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Note: BIOGRAPHY OF EPHRIAM BOWEN
Ephraim Bowen, Sr., was born in Chester County Pennsylvania, October 22, 1769;
emigrated to Mason County, Kentucky, married Hannah Hale in that State and came to Green
County, Ohio, in 1795, seven years before Ohio became a member of the Union and from
there moved to Randolph County, Indiana, arriving October 22nd, 1814, the day he was forty
five years old. He was the fourth settler in the wilds of Randolph County. He brought six
children with him, namely, Nancy, James C., Jane, Squire, Rebecca and Hannah. Rachel and
Ephraim L. were born in this County, making eight in all. Ephraim Bowen was a soldier in
the War of 1812, and the County Historian states that he was an honest, upright, Godfearing
man: considered "pretty well off" for those times. The first settlement in Randolph County
was made in April, 1814, by Thomas W. Parker, who located his cabin on the east side of the
Old Boundary, just north of the Wayne County line. Mr. Parker says that during the summer
John W. Thomas and Clarkson Willcutts settled farther north and on October 22nd, Ephraim
Bowen drove up to his father's door, and he went still farther up Nolan's Fork, and the
farthest north of any. North and northwest of him was an endless wilderness, except a few
soldiers at Fort Wayne and Fort Dearborn, Green Bay and Mackinaw.
FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETING IN RANDOLPH COUNTY.Squire Bowen says the first religious meeting was held in Ephram Bowen's cabin,
probably in 1815, and that Stephen Williams exhorted at that meeting. The first
sermon was preached also in Ephraim Bowen's cabin by Rev. Mr. Holman of
Louisville, Ky. Text from Isaiah, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician
there? Why, then, is the hurt of the daughter of my people not recovered ?"
James C. Bowen and others who heard that sermon spoke highly of this first
effort by that gifted servant of Christ in his introduction of the gospel message into
this new land.
Ephriam Bowen's dwelling was long a place for the Methodist meetings of that
region. It is said that when Eplariam Bowen completed his cabin the first article
taken therein was the Holy Bible. The third marriage license issued in Randolph
County was to Samuel Frazier and Mary Cook, dated June 21, 1819. The marriage
was performed by Ephriam Bowen, Justice of the Peace, August 3, l819, six weeks
after the license was issued.[a10023.FTW]
BIOGRAPHY OF EPHRIAM BOWEN
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