Dewitt Clinton Fowler Biography


	This biography appears on pages 845-846 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	DEWITT CLINTON FOWLER, M. D., of Aberdeen, is a native of New 
York, born November 6, 1841, in the town of Delphi, Madison county, 
where his father, Smith T. Fowler, a representative of an old and 
highly respected Quaker family, long made his home. The Doctor's early 
years were spent in his native village, and after attending for some 
time the public schools of the same, he finished his education in the 
old Cazenovia Seminary, an institution of high grade, five miles 
distant from Delphi. Having decided to make the medical profession his 
life work, he subsequently began the study of the same, and after a 
three years' course in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New 
York City, was graduated in 1863. Immediately following the completion 
of his professional course the Doctor was appointed assistant surgeon 
of the First New York Dragoons, originally the old One Hundred and 
Thirtieth New York Infantry, which, after two years' service, was 
converted into a cavalry regiment and as such took an active part in 
the Virginia campaigns until the close of the rebellion. In his 
official capacity, Dr. Fowler accompanied his command through all its 
varied experiences of march. and battle, participating in a number of 
hard-fought engagements, notably among which were the battles of the 
Wilderness, Cedar Creek, the various fights in the Shenandoah valley, 
and Winchester, being captured at the last named place and sent to 
Libby prison at Richmond, where for a period of six months he was kept 
in close confinement, suffering great hardships the meanwhile. From 
Libby he was transferred to Macon, Georgia, and after spending three 
months in the prison pen at that place, his exchange was effected, 
after which he rejoined his regiment in readiness for duty. At the 
close of the war he was mustered out of the service at Rochester, New 
York, and during the ensuing three years lived at Syracuse, where, in 
addition to trying to recover his health, he further prosecuted his 
professional studies, his later reading leading him, in 1868, to adopt 
the homeopathic school of medicine, in preference to the one in which 
he had previously practiced.  

	From 1868 to 1873 Dr. Fowler practiced in Oswego, New York, and 
the latter year changed his abode to Fayetteville, in the same state, 
where he enjoyed a large and lucrative professional business until his 
removal, in 1882, to South Dakota. He was induced to come west by 
reason of continued poor health, his lungs having become seriously 
affected. In the hope of finding the pure and invigorating atmosphere 
of the Dakotas conducive to improvement, he joined a colony consisting 
of about forty persons, with whom in due time he reached what is now 
Brown county, where he at once took up a claim, and opened an office in 
Aberdeen, being the third physician in this part of the country. His 
success, since coming west, has been marked, and the distinction 
accorded him of being one of the leading physicians and surgeons in the 
northeastern part of the state has been fairly and honorably earned. 
His career has also been fortunate, when considered from a financial 
point of view. Being a prudent and sagacious business man, his earnings 
have been judiciously invested from time to time, until he now 
possesses an ample competence, owning, in addition to valuable city 
property, several fine tracts of land in Brown county, from the 
proceeds of which no small share of his income is derived. He is also 
interested in mining, having good mineral properties in the Black 
Hills, some of which have already been developed and pay well, and 
others promising rich returns at no distant day.  

	Dr. Fowler is a member of the state and national medical 
associations, also belongs to several local societies, and in his 
practice works in harmony with the different schools of medicine, his 
long and valuable professional experience enabling him to appropriate 
what is best in each. During the past twelve years he has held the 
position of United States pension examiner, being a member of the board 
at Aberdeen. In politics he is staunchly Republican, but party work not 
being exactly to his taste, he has never aspired to leadership nor 
sought public office at the hands of his fellow citizens. He is first 
of all a physician, thoroughly wedded to his profession and 
appreciating its usefulness and dignity, consequently he has made every 
other consideration subordinate to the one idea of becoming a true 
healer of men and a benefactor of humanity. The Doctor is one of the 
prominent Masons of South Dakota, standing high in the order and at 
different times has filled important official stations in the various 
branches with which he is identified. He belongs to Damascus 
Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar, which organization he has 
represented in national conclaves, first at Boston. He is also 
identified with the Valley of Aberdeen Consistory No. 4 Scottish Rite, 
being a thirty second-degree Mason and one of the leading and 
influential spirits among his brethren in that high branch of the 
mystic tie. Religiously, the Doctor is an Episcopal, the parish of St. 
Marks of Aberdeen, having been organized in his office and largely 
through his instrumentality in the year 1882. Since that date he has 
served as warden of the vestry, in addition to which he has also been 
actively identified with the general work of the church, contributing 
of his means and influence to its growth and watching over the varied 
interests of the parish with a kind and fatherly care. The strenuous 
life the Doctor has led has been fruitful of great good and lasting 
benefits to his fellow men, and to say that he is regarded as one of 
the notable physicians and leading citizens of this day in South 
Dakota, is to express what the public willingly and cheerfully 
concedes.