About the Bowman Pennsylvania homestead

The lands on which Johannes Bowman filed are in the area of Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Mel Bowman through kindness took us to the place where it is believe Johannes homestead was. It was a wonderful experience. Some interesting facts on the homestead include:

There is believed to be a graveyard on the property, perhaps in the area of the picture shown to the left. This is mentioned by researcher Sally Roberts in her notes and supported by the fact that a gravestone is present in the current house, embedded in the stone wall, that was photographed and translated to determine that it was the gravestone of Abraham's brother John (click here to see)
The area is strong with stone and there is currently an operating quarry in the area around Palmyra. Notes taken by Sara (Sally) Roberts best describes the homestead upon time of sale in 1850 when the land finally left the family.

"This deed mentions a stone dwelling house, a stone switzer barn, wash house, spring house, stone smokehouse, a carriage house, wagon shed, and a mill house for sawing marble. ' Sounds like quite an establishment..." (Sheriff Deed k-698, 4/11/1850)

Tough Decade for the Bowman's 1852-1862

This decade appears to have been rough for the Bowman's of our lineage. Three levels of our lineage were lost in this decade in Ohio/Iowa with;

Jacob, our g2 grandfather being lost in September, 1852
Abraham, his father and our g3 grandfather being lost less than 6 months later around March of 1853 and
Jacob Z, Jacob's son and our great grandfather being lost by disease early in the civil war in 1862.

At the same time, the land ownership in the Bowman ancestry appear to have come to an end with

back in Pennsylvania, the Johannes homestead went up for sheriff auctions in 1855
Guardianship papers show sale of Ohio lands of Jacob for the care of Mary, one of Jacob's daughters.
Probate records of Jacob Z after his untimely death in the war show sale of all the lands he had claimed to settle debts.

Although this appears to be the end of the major land ownership in the Bowman family, it also appears to represent a new start in education and traveling for the Bowman's with the recovery and advent of teacher, principal, and traveler Orlando and beyond.

About Us

Keith and Patty Bowman are currently working on getting information into presentation format to be posted here. Please be patient as we add and enhance this site as the months progress.

NOTE: Pages will be updated regularly so feel free to refresh your page and return regularly to see new information.

More on this and other images coming soon