Clark Milton Bower (New Bloomfield, PA)
Clark Milton Bower (March 24, 1861 – August 10, 1941)
Biography
- Name: Clark Milton Bower
- Birth: March 24, 1861 Perry County, PA
- Death: August 10, 1941 Jackson Township, Perry County, PA
- PA State Congressman 1918 and 1922
- Perry County Commissioner, two terms
- Member of the Adams Lodge, No. 319, Free and Accepted Masons of New Bloomfield, PA
- Knights Templar and the Royal Arch Chapter, Newport, PA
- Farmer
Early life and family
Clark Milton Bower was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania to Solomon and Eliza Jane Dromgold Bower. He came from a very old and large farming family. He married Miss Annie E. Bistline in 1885.
C.M. Bower was County Commissioner at the time of the 100th anniversary of the marriage of Solomon Bower Sr. (1780-1867) to Magdalena Fosselman celebrated with a Bower reunion held at the family farm. C.M. Bower was the current owner having purchased it from Solomon Bower Jr. in 1884. Solomon Bower Jr. bought the farm from his father, Solomon Bower, Sr. Solomon (Sr.) had bought the from from the Adams family in June of 1816 and it came into possession of James Adams when he purchased it from James Blaine in June of 1790. Title to the land was given to James and Jane Blaine on February 3, 1755 by Harrisburg. Mr. Blaine was an uncle of the Hon. James G. Blaine of Maine
Blain is a borough in Perry County. Its early settlement began around the mill built by James Blaine in 1778, from whom the borough took its name. The final "e" was dropped at some point, although there are records of county newspapers using the "Blaine" spelling until at least 1868.
Banking career
C.M. Bower was elected a Director and Vice President of the First National Bank of New Bloomfield (1919...1935). He is just one of two known Vice Presidents to have signed a national bank note in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
Other career highlights
Bower in 1900 was an enumerator for the United States Census of 1900. He was a school director in Blain and was elected a Perry County commissioner (1908-1911). He was elected to represent Perry County as a Republican Congressman in the Pennsylvania legislature in 1918 and 1920. He was not a candidate for reelection to the House in 1922.
His relative, a not too distant cousin, Abraham Bower (1833-1919) was also a director and Vice President (1905...1919) of the First National Bank of New Bloomfield up until his death. In 1888, Abraham Bower was nominated for the U.S. Congress on the Democratic ticket for the 14th District of PA, but was unsuccessful. Abraham Bower and C.M. Bower shared a common ancestor, Christoper Bower [Bauer] (1744-1814) from Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany, who immigrated to America about 1752, and married Maria Dorothea Shearer in 1772 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
Later life and death
Hon. Clark Milton Bower died August 10, 1941 in Blain, Perry County, Pennsylvania and is interred in the Blain Union Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and five of his children, nineteen grandchildren and one sister.
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, C. M. Bower was involved with the following bank:
- First National Bank, New Bloomfield, PA (Charter 5133): VP 1919...1935
Sources
- Clark Milton Bower Pennsylvania Legislature Biography
- Clark Milton Bower on Findagrave.com.
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
- The Perry County Democrat, Bloomfield, PA, Wed., May 10, 1911.
- Duncannon Record, Duncannon, PA, Thu., Aug. 14, 1941.