Dutch Corner History Group

Yes, they did announce it in the paper.

My concern is, will people attend if they don't have any Bowser family, if they see that the meeting will discuss the Bowsers? Or will they think that it is only going to be about the Bowser family?

I'm thinking that if we decide to start having specialty talks, such as on the Bowser family, we may need to do more advertisment on those, and see what times would be best for those interested to come (maybe a weekday evening, or Saturday evening would be better). For example...what if someone who has just the piece of information you were looking for can't come because they can't come on a Sunday afternoon...or what if someone who wants to come to see what our group is about and maybe help with another area or family decides not to come because they don't have any family link to the family that you're talking about during the meeting? Do you see what I mean? I don't want to exclude anyone, or discourage them from coming.

Maybe we should put in the paper for the next meeting "Anyone having any family that lived in the Dutch Corner area or has information about the families or areas in Dutch Corner would be welcome.".

I don't want to make anyone feel unwelcome. I don't think anyone would have any issue with talking about the Bowser family, I just don't want to have someone not come because they thought that we would only be speaking about them.

I see your point.

It is an experiment. Gary said to go ahead and name some names.

It can probably work either way -- more people, or less.

I am certainly hoping that bbowser can make it since he has contributed so much to the forum.

Do we have an agenda?

Gary said about putting an agenda on the webpage.

I think I can begin to answer my own last question. At least the following names were neighbors of the Bowsers in Dutch Corner: Earnest, Biddle, Helsel, Amick, Imler, Holderbaum, Beckley, and Zimmers.

I am still looking through the Bowser book. My computer work has slowed down now that there is work to be done outside.

Glad that you're still working on this. I have begun to re-construct a map of the Bowser Homestead and how it was divided up.

Frank

Also, "in the field" I am gradually mowing (with a scythe) and draining the site of an old foundation of some kind. I think it might have been on a parcel that an elder Schnably sold to his son. I cannot tell yet whether it was a house or a barn or something else, but there are some very stones that have been laid in a pattern.

It does seem that most of John and Eve Bowser’s descendants did move out of Dutch Corner. It looks more like I should start a St. Clair Township or St Clairsville site rather than being on the Dutch Corner, but this is where John and Eve settled so I will continue to keep digging. In looking for info for the Dutch Corner site I have been stumbling onto new info on the Bowser’s. I am sure I will be adding to and editing the following, but here it is so far whether it be Dutch Corner or the surrounding areas.

Items in italics are from internet searches of other peoples trees or my interpretations of which I can’t confirm.

- John and Eve’s Daughter Elizabeth married John Mauk (Mock). There was a John Mock listed as a head of household in the 1790 census as living in Bedford Township with the following: males<16= 1, males>16=1, females=3. In 1800 census for Bedford and St. Clair Townships: males<10=2, males 10-15+1, males 26-44=1, females <10=2, females 10-15=1, females 16-25=1, females 26-44=1. Puts John Mock and Elizabeth birth between 1756 and 1774.….best guess for their births by taking the children into account would be 1756-1760. John and Elizabeth Mock’s children: Dorothy Mock, George Mock, Jacob Mock, Maria Mock, John Mock (m. Susanna Donner).

- John and Eve’s son Michael I know nothing about for sure other than he was mentioned in the will of his father. There was a Michael Bowser in Greenfield Township in the 1810 census with the following: males<10=2, males 10-15=1, males 26-44=1, females <10=1, females 26-44=1. Would put birth of Michael between 1766 and 1884 (probably closer to 1766?) Greenfield Township would be present day Union, Kimmel, Greenfield (Blair Co.) area (Blue Knob). It’s possible this was him since I have not found any Michael Bowser closer to Dutch Corner. It seems a bit far, but again possible. A grandson of John and Eve (Jacob, Son of George-see below) lived in the Blue Knob area…..clue?

- John and Eve’s daughter Eve married John Arthurs. A John Arthers applied for a land warrant in St. Clair Township on May 29, 1797. The land warrant index says to see the Book of Releases pages 348 & 349. (I don’t know where to find the releases) There was a John Arthurs who enlisted in the Pennsylvania Militia in 1781, aged 26, Bedford County. In the 1800 Census for Bedford and St Clair townships there was a John Arthurs listed as head of household with the following: male<10=3, male 10-15=1, male>45=1, female 16-25=1, female 26-44=2, female >45=1. From the census John would have been born 1755 or earlier. From the Militia enlistment John would have been born about 1755 to be age 26 in 1781.

- John and Eve’s daughter Magdalena (Molly) married Peter Swoveland. According to some research I found on the Swovelands Peter and Magdalena lived in Bedford Township. Deed 1790 from Henry Crosson 100 acres on the waters of Dunnings creek adjacent the land of Reverend Dr. William Smith. Later the land was deeded from Peter to John Rickel in 1806. Peter died 1814 . I’m pretty confident on this, but no proof.
added 6/20/2010: I found the land warant survey for the Swoveland land mentioned above. (C31-148) The application for the warant was dated 20 Jan, 1786. It was applied for by Henry Crosson. The survey was completed 17 May, 1793. It was returned to Conrad Claycomb in 1821 and listed 123 acres. The land warant shows a Doctor Smith to the north and "Cove Mountain" to the south. The text reads "situate on the waters of Scrubgrass formally Bedford - now St Clair Township". Well, now we know the township line between Bedford and St Clair did change sometime between 1786 and 1821 (maybe as early as 1793?). This makes it even more interesting trying to peice together the land warant surveys if the township line shifted. Scrubgrass today runs from Osterburg to Imler but I don't know of a "Cove Mountain" along that stream. Maybe Scrubgrass was a different creek? Ugh! Anyway it looks as if the Swovelands lived outside of Dutch Corner. The land was originally Henry Crosson in 1786, then Peter Swoveland, then John Rickel in 1806, then by 1821 it was Conrad Claycomb's.
added 6/22/2010 I located exactly where the Swovelends land mentioned above is located. It is near St Clairsville near the junction of Bobbs Creek and Trout Run. The land adjoinning to the southwest of the Swovelands was the land of Eve's nephew George Bowser Jr (see further down in this post).

