Henry M. Lowry

HENRY M. LOWRY, one of the pioneers of Mercer county, Ohio, was born in Lorraine, Jefferson county, N. Y., May 23, 1827, and is a son of Benajah Lowry, who was one of the early pioneers of Clarke county, Ohio. On his father's side of the family the subject of this sketch is of English ancestry, while on his mother's side he is of Irish stock. His mother, whose maiden name was Philena Grinell, was born near Schenectady, N. Y., June 7, 1796, and was married to Mr. Lowry, March 3, 1819.


Benajah Lowry, father of the subject, was born in Lorraine, N. Y., January 15, 1796, and served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, as follows: Betsey C., born December 11, 1819; Electa L., born September 12, 1821, and died in infancy; Aaron M., born May 14, 1823; John M., born April 22, 1826; Henry M., born May 23, 1827; Thaddeus M., born March 29, 1829, and Asenath L., born April 18, 1834. The mother of these children had previously been married to a Mr. Shaw, by whom she had one son, Alva B. In 1838 Benajah Lowry moved with his family to Ohio, settled in Clarke county, and was engaged in the mercantile business for some years at Vienna Cross Roads. In the spring of 1854 he removed to Mercer county, bought land in Gibson township, and there made a home. His death occurred in this county in September, 1878. He was a hard working industrious man, in politics a republican, and highly respected by all that knew him.


Henry M. Lowry, the subject, received but a limited education, and began working for himself when fourteen years of age. He began to learn the saddler's trade in Vienna, Clarke county, when about sixteen years old, and continued to follow that trade for three years. Not liking his trade, he followed farming, and was married, the first time, in Butler county, Ohio, to Olive Barnhart, who died eight months after marriage. Mr. Lowry removed to Mercer county in 1851, bought part of his present farm. then consisting of eighty acres of woodland, which, by diligent labor, he cleared and converted into a good farm and home. He married, for his second wife, Margaret Grant, a widow, whose maiden name was Replogle, and who was born in Germantown, Ohio, June 26, 1826, and was a daughter of Philip and Betsey (Gossard) Replogle. Her father was of sturdy Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, and a farmer by occupation. He and his wife were the parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom lived to the age of maturity, as follows: Katie, John, Frederick, Susan, Philip, Betsey, Nancy, Jacob, Mary, Margaret and and Sallie. Polly died when she was fifteen years of age, the rest dying still younger.


Philip Replogle was a cooper as well as a farmer, and in 1834 removed to Darke county, becoming one of the earliest of its pioneers, long before the Indians left the country. He was the first settler at Rose Hill, and there entered eighty acres of land, his nearest neighbor being nearly four miles away. He was a great hunter, and killed many deer, turkeys, wolves, wild cats, and bears. He was also a famous bee hunter and found in all fifty-seven bee trees. Mr. Replogle was known far and wide as a straightforward, honorable man, a good citizen, and was highly respected by all, dying when he was fifty-six years of age. He and his wife were members of the United Brethren church, and in early days the meetings were held in his house.


Mr. and Mrs. Lowry, after their marriage, settled on their present farm and worked with great industry and faithfulness to make a good home for themselves and their family. At first Mr. Lowry erected a log cabin, and improved his farm, later erecting a good frame house and now has a comfortable home. To Mr. Mrs. Lowry there have been born four children, as follows: Francis M.; Rosetta, who died when seventeen years of age; Elnora, and Violetta. Mrs. Lowry had been married to Alexander Grant, a pioneer of Mercer county, Ohio, for fuller reference to whom the reader is referred to the biography of James Z. Mott, elsewhere in this volume. By Mr. Grant she was the mother of two children, Sarah L. and Mary E.


Mr. and Mrs. Lowry are both members of the Christian church, and in politics Mr. Lowry is a republican. He has served as member of the school board and as supervisor. Having been an industrious, hard-working man, and a careful manager, he has prospered beyond the average citizen, and owns a good farm of 180 acres of land, and his son, Francis M., who is a single man, owns 133 acres. The family is among the most highly respected in the county, standing high in every respect. The daughter, Sarah Louisa, although reared when schools were poor, is well educated, mainly through her own efforts, and has been a school-teacher in the county. All are industrious, moral and religious, and stand socially high among their fellow-citizens.


Page 414-415

Source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties Ohio, Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Company, 1896

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