History of  Carroll Counnty, Indiana, 1882; Kingman Brothers Chicago

ABNER H. BOWEN

The subject of this sketch is remotely of Welsh extraction. His parents’ Enoch and Elizabeth Bowen (nee Wilson), were Pennsylvanians, who moved to Ohio at an early day, and located in Montgomery County, Ohio, where they were engaged at farming at the time Abner was born, October 9, 1814. While yet a lad, his father died, and soon thereafter the surviving members of the family moved to Dayton. He received such an education as was furnished by the high school and academy of that day, which was necessarily limited in its character. He then engaged as a drug clerk, but finding a more promising field in another branch of trade, he abandoned the drug business and accepted service in the dry goods house of George W. Smith & Co., of Dayton; later, he was with W. & F. C. Easterbrook, of Salem, Ohio. He was thus employed until 1837, when he came to Delphi, and engaged in the general merchandise and produce business with his brother, under the firm name of N. W. & A. H. Bowen. During the first years of the business they shipped largely by flat-boat to New Orleans, and many interesting tales and adventures could yet be related by a few of the old pioneer navigators, who, in those days, were connected with the firm in the river commerce between Delphi and New Orleans. The first store of the firm was in a small building on the ground now occupied by Carll’s Opera House. At the expiration of a year, they bought the property on the corner of Main and union streets, since known as Bowen’s corner, the building at that time being a frame one. This building was destroyed by fire in 1844, and during 1845, the building now standing was erected. In this new building the general merchandise business was continued until 1855. Mr. N. W. Bowen died in 1848, after which the business was continued by A. H. Bowen. In 1843, a large warehouse was built on the canal, and here the firm continued the grain and pork business until 1863, when the warehouse was destroyed by fire. In 1851, he became interested in the manufacture of paper in this city. In 1870, he purchased the paper mill owned by Dewey & Griffith, and with his son, Abner T. Bowen, continued the business until the year 1877, when the mill was burned, and was not rebuilt. After the destruction of the warehouse, he discontinued the pork trade, but continued the produce, and conducted a general banking business. He and his son, Abner T., still engaged in the latter pursuit. In 1856, he erected the commodious and elegant residence which is represented on the another page of this volume. For over forty-four years, Mr. Bowen has been engaged in business in this city, and has been largely interested in many public and private enterprises. In his firmness of purpose, perseverance, interminable energy, decision of character and executive ability, he has been unusually gifted, and these characteristics have led him into the acquirement of a handsome fortune, the result of individual effort. As a business man in general, he has for years been regarded as having but few equals, and among the foremost in the State. His career is an interesting study to young men just entering business life.

He was married to Miss Catherine J. Trawin May 10, 1849. The following named sons and daughters are now living: Nathaniel W., Abner T., Mary E. (the wife of Col. Samuel T. Busey, of Urbana, Ill.), Henrietta S., Edward W. and Charles H. Age bears lightly upon him, and he has a reasonable expectancy of many years of active business life.