Ohio County, West Virginia Biography: James Henry BOWMAN ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 28 JAMES HENRY BOWMAN grew up in the industrial life of the Wheeling District, as a boy was a glass worker, and is now engineer of the Wheeling Corrugating Department of the Whitaker-Glessner Company. Mr. Bowman was born at Wheeling January 25, 1888. James Bowman, his father, was born near Greggsville in Ohio County, West Virginia, in 1839, and has spent all his active life as a coal miner. He retired in 1917 and since 1889 his home has been at Bridgeport, Ohio, across the river from Wheeling. He is an independent in politics and is a loyal and faithful member of the Church of God. James Bowman married Susan Ann Peyton, who was born in West Virginia. They became the parents of eight children. Jessie, the oldest, is the wife of John Dunfee, lives at Bridge- port and has a daughter, Ethel, born in 1904. The second child, Atha Virginia, was first married to Everett J. Stead, by whom she has a daughter, Virginia, born in 1911, and she is now the wife of John Roberts and lives at Cleveland, Ohio. The third of the family is James Henry Bowman. The fourth, John, a hot mill worker living at Bridgeport, married Catherine Burgman, and their three children are, Elaine, Ruth and John. Mina, is the wife of Ralph Roan, chief draughtsman for the General Electric Company at Huntington, West Virginia, and their three children are Donnas, Theoan and Theodore. Glenna, the sixth child, is the wife of Albert Prince, but has no children. The two youngest of the family, both unmarried and at home, are Andrew, chief clerk in the Construction Department of the Whitaker-Glessner Company, and Mabel, cashier of the Better Store at Wheeling. James Henry Bowman acquired his education at Bridge- port, completing the sophomore year in the high school there. At the age of twelve he began working during the summer vacations in the Crystal Glass factory at Bridge- port. When he left high school, at the age of fourteen, he continued steady employment in this glass factory until he was eighteen, becoming an expert in the trade. As a means of self advancement he has completed and received two diplomas for engineering courses with the International Correspondence School of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and also completed a course of business management with the same school. In 1906 Mr. Bowman entered the employ of the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, the Etna Works at Bridgeport, and for eighteen months was employed in matching and pair heating. For about a year he was with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company as car repairer, brakeman and fireman. From July, 1909, to March 1910, he was with the Imperial Glass House at Bellaire. At the latter date Mr. Bowman entered the service of the Whitaker- Glessner Company as tracer in the engineering department, and since September 22, 1919, has been engineer of the Wheeling Corrugating Department. His official duties are with the Wheeling plant at the east end of Seventeenth Street. Mr. Bowman is a republican, a Presbyterian, is affiliated with Bridgeport Lodge No. 181, F. & A. M., and also with Penny Tent, Knights of the Maccabees. He is a stock- holder in the Bridgeport Savings & Loan Company, and he owns a home at 611 Main Street there. December 14, 1911, at Bridgeport, Mr. Bowman married Miss Neva Jane Burke, daughter of Frank and May (Pool) Burke. Her mother lives at Bridgeport. Her father was a police officer in that city and was accidently killed by a freight train in 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman have two children: Eleanor Marie, born July 19, 1916, and Richard Thomas, born September 28, 1918.