Husband Maj. Alexander McDowell 1 2 3
Born: 4 Mar 1845 - Franklin, Venango Co, PA 2 3
Christened:
Died: Aft 1909
Buried:
Father: Parker McDowell (1805-1860) 4 5 6
Mother: Lavinia Titus (1817-1893) 4 5 6
Marriage: 17 Sep 1867 7
• Additional Image: Maj. Alexander McDowell.
Wife Clara Bleakley 8 9 10
Born: 6 Apr 1847 - Franklin, Venango Co, PA 8 9 10
Christened:
Died: Aft 1875
Buried:
Father: Col. James Bleakley (1820-1883) 8 9 11 12 13
Mother: Elizabeth Dubbs (1822-Aft 1890) 8 10 14
Children
1 M James Parker McDowell 7
Born: 19 Feb 1869 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
2 F Lizzie McDowell 2 7
Born: 15 Nov 1872 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Edward Buchholz (1870- ) 7
Marr: 25 Sep 1895 2 7
3 M Willis McDowell 7
Born: 6 Feb 1875 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Grace A. Delamater (1874- ) 7
Marr: 14 Jun 1899 2
4 F Mary B. McDowell 2 7
Born: 22 Aug 1876 2 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
5 F Clara McDowell 2 7
Born: 3 Jan 1880 2 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Glenn Carley (1876- ) 7
Marr: 19 Aug 1909 7
6 M Harry Bleakley McDowell 2 7 15
Born: 19 Apr 1882 - Sharon, Mercer Co, PA 2 7 15
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Grace Osborne (1883- ) 7 15
Marr: 22 Nov 1911 15
General Notes: Husband - Maj. Alexander McDowell
He received his schooling under William Burgwin, a capable teacher, and at the old acad-emy on Buffalo street; at the same time learning the printer's trade in the small establishment of the American Citizen, a weekly newspaper of commendable repute in its day. His father's death in 1860 obliging him to quit school in order to assist in the support of the family, he became a clerk in the general store of the late George W. Brigham, an enterprising mer-chant of early days. Working at his trade in leisure hours fully occupied his time until August 23, 1862, when he responded to the call of his country and enlisted in Company A, of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Serv-ing in this regiment as sergeant and severely wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, in December, 1864, he was brevetted major of the Twenty-first United States Veteran Re-serve Corps, in acknowledgment of his gallant conduct. He continued thus until the close of the civil war when he was honorably dis-charged. He wore his well-won military honors modestly, sometimes facetiously declar-ing, "Me an' Grant put down the Rebellion."
Retiring from the army in 1865, Major Mc-Dowell became the partner of Nelson B. Smiley, a talented lawyer and journalist, in publishing the Venango Citizen, the Republi-can organ of the county. Mr. Smiley retired in 1867 to attend to his extensive practice, sell-ing his interest to the Major; who also retired, on January 1, 1869, having decided to engage in other business. With the view of adopting a legal career, he read law for a while; but his change of residence to Mercer County prevented the completion of his studies and his admission to the bar.
Removing to Sharon, Pennsylvania, in 1870, to manage the James Bleakley banking interests, he acquired control in 1872 and built up a strong financial institution. For thirty-five years he conducted the business under the title of A. McDowell, Banker, and in 1907 reorganized it as The McDowell National Bank, with a capital stock of $150,000, Alexander McDow-ell, president, and Harry B. McDowell, cash-ier. The history of the bank during its long career has been marked by steady progress, unvarying courtesy, and rigid fidelity. Today it ranks among the most substantial and pop-ular in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Shortly after locating in Sharon, Major Mc-Dowell was elected school director, filling this responsible position acceptably ever since. At the organization in 1886, in his adopted city, of the Protected Home Circle, a mutual benevo-lent society, he was elected supreme treas-urer, holding the office uninterruptedly to the satisfaction of his associates and the great advantage of the order. Its marvelous growth to a foremost place in fraternal systems was largely owing to his competent oversight and sound judgment. From the beginning he took an active part in advancing the best interests of Sharon and of Mercer County, giving liberally of his means and personal ef-forts to promote the general welfare.
Politically he was, by training, habit, and experience a stal-wart Republican, the kind who puts principle above expediency and despises trimmers and parasites. In 1892 he was elected congress-man-at-large, serving his term with charac-teristic sagacity and zeal. Deprived of the nomination two years before by machine jug-glery, public sentiment placed him on the ticket at the next opportunity and sent him to Wash-ington by an overwhelming majority. Elected clerk of the House of Representatives in 1895, he served continuously until the Democrats gained the ascendancy in 1911, a record per-haps unequalled in national annals. Men of all creeds, classes, and parties esteemed him for his staunch integrity, his invincible good humor, his oratorical power, and his splendid courage. He had a most charming personality, was generous and broad-minded, and had an exhaustless fund of pat stories. These qualities all combined to make him a drawing card on the rostrum in many cam-paigns, speaking with telling effect, quoting pertinent passages of scripture, clinching solid arguments with apt illustrations, and rivaling Adam Bede's best and brightest effusions.
Major McDowell was a Presbyterian and a Mason, a member of the G. A. R. Post of Sharon, Pennsylvania, and of the committee appointed by congress to take charge of the ar-rangements for celebