Biography of W J Bowen, Mississippi Co, AR

*********************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE:
In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the
Internet,  data  may be used by  non-commercial entities, as long as
this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages
may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by
other persons or organizations.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes
other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file
contributor.

Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: Sep 1998
*********************************************************************

Bibliography: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas.
Chicago:  Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.

W. J. Bowen, farmer, Osceola, Ark. By reason of his being a
native-born citizen of the county, no less than because of his
excellent reputation as a progressive and enterprising agriculturist,
Mr. Bowen enjoys an extensive acquaintance in the community. His birth
occurred near where [p.472] the town of Osceola now stands, May 13,
1848, and there he remained until thirteen years of age, when he moved
with his parents to the farm where his father, Capt. Charles Bowen, is
now living, three miles west of the village. Here W. J. Bowen remained
until of age, and received such education as could be obtained in the
slab schoolhouse erected by his father near the place. The slabs were
obtained from the saw-mill that stood where Capt. Ayres' place now is,
two miles west of Osceola. This was the first saw-mill in the county.
The first grist-mill was a horse mill kept by Felix R. Lanier. The
first teacher in the county was John W. DeWitt, who taught school in
the old lay court-house, about 1854, spelling and reading being about
the only branches taught. The teacher lived in a little shanty built
from old steamboat lumber, and he was also the postmaster, and kept the
postoffice in an old cracker box, into which the letters would be
thrown promiscuously. Those wishing their mail might go and help
themselves from the box, taking out all the mail, looking it over and
returning what they did not want. DeWitt, the teacher and postmaster,
was quite a man for his bottle, and at times would go on a regular
spree. Sometimes he would take a child on his shoulder and run through
the town, yelling like an Indian. In those good old days a negro with a
good gourd fiddle would be propped up in one corner of a 15×15 log
cabin, and for the pleasure of dancing to his music, the young man
would get a horse or mule, go sometimes as far as twenty-five miles,
get some pretty country lass be hind him and—

Dance all night 'till broad daylight And go home with the girl in the
morning.

Others would take a yoke of oxen, hitch to a cart and take the whole
family, making a two days' trip of it. An incident Mr. Bowen relates of
his father, when a young man, is as follows: He started from where
Osceola stands with a young lady, in a dug-out, to go to Barfield,
twenty-five miles up the river, to a dance. By some mismanagement the
canoe was capsized and they were spilled out; but Mr. Bowen was equal
to the emergency, and after swimming to shore with the lady, returned
to the dug-out, saved his saddle bags, and again returned to the canoe,
which he brought to shore in a passably good condition. This they again
entered, and went on their way to the dance. This was no unusual
occurrence, as they frequently went to dances and camp meetings in dug-
outs, and as frequently were upset. One time at a camp meeting “Old
Stormy,” a preacher from Big Lake, rode a mule into camp, and while he
was expounding the gospel, the boys got his mule, tied a bee-hive to
its tail, and sent it flying through the camp grounds. It is hardly
necessary to add that “Old Stormy” was filled with righteous wrath, and
that the camp meeting was broken up. W. J. Bowen is the owner of 160
acres in one tract, 100 acres being under cultivation, and he is also
the owner of forty acres near Osceola. He is now living on the Dan.
Matthews' place, one mile from the town, where he has about 300 acres
under cotton and corn, and has on his place about forty people. He was
married to Miss Mollie J. Wilks, a daughter of John Wilks, of Pemiscot
County, Mo., and five children were born to this marriage, two of whom
died in childhood: Ollie P., who died at the age of seven years, and
Charles E., who died at the age six years. Those now living are named
as follows: Sallie E., at home; Ella L., and an infant unnamed. Mr.
Bowen's father, Capt. Charles Bowen, is one of the oldest known
citizens of the county.