J.H. Gower – Iowa City’s Farm To Riches Story.

***Local merchant and land dealer – James H. Gower. An Iowa City rags to riches story.*** *Seven ads (above) from the April 26, 1854 edition of The Iowa Capital Reporter prove the point.*

James H. Gower lived in Iowa City from 1845 to 1877 and during his 32 years here, he went from being a lowly sales clerk to being a highly-successful land baron, owning & selling property across Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Truly an Iowa City rags to riches story that’s worth re-telling here…

When Iowa opened up to new settlers in the early 1840’s, literally hundreds of young men – many with their young families – made their way westward, hoping to start a whole new life in this land of promise. Many, of course, were farmers, and with land available at low prices, this was a golden opportunity for anyone willing to do the hard work of building a family farm.

James Henry Gower, Sr. (above) was born January 7, 1772 in Industry – Franklin County – Maine, and between 1801 and 1810, J.H. and his wife Susannah raised five children. On October 22, 1806, James Henry Gower, Jr. was born, and by the late 1830’s, both James, Jr. and his older brother – Robert – had come west. One biographer states that James moved, first, to Illinois in 1838, and then, in 1841, joined Robert in Cedar County, Iowa where his elder brother owned and operated Gower’s Ferry on the Cedar River. Records show (below) that James was one of two delegates from Cedar County at the 1844 Constitutional Convention.

Which brings us now to our rare postal cover from August 1845 – which will tell us much more about J.H.’s beginnings in Iowa City…

This rare postal cover & letter sold on Ebay for $66 in July 2023 – too high for my blood but we got some great pics.

At first glance, the first two pages of J.H.’s letter to his father – J.H. Sr. – looks to be a boring read – dealing with the many details of an on-going & unresolved business transaction back home in Maine. I won’t bore you with the transcript, but suffice to say that we see in J.H.’s words the inner-workings of a very detailed business man who has his act together. Certainly, the earmarks are here – revealing a young man who is well-educated and on top of his financial situation. So now, that brings us to the third page of J.H.’s letter. Below, we’ll give you the transcript and some commentary along the way…

You may be surprised that I write from Iowa City, but I am living here at present and shall probably during this year if no longer. I think I was doing very well on the farm, but I experienced much trouble in getting our boys to school – oblige to send them from home. I moved here the 4^th of July and engage in a store on wages about sufficient to pay my expenses of living, rent, schooling, etc. – am at liberty anytime to go back on the farm. At present I have it rented – get one third of the crops.

J.H. came to Cedar County, Iowa in 1841 to farm and while he seemed to be doing fine at that occupation, he moved into Iowa City in 1845 in order for his kids to more easily get to school. Education was obviously important to J.H., so he took a job as a store clerk with owner J.H. Holt.

**I cannot tell how long I will remain here, but probably not longer than a year or two.**

Wow, J.H. had no idea in 1845 what he would find himself doing long term. Records show that J.H. soon became a partner with J.H. Holt, and eventually bought him out, becoming the sole proprietor of what was, at the time, the largest and most extensive mercantile house in the city. More on J.H.’s 34 years in Iowa City later.

My health has not been very good this season, although I have been able to attend fairly constantly to business. For a few days now, I have been troubled with the dysentery and today I am keeping house but am able to write. ***Our youngest child*** (Robert H. – age 1) is not well – has not been for several weeks – he has had the ‘bowel on summer’ complaint and it is extremely hard to get him well. We hope he is a little better within a day or two. Our three other boys (Charles H. – age 13, James O. – age 12, John H. – age 8), **are at school and I believe are doing very well. The 4^th one** (Francis G. – age 3) **is a hearty well boy large enough to attend school but we have not sent him yet. Shall probably in the Fall. Borredell** (J.H.’s wife) **and Rebecca** ***Haskell*** (a family friend/cousin) **are both well.**

J.H. and Borredell Cushman Greenwood were married in 1831 and had eight children – six of which lived into adulthood. At the time of this letter (August 1845), their first child – also named Robert H. had died (1842), their youngest two – Mary C. (Dec 1845) and Hebe F. (1849) were not yet born, and sadly, Francis G. – the 3-year-old mentioned here would die at age 7 in 1849.

Borredell had a letter from Mary Ann Haskell a few days ago – she remarks that you and Mrs. Croswell were talking of coming out here this season. We should really be very glad to see you and her. If I live and have my health I intend to see all of you before many years. Much love to all relations and friends.

**Your very affectionate son.**
**James H. Gower**

It appears that J.H., Sr. is no longer married to Susannah Norton and that Mrs. Croswell is now in the picture. While J.H., Jr. hopes to get back to Maine, there are no indications of him ever doing so. Which now brings us to the rest of James H. Gower’s Iowa City story…

Let’s start with the 1850 U.S. Census…

This Johnson County census record shows James H. – age 43, Merchant, wife Borredell – age 41, Charles H – age 17, James O – age 16, John H – age 12, Robert H – age 6, Mary – age 4, Hebe – 9 months, and Rebecca Haskell.

As we discussed earlier, James bought out his old boss – J.H. Holt – making Gower’s into one of the most prominent retail shops in Iowa City in the 1850’s. Note (below right) that his cousin – Charles W., who still lives in Maine – is a partner in this ever-expanding Gower business…

Also note (below) that Gower’s is Iowa City’s retailer for John Deere’s Centre-Draft Plows!

Between his retail stores, his land office – which now included his brother – Robert – in Cedar County, and his being one of the trustee’s for the State University of Iowa, James H. Gower had become a well-known man around town.

In 1856 (see ad above) J.H. Gower sold off his retail store in order to focus exclusively on his growing land business – which was expanding by leaps and bounds…

(JP-031) Above is a rare postal cover and circular that Gowers Land Agency sent around the Midwest in 1855. By this time, J.H. had brought in his son – James Otis Gower – and his cousin – Charles W. Gower – who lived in Greenville, Maine.

*(JP-029)* Here is a rare postal cover from **1857** – both coming from the final months of the financial boom of the 1850’s. J.H. Gower was closely aligned with the **Cook, Sargent & Downey Bank**, were heavily involved with land transactions around the State of Iowa, and both had offices in the new **Banking House** on Banking Corner. *Read more about the partnership here.*

After a 32-year run in Iowa City, and the death of his dear wife – Borredell (1875), J.H. Gower decided to move to Lawrence, Kansas to work alongside his son, John, and other family members who were operating a milling business there. It was here, on November 12, 1879 – at age 73 – when James H. Gower passed.