Brooks-Newton-Jones County GaArchives Biographies.....Bower, Robert Edward Lee 1862 - living in 1913
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 10:04 am

Author: William Harden
p. 831-832

   ROBERT EDWARD LEE BOWER. A prominent farmer and merchant of Dixie, Brooks
county, Robert Edward Lee Bower takes an intelligent interest in everything
tending to promote the welfare and progress of town and county, being a
public-spirited and useful member of his community. A son of George McIntosh
Troup Bower, he was born July 14, 1862, in Newton county, Georgia, of honored
New England ancestry, being a direct descendant in the fourth generation of the
noted sculptor, John Bower, and his wife, Honora Bower, nee Jacobs.

   Ebenezer Bower, Mr. Bower's grandfather, was born, bred and educated in
Providence, Rhode Island. Foreseeing the future development of the South, he
came as a young man to Georgia, and lived for a while in Savannah, where he met
and married an heiress, Miss Margaret McConkey. Removing with his bride to Jones
county, Georgia, he became an extensive and prosperous planter and merchant, in
the management of his land having plenty of help, owning as many as two hundred
and fifty slaves. About 1830 he moved with his family to Florida, becoming a
pioneer of Marianna, and there erecting the first brick house built in that
locality. He operated large tracts of land, and leased many slaves to vessel
owners doing shipping business between Apalachicola and Mobile. When he came
South there were no railroads in Georgia, the country being largely in its
pristine wildness, game of all kinds roaming at will through the forests, in
which Indians still lived, and at times made raids upon the new settlers. All
farm produce had to be teamed to either the Atlantic or gulf ports, the round
trip having been long, tedious, and sometimes dangerous if the savages were on
the war path. Both Ebenezer Bower and his wife spent their last years on their
large estate in western Florida. They reared six children, five sons and one
daughter.

   George McIntosh Troup Bower was born in 1825, in Jones county, Georgia, and
as a lad of five years accompanied his parents to Florida. The facilities for
obtaining an education in that state being then very limited, he was sent North,
and in the public schools of Providence, Rhode Island, acquired his early book
knowledge, which was subsequently supplemented by a course of study at Emory
College, in Oxford, Georgia. When ready to establish himself in business, he
settled in Newton county, Georgia, and was there an honored and esteemed
resident until his death, in 1897. He became prominent in public affairs,
holding many offices of trust and responsibility, including those of county
judge and county sheriff. He was a great reader, and a constant student,
remarkably well informed on all topics, and was very frequently called upon as
an adviser and counsellor. During his life he saw wonderful changes in the face
of the country roundabout, witnessing with just pride and gratification the
growth of Georgia from a wilderness to a rich and prosperous state, in which are
large and populous cities, and magnificent agricultural regions, while railroads
traverse the country in every direction.

   The maiden name of the wife of George McIntosh Troup Bower was Eliza Turner.
She was born in Henry county, Georgia, and was brought up and educated in her
native state. Her father, Rev. Allen W. Turner, a native of South Carolina, was
educated for the ministry, and became a pioneer preacher of the Methodist
Episcopal church in Georgia. He held pastorates in different places in Georgia,
and as there were then no railways, nor even good carriage roads, he used to
make his long trips on horseback, and did most of his preaching in log houses.
He was offered the position of bishop of his church, but declined the honor,
saying that he could do more real good as a pastor. He spent his last days in
Palmetto, Georgia, and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Dousing, died in
1878. Mr. and Mrs. George McIntosh Troup Bower reared the following named
children: Augustus Rudolphus, Eugenia, Mary Fletcher, Chalmers Hendrick, Allen
Ebenezer, Robert Edward, Stonewall Jackson, Annie, George, and Bennie Simms.

   Obtaining his academical education at the seminary in Covington, Georgia,
Edwin Robert Bower completed the course of study at Oxford, Georgia, at Emory
College. Going then to Coweta county, he spent three years as clerk in a fancy
grocery store, and the following two years was employed as a truck farmer in
Lake county, Florida. Lured to Orange county, Florida, Mr. Bower embarked in
mercantile pursuits in Orlando, where he conducted a grocery for a time,
carrying a large stock of fancy goods. Returning to Georgia, he was for a year
engaged in business as a merchant at Quitman, Brooks county, and was afterwards
employed in farming in the Dixie district until 1901, when he resumed his former
occupation in Dixie, where he is conducting an extensive and remunerative
business as a general merchant, carrying a large stock of goods. Mr. Bower has
been very fortunate in his agricultural operations. He is the owner of various
farms, aggregating in all five hundred acres, the farms which are located in the
Dixie, Dry Lake, and Grooverville districts, being operated by tenants.

   Mr. Bowers married, in 1889, Catherine Puckett, who was born in Gumming,
Forsyth county, where her father, Rev. Miles Puckett. who preached during his
life in various places in Georgia, was then located. Neither he nor his wife,
whose maiden name was Carrie Scott, are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Bower have six
children, namely: Kittie Lee, Marie, R. E., Sybelle, Emory Scott, and Jack. Mr.
Bower is a Democrat in politics, but has ever been too much engrossed with his
private affairs to indulge in office holding, although he has for five years
served as chairman of the Dixie school board. Both he and Mrs. Bower are
consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.



Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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