Johnsville, Ohio

Township, March 7, 1833 ; is a son of John and Elizabeth (Bright) Bowman ; he is a native of Warren County, Ohio, and she of Virginia. The grandfather, David Bowman, was born in Maryland, but emigrated to Ohio and located in Warren County about 1795, where he resided for a few years, when he moved into this county, and located in Madison Township, where he was one of the early pioneers ; and here he lived and died. The grandfather, Peter L. Bright, was born in Virginia, but became a resident of Jackson Township, this county, where he lived till his death. John Bowman was born in 1797. Here he was raised and grew to maturity, inured to the trials and hardships in those early days in this then almost entire wilderness ; was married and became the father of nine children, eight now living: David R., Joseph, John W., Samuel, Isaac, Mary Ann, Daniel, Peter L. Mr. Bowman, after his marriage, bought and located in Jackson Township, and opened out right in the woods ; has remained there to the present time; has over 100 acres cleared and in good cultivation ; erected good buildings, and brought the farm into its present state of improvement, with all the conveniences, making a fine farmer's residence. He lost his wife in the spring of 1877. He is still living on the home place, where he has now made a continuous residence of over half a century, and has reached the advanced age of eighty-four years. Our subject remained with his father till thirty-three years of age; was married April 7, 1867, to Catharine, daughter of John and Mary Keener. Natives of Pennsylvania, |{ but became settlers of Madison Township, this county, December 1, 1831, where they still reside. They are parents of seven children - Sebastian, Abraham, John, Elizabeth, Catherine, Jacob and David (twins). Mr. Bowman and wife have three children - Mary Elizabeth, John D. and Jeremiah A. Mr. Bowman commenced his business life on twenty acres of land, which he bought, adjoining his father's farm, where he resided till the spring of 1873, when he bought and located on the place where he now lives and has since resided. Their farm consists of seventy-six acres, mostly in cultivation, with good buildings and improvements, located juston the outskirts of Johnsville, convenient to schools, church and post office, and is a very pleasant home.

Passage source: The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County;, published 1882.

1806, emigrated to Montgomery County, Ohio, and located in Jackson Township, entering land from the Government, a part of which was in Jefferson and a part in Jackson Townships, and here he passed bis entire life. He began right in the woods in true pioneer style, carefully selecting a spot where there was a very large oak tree, which he felled to the ground, and around the stump erected a log cabin, and carefully dressed off the " oak stump," which was utilized as a table for a long time. He died, aged seveDty-thx-ee years His wife lived to the advanced age of nearly ninety-seven years. They had six children - George and Polly (twins), John, Sophia, Lydia and Diana (twins). The four first mentioned were born in Virginia, and the last two in Ohio. John Hepner was born in 1797, being about eight years tff age when brought to this county, and here he was raised, and grew to manhood inured to the scenes and hardships of true pioneer life, and doubtless ate with good relish many a meal from the " oak stump table." He was married in 1 824-, and became the father of three sons and four daughters - George, Jacob A., Mary, Elizabeth, Rosanna, John and Lydia. Mr. Hepner, after his marriage, located on the southeast quarter of Section 34, in Perry Township. This land he obtained from his father-in-law, Jacob Diehl, who entered it from the Government. He commenced right in the woods with not a stick amiss, and here Mr. Hepner bore his full share of pioneer and log-cabin life, the fruits of his labors his descendants are still enjoying; and here he peacefully passed away from earth with all its toils and labors, in April, 1852, nearly forty-five years of age. His wife died November 29, 1849. She was born in November, 1800, being forty-nine years of age at her death. Our subject was about fourteen years of age when his father died. He remained with his mother on the home place till her death, thence Mr. Hepner and his older brother, George, took charge of the farm and provided for the minor children till they arrived at majority. On April 20, 1852, George and Jacob bought the farm and our subject resided there till August 19, 1857. He was married September 19, 1852, to Eve, daughter of Michael and Barbara Neff, he a native of Kentucky, and she of Pennsylvania. By this union they have had twelve children - Mary C., born August 22, 1853, and died March 26, 1854 ; Minerva, born September 23, 1854; Sarah A., April 22, 1856; Amanda R., October 9, 1858; Elizabeth, December 23, 1860; Emma, December 7, 1862; Clara, March 22, 1865 ; George W., January 4, 1867; Jacob A., April 12,1870; William A., June 14, 1872; Maurice, January 3, 1876, and died June 18, 1876, and Omar V., born February 27, 1877. At above-mentioned date (August 19, 1857), Mr. Hepner with his family located where they now live and have since resided. This farm he purchased of Henry Heistand, which at that time had about forty acres cleared; now he has 115 acres in good cultivation ; has erected all the buildings and made other improvements, and being located just out of the village of Johnsville, it constitutes a very pleasant home and farmer's residence. These early pioneers of whom we have here made this brief sketch, whose lives and labors have produced such extensive results in bringing this then wilderness of a country into its now beautiful farms, possessed of so many comforts and conveniences of life, and whose lives were thoroughly imbued with morality, kindness and good deeds, deserve a most grateful remembrance from their descendants and all future generations who may be the partakers of the benefits of their noble lives and labors.

Passage source: The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County;, published 1882.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Perry Township - it names this place 16 more 16 times.