative position with the Cumberland Valley Railroad Co., at Mechanicsburg.

Mr. Bowman has devoted the greater portion of his time to farming, but was a resident of Mechanicsburg for nearly seven years, and has conducted an agricultural implement business in that city for fifteen years. He has traveled extensively during this time, and has met with gratifying results. In politics Mr. Bowman is a Republican, and he takes an active part in campaigns. In the spring of 1903 he was elected township supervisor of Silver Spring township, which is overwhelmingly Democratic. Fraternally he is a thirty-second-degree Mason, and he is a member of the Masonic lodges at both Harrisburg and Carlisle, and is past master of the lodge at Mechanicsburg. At present Mr. Bowman lives on a fine farm of 128 acres in Silver Spring township, near New Kingston, where he has made his home for fifteen years. The house he resides in was built in 1774 by a Mr. Junkins, and is a marvel of construction, all of the work being done by hand. Mr. Bowman is one of the solid, responsible, reliable men of Cumberland county, and one whose enterprise and public-spirit well fit him to be a leader.