Saturday, November 10, 2007

A. C. Bowers of Boone Creek, Tennessee

That debate book I mentioned on the previous post was originally owned by Augustus (A.C.) Bowers of Boone Creek, Washington County, E. Tennessee.
He dated the book March 14, but neglected to put the year. It's an 1875 edition, so it was after that time, and published by Universalist minister E. Manford. Copies of Manford's Magazine from 1882 -1887 are glued in his book.

A. C. Bowers (1847 - 1921) was born in Boone Creek, which is now a suburb of Johnson City.He was a member of the Union Army during the War Between The States, serving (if I read this right) as part of Stoneman's Calvary. In 1879 he was a internal revenue collector and in 1890 was a census taker.

The Johnson City area was the home to Dr. William Hale, who was ordained in 1877, and founded a Universalist church in "Free Hill" in 1880. I'm not sure how long the church lasted, up to the 20th century, I believe. Universalist was also believed in that area by some in the Church of the Brethren and there is a Primitive Baptist Universalist Church in the area.

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