- - Peter and Magdalena Swoveland’s children were John A, Ludwig, Magdalena, Peter, Anna Maria, Jacob, Michael, Christian, and Daniel. (John and Christian died in Ohio. Daniel died in Indiana).

- John and Eve’s daughter Elizabeth married Henry Beckley. There was a Henry “Beekley” that was a neighbor of John and Eve (C-9-157). On the survey for John’s son George (C-19-140) the name is spelled Beckley. References in parenthesis’ are copied land warrant survey’s listed on PHMC web site. 1810 Census St Clair Township: Henry Beckley, males<10=2, males10-15=1, males 16-25=1, males>45=1, females<10=3, females 10-15=2, females 16-25=1, females>45=1.

From the book History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties: St Clairsville was laid out in 1820 on land owned by Henry Beckley, who was an early Settler here. The fist house in St Clairsville was built by Henry Beckley. The first hotel was Peter A. Amick’s. The first store was started by Edwin Vickroy in a log building erected by George Bowser.

- John and Eve’s son George married Margaret Swartz. I don’t know where Margaret Swartz is from. There were several other Swartz land warrant applicants in Hopewell Township.

- - George and Margaret’s son Jacob married Catherine Imler (3) Conrad (2) George Michael Imler (1) . Jacob and Catherine lived on the Blue Knob area.

- - George and Margaret’s daughter Eve married Peter Amick. Peter and Eve Amick lived in the settlement of St Clairsville.

- - George and Margaret’s son George Bowser Jr. married Elizabeth Zimmer. I think Elizabeth was a sister to Margaret who married George’s brother John below . I believe George Bowser Jr had land and a mill in St. Clair township situated near the junction of Trout Run and Bobbs Creek near St Clairsville. (C-27-227 for 266 acres) The mill is shown on the Melish-Whiteside Bedford County Map of cir 1821 on the PMHC web site.

- - George and Margaret’s son John married Margaret Zimmer daughter of Frederick and Margaret Zimmer. I’m not sure yet whether they lived in Bedford or St Clair Township. It could have been either since the land of John’s father George was in or mostly in St Clair and John and Eve’s land was in or mostly in Bedford Township. The Bowser land was on the border area of the two townships. It may have depended on which way the house leaned when the wind blew.

- - - John and Margaret’s daughter Catherine married Michael Holderbaum Jr. Catherine and Michael Holderbaum’s children were John, Margaret, Elizabeth who married David Ober, Mary who married George Weimer, Susannah , David who married S. Rebecca Crisman, and Sarah who married Charles Beegle. From what the book Bowser Family History say’s these Holderbaums all lived near Bedford. Michael Holderbaum Jr was a member of the State Assembly in 1842.

- - - John and Margaret’s son Jonathan married Elizabeth Earnest. The four of them moved to Colerain Township between 1840 and 1850. John and Eve's grandson John Bowser who I believe eventually came into possession of the lands of his father George and grandfather John had a son named Jonathan (my third great-grandfather). According to book of the Bowser Family History Jonathan's real estate in Friend's Cove was valued at $40,000.00. According to the census John was listed as the head of household while he lived in Friends Cove (starting in 1850). Three generations were living in the same household before John died. I'm not sure if Johnathan inherited the land from his father or if it was his land (more research). The Bowser land in Friends cove I believe was near Ott Town. (David Glines Bowser, a great-grandson of Jonathan and Elizabeth or 4th great-grandson of John and Eve, worked on the Manhattan project during WWII.)

- - - John and Margaret’s daughter Elizabeth (great-granddaughter of John and Eve) married Jacob Biddle. Elizabeth and Jacob Biddle’s children: Andrew, Charles, Francis, Dr Johnathan Biddle, Margaret, and William.

- - - John and Margaret’s daughter Margaret (great-granddaughter of John and Eve) married Charles Helsel.

- - - John and Margaret’s daughter Susan married David Miller. Susan and David Millers children: Margaret and John (twins), Ann Maria, Mary, Jacob, and Franklin. I don’t know where Susan and David Miller lived.

- - - John and Margaret’s daughter Eve married William Beegle. Where lived?

- - - John and Margaret’s son Jacob H. Bowser married (1) Catherine Bittiger, (2) Margaret Shaffer. Where lived?

Nice work! It will take me a while to digest it all.

I found the land warant survey for the Swoveland land and added the info to the 6/18 post.

That Claycomb name is an interesting one for its history. In the hollow where I live there was a Claycomb (I believe Noah) who does not seem to be related to Elmer's Claycomb's (former Helsel property and a neighbor to Eve and John) branch. I had assumed the name was Welsh because of the "-coomb", but apparently it was a changed spelling for the German.