Washington B. Bowman, the popular and efficient supervisor of Oakfield township, Kent county, Mich., was born near Berlin, Ontario, Canada, February 2, 1850, and is the youngest of the family of three sons and three daughters born to Jacob W. and Mary A. (Bowers) Bowman, but of these six children there are now only three living, viz: Lydia, widow of Hon. I. E. Bowman and still living near the old homestead in Canada; her husband was a member of the Canadian house of commons, and in his day was very prominent as a politician; Louisa is the wife of I. L. Tower, who is in the government employ at Greenville, Mich., and Washington B., the subject of this sketch.

Jacob W. Bowman, the father, was born in Waterloo county, Ontario, February 13, 1811, of Swiss extraction, was educated in a public log house and by vocation was a mechanic. In 1864 he came to Kent county, Mich., with his family, and entered 160 acres in section No. 30, Oakfield township, which land is still in possession of the Bowman family. His death took place in Greenville, March 6, 1891, in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife was born in Lancaster, Pa., October 14, 1817, and her death occurred in Greenville, in the same faith, April 25, 1898.

Washington B. Bowman was fourteen years of age when he came to Oakfield township with his parents, and with them he remained until his eighteenth year, and then began to work out by the month. April 30, 1873, he married Miss Lydia A. Clemens in Gaines township, and to this union have been born three children, vix: D. O., who has completed the full course of eight grades in the public schools and has a leaning toward a commercial life; he is a member of F. & A. M. lodge No. 196, at Grattan Center, also of the Eastern Star lodge, and of the Maccabees tent at Harvard. Ray, the second born, has also completed the eight grades; is associated with his father in the cultivation of the home farm and is a member of Grattan grange, No. 170. Anna M., the youngest of the family, has passed through the eight grades, had her examination in 1897 with an average of eighty-five per cent, and has also taken special lessons in instrumental music.

Mrs. Lydia A. Bowman was born in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, December 31, 1854, is a daughter of Amos M. and Mary (Wismer) Clemens, and was educated in the common schools, being but nine years of age when brought to Kent county by her parents, who settled in Gaines township in 1863. There were seven children in the Clemens family—three sons and four daughters—of whom two are deceased; of the surviving five, two besides Mrs. Bowman are residents of Kent county; Henry W., is a farmer of Manistee, Mich., and Mary is the wife of Edward Williams, a farmer of Petoskey, Mich. The other died on the Gaines township homestead, and the father in Caledonia, where a daughter resided.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowman began their married life, in 1873, as renters of the Bowman homestead, and so continued until 1880, when they purchased the place; it then containing 184 acres, but went largely in debt for it, but this debt has been paid, the greater part of the improvements have been made by them, and they now own 224 acres, on which there is not a dollar’s mortgage—and all this is the result of their diligence, good management and economy, intelligently exercised.

In politics Mr. Bowman is a republican and cast his first presidential vote for U. S. Grant. He has served as delegate to various county and other conventions of his party, and in 1885 was elected township treasurer. His services in this office were so satisfactory, that he has since been twice re-elected, and in 1895 he was elected supervisor of his township; in this office, also, his ability has been made so manifest, that he has since been three times re-elected, and is the present incumbent of the office. It is quite evident, in view of these facts, that Mr. Bowman has the entire confidence of his fellow citizens in his integrity, capacity, and devotion to their interests.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowman are among the most worthy residents of Oakfield township, have been most liberal in their contributions to the support of churches and every project designed for the elevation of the moral condition as well as the material progress of the township, and high esteem in which they are held is an indication that their good acts are appreciated by their neighbors.