Michael F. Bowler Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1388-1389 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	MICHAEL F. BOWLER, a representative business man of Groton, Brown 
county, was born in Sparta, Wisconsin, on the 15th of October, 1871, and 
is a son of William and Bridget (Maloney) Bowler, both of whom were born 
in Ireland. As a young man William Bowler emigrated from the Emerald 
Isle to America, remaining for a number of years in the eastern states 
and then removing to Wisconsin and settling near Sparta, where he 
engaged in farming, having been one of the pioneers of that section and 
having attained definite success. His devoted wife passed away in 1896, 
and he is now living practically retired in the city of Sparta. Of the 
nine children in the family eight are living at the present time, the 
subject of this review having been the sixth. 

	Michael F. Bowler was reared on the home farm and duly availed 
himself of the advantages of thc public schools, after which he 
completed a course of study in the Northern Indiana Normal School and 
Business College, at Valparaiso. Shortly after leaving school, in 1882, 
he came to South Dakota and joined his two brothers, Patrick and John 
A., at Groton, the elder of the two having been here established in the 
implement business at the time. This brother, John A., was one of the 
pioneers of the state, and was one of the first to engage in business in 
Groton, where he continued to maintain his home until 1894, when he 
removed to Sioux Falls, where he has since resided, being president of 
the Western Surety Company, of that city. The subject assumed charge of 
the business in Groton after the removal of his brother and has since 
continued the same most successfully, handling all kinds of farming 
machinery and implements and having a trade extending over a wide radius 
of country. The enterprise is still conducted under the name of his 
brother, who was the pioneer implement dealer of the town, and who is 
still associated in the business. The subject also carries on operations 
most successfully in the handling of real estate in Brown county, and 
also is agent for a number of the leading insurance companies. He is the 
owner of a stock farm of two hundred and sixty-five acres, twenty-two 
acres of the property being within the corporate limits of Groton, and 
he makes a specialty of raising the Chester White swine and registered 
Hereford ~ cattle. Mr. Bowler is a staunch adherent of the Democratic 
party and is one of the leaders in its local ranks. In 1894 he was 
appointed postmaster of Groton by President Cleveland and was 
reappointed under President McKinley in 1897, the appointment having 
originally been made by Cleveland, but the commission not having been 
sent forward until after President McKinley was installed in the 
presidential chair. His term expired in 1898. 

	On the 30th of August, 1898, Mr. Bowler was united in marriage to 
Miss Mabel Robinson, who was born in Minnesota, being a daughter of 
Franklin C. Robinson, now a representative citizen of Groton. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bowler have three children, namely: Maurice Clifford, Marvin Edwin 
and Margaret Jane.