Arthur J. Bowser, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Arthur J. Bowser
ARTHUR J. BOWSER was born in Valparaiso, Indiana, on October 28, 1862, and is the eldest child of Lewis and Elizabeth (Noel) Bowser. The history of his maternal ancestors ante-dates the American Revolution. Elizabeth Noel was the daughter of Edward and Emily (Dumas) Noel. Emily Dumas was the daughter of Stephen and Mary (Paulin) Dumas, and Mary Paulin was the daughter of Captain Antoin Paulin, of Grenoble, France, who, at his own expense raised a company of soldiers in France, joined Lafayette, and came to assist the American Colonies in their struggle for Independence. In recognition of his services, the American Government gave Captain Paulin a township of land in the vicinity of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, from which neither he nor any of his descendants ever realized a penny. Captain Paulin was born at Grenoble, France, in 1737, and died at Coopersville, New York, in September, 1815. Lewis Bowser, the father, was born in South Bend, Indiana, on March 20, 1837. He was married to Elizabeth Noel at Plymouth, Indiana, on September 28, 1861, and died at Chesterton, Indiana, March 10, 1912. He was the son of Henry and Catherine (Williams) Bowser, natives of Holland and England, who settled in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley. Henry Bowser came to Allen county, Indiana, where he became the head of the Bowser family, now well-known as the Fort Wayne manufacturers. His first wife dying he married again and located in Valparaiso, founding the second family, of which Lewis Bowser was the eldest child, and the greater part of whose life was spent in that city.
Seven children were born to Lewis and Elizabeth Bowser, all of whom are living at this date (September, 1912), except the second child, Charles, whose death occurred in infancy. The surviving children are Arthur J., of this sketch; Edward L., Kansas City; Emerson L., Gary, Indiana: Emily (Bowser) Baum, Chesterton, Indiana; Bessie (Bowser) Tobin, Argyle, Wisconsin; and Bertrand Bowser, San Francisco.
Arthur J. Bowser received his education at St. Paul's Academy Valparaiso, Indiana, and the Valparaiso Public Schools, and graduated from the university of "Hard Knocks." At the age of sixteen he went to Springfield, Illinois, where he worked at the printer's trade. After serving an apprenticeship, he worked as a journeyman in Grand Rapids, Michigan, several months and then returned to Valparaiso where he started the Valparaiso Daily Advertiser, the first daily paper to be published in Porter county. In this enterprise he was a partner of Henry R. Putnam. This paper was published nearly a year and in February, 1883, was absorbed by the Porter County Vidette, Mr. Bowser going to the Vidette as one of the assets of the Advertiser. Shortly after he assisted in the inauguration of the Daily Vidette. In February, 1884, he came to Chesterton and on April 2, 1884, issued the first number of the Chesterton Tribune of which he is still the owner and publisher, and which publication has during the twenty-eight years of its existence been an active factor in promoting the progress of the community, and has itself become one of the leading weekly publications of the district and state. In addition to his newspaper Mr. Bowser has extensive interests in Porter county. He is president of the Chesterton Realty Company, an incorporated concern, and is a stock holder in the Chesterton Bank.
Mr. Bowser was married twice. On March 24, 1883, he was united with Miss Antoinette Drago, of Hart, Michigan. To this union three children were born, Thura, now Mrs. Addison K. Sills, Jr., of Monticello, Indiana, Francis D. and Arthur J., Jr. Mr. Bowser's second marriage occurred on July 30, 1912, to Mrs. Olive Bourell, at Gary, Indiana. He is a member of the Gary Commercial Club, Chesterton Lodge, K. of P., No. 440, and Valparaiso Lodge of Elks, No. 500.
In politics he is a Republican. He served as reading clerk of the Indiana senate in 1899; was a member of the Porter County Council from 1902 to 1906, and from 1906 to 1910 represented the district composed of Lake and Porter counties in the state senate, in which body he was chairman of two important committees, the Organization of Courts, and Rivers and Waterways. Through his influence and work much important legislation relating to his district was secured. He is one of the foremost in every movement for the welfare of the community and since the close of his service in the senate has devoted his time to his large business interests, including the management of his newspaper. Safe in the ranks of private citizenship he views complacently the struggles of others for political honors, with no inclination towards ever entering the strife himself.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 881 p.
Page(s) in Source: 861-862
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook