The Bowlsby Family   The recent death of Manuel P. Bowlsby remove one more of the pio- neer settlers of Antelope county.  Al- though not dying within the county, and buried in its soil, Antelope will forever claim him as "one of her own". Both he and his father, who lies buried in our cemetery, are remarkable ex- amples of longevity, he dying at the age of eighty-six years; seven months and fifteen days, while his father out- lived him twenty years, eight months and twenty days, dying at the age of one hundred seven years, four months and five days, being undoubtedly the oldest white man ever living in the county, and possibly in the state.  It will be interesting to present residents of the county, who did not have the  honor of an acquaintance with the  Bowlsbys, father and son, to submit the following biographical sketches of their  lives.  It is, however, a subject of re- gret that they are so incomplete.   First the father.  Joseph I. Bowlsby was born March 6th, 1770, on the north of the Muscongetcong river, in the then Sussex, now Warren, county, New Jer- sey.  His father's land lying on both sides of the river.  The river is about the size of the Elkhorn, and constitutes the boundary between the counties of Hunterdon and Warren.  His grand- father, Captain Samuel Bowlsby, who was a native Englishman, came to this country with his family, in the early part of the eighteenth century, holding a commission in the British army.  He was stationed at various posts on the Atlantic seaboard, until finally tiring of his position, he resigned his commis- sion in the army.  Being a person of some means, he purchased quite a body of land on the Musconetcong river, in Hunterdon and Sussex counties, New Jersey in what was then known as "Cox's woods,"  named after another Englishman, who had some years pre- viously bought about two thousand acres.  Cox's land laid in the form of  a square body, and Captain Bowlsby bought the land adjoining on two sides. Subsequently, having some misunder- standing with Cox, he purchased the land adjoining the two other sides of Cox's tract; thus completely surround- ing him.  His land extended from New Hampton to near Asbury.  He subse- quently conveyed some of it to his sons. The Bowlsbys of those days - father and sons were extensive landholders. An old deed now in possession of J. C. Lake Esq; at Junction, dated 1765, given by John Bowlby, to Thomas Bowlby, describes quite a large tract of land, covering a part of what is now Junction village, or that portion lying in the township of Bethlehem, Hunter- don county.  The old Captain Bowlsby  served for some time as captain in the militia, which was organized for pro- tection against the Indians.  When the  Revolutionary war broke out he re- signed his position as an officer in the  Militia as he was too old to enter the service, had he been so inclined.  His sympathies were with the British, as were the sympathies of his family; still he took no active part either way.  Two of his sons who were more outspoken than the rest, after a time left home and served in the loyalist Rangers, and were compelled at the close of the war to flee to Nova Scotia.  The remain- ing sons, including the father of the sub- ject of our sketch, kept their sympa- thies to themselves and maintained a  "masterly inactivity," owing to their  landed interests, and after the end of the war, became good loyal citizens of the new republic.   Joseph B. Bowlsby received a very  meagre education, consisting entirely of the three "Rs" and that very limited; but after leaving home he applied him- self to study and acquired a good knowl- edge of mathematics, and some of the  sciences.  When he became old enough he was employed in clearing land and  farming for his father.  This not prov- ing congenial to his tastes he decided when about seventeen years of age to  go to Philadelphia and seek other em- ployment.  After being in the city a short time, with very limited means;  and not finding remunerative employ- ment, he, on an opportunity presenting,  decided to learn the printers trade.  He accordingly entered the office where  Benjamin Framklin (with whom he  subsequently became somewhat ac- quainted) had once worked as an ap- prentice.  While serving his appren- ticeship he used the same old presses,  cases, and some of the type Franklin had used in former years.  After hav- ing served his apprenticeship, and be- come a full-fledged printer, he worked  at his trade, until business became dull, and finally was thrown out of employ- ment at his trade altogether.  Then he  decided to learn the tailor trade, which seemed to him to offer more lucrative and steady employment.  He accord- ingly served a second apprenticeship,  and after serving his time worked in the city as a journeyman tailor until about the year 1800, when he removed  to Westmoreland county, Pa.  He engaged in tailoring until the summer  of 1804.  While living here he became  acquainted with General St. Clair, who he described as an "irritable  Scotchman," whom he disliked.  In the  latter part of 1805 he secured work  as a journeyman printer on the Genius  of Liberty, a newspaper which had been started at Uniontown, Fayette county,  the preceding February.  At Union- town he worked at printing about one

year, the business being too poor the proprietor could not afford to pay the wages he demanded.  Here he became  acquainted with Albert Gatlatin, whom he highly esteemed, and could tell many anecdotes of him and his doings.  He then engaged again in tailoring, which, however, did not afford him steady em- ployment, he therefore added cobbling  of boots and shoes, and in time became  a proficient shoemaker.  He next re- moved to Brownville, same county, con- sidering it a better location for him, and continued in tailoring and cob- bling.  While living in Brownville  he was married to Miss Lettice Blair. Miss Blair's mother's maiden name was Parkhill, and she was born on the ocean  on a sail ship, which was disabled on her voyage and was nearly three months in making the voyage across the Atlantic.  To this union were born  eight children, three of them in Brown- ville.  Manuel Parkhill Bowlsby being  the third child in the family, and the last one born in Pennsylvania.   In April, 1816, Mr. Bowlsby removed with his family to Newark, Licking  county, Ohio.  Here he engaged in farming, and during the winter teach- ing school, seven miles from his home. He taught this school seven consecu- tive winters.  He served while living in Licking county as constable, and also as justice of the peace.  In the spring of 1828 he removed to Marion, Grant county, Indiana, and settled on The Indian reserve.  He had to live on his claim one year to perfect title, put in the year in opening up a farm on it, and continued another year at farming  it.  His was the first family to locate on the reserve.  Sold out in 1830, and removed to Rapids, Michigan.  Not lik- ing it there, he removed in the fall to  near where Rockford, Illinois, is now  located.  Staid there, until spring, then removed to Fielden, Jersey county, Ill.  Staid there nearly one year and en- gaged in cutting wood.  Owing to sick- ness in family, he removed in the spring of 1832 to Iowa county, Michigan ter- ritory, now Lafayette county, Wiscon- sin; thinking it a more healthful loca- tion, and that it would prove a benefit to his wife's health, which was badly  impaired by living in malarious loca- tions.  Shortly after locating in his new home, the Indian excitement, culminat- ing the succeeding year in the Black  Hawk war, broke out, extending over  the country in which he had located. His wife died in the spring of 1833, and  he was left alone with a large family of  small children demanding his attention. So he had to care for them and could not join the military forces raised  to fight Indians.  He had engaged in farming after location in his new home, and continued at it until the spring of  1834, when he left home leaving his  family in charge of his son, Manuel, P,  the older son working to aid in the sup- port of the younger children, while he designed to earn money at his various  trades.  During the first year from home he returned twice.  After his second visit he did not return for nearly  twelve years.  He traveled over the country as occasion offered, now and  then sending his family a little money. About the year 1845 he returned home,  but did not seem contented.  He would stay for a time, then leave again, con- tinuing in this way to make Lafayette his home until the spring of 1875, when he bid, as it proved, a final farewell to so called home, and the state of Wis- consin.  He then revisited localities  and persons with whom he had become acquainted during his long absence after the death of his wife, in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.  The journey was made mostly afoot when he was one hundred and  five years of age.  Late in the fall he came to Neligh to visit his son Manuel -l, and family, intending to stop over  winter and in the spring continue his  journey in the state of Oregon, to visit his oldest son, who was eight years  older than than Manuel and was an  Advent preacher.  (This son died there  in the early nineties.)  He arrived at  his sons home near Neligh about the first of November, 1875, when the ground was covered with snow.  He met with a hearty welcome, and was treated very kindly by Mrs. Bowlsby his daughter-in-law, who did everything possible to gratify the old man's wishes. If he desired anything in particular to  eat, she was sure to prepare it for him. This kindness, to which he had so long been a stranger, so overcame him that he thought he could not exist without her ministrations, and at her earnest entreaties adbandoned his comtemplated trip.  If the weather was fit he would  visit the postoffice at Neligh, and stop at some of the stores to rest and chat  with anyone he chanced to meet.  He was  well informed and a good conversation- alist for a man of his extreme age.   During the summer of 1876 and the early summer of 1877 he frequently went fishing on the banks of the Elk- horn.  He always seemed to be inclined  to do something.  When in the summer  of 1877 it became evident that Mrs. Bowlsby had to submit to a surgical operation, he became so wrought up over the matter -- thinking she would die under the surgeon's knife -- that he gave up and seemed to have no further  desire to live.  He died, like one falling asleep -- without a struggle -- at his sons's  house on July 11, 1877.  After his death Mrs. Bowlsby had the surgical operation successfully performed at  O_____, by Dr. Bo____teel.

In religious proclivities he was Meth- odist, and went to accompany his  daughter-in-law, who was a member of  the Methodist church, to the little brick school house, which was then used as a  place for holding Methodist meetings.  In the fall preceding his death he ex- pressed a desire for a bible with larger print than the one, his son possessed. This desire coming to the ears of a  lady then living in Neligh, she procured a bible with print such as he desired, and placed it on the Christmas tree for  him.  This pleased him greatly, and he ended his earthly career with it in his hands.  In politics Mr. Bowlsby was a federalist in early life, while living in Philadelphia, but after he removed to western Pennsylvania and settled in Westmoreland county, he changed and became a republican, which appellation was during Jackson's time changed to democrat.  He remained a strenuous democrat to the day of his death. Wm. B. Lambert   This article will be concluded in next  week's issue, it being too lengthy for one issue. NOTE:  The Nebraska State Historical  Society was unfortunately, not able to  find the second article.  If anyone is  able to, please let us know!!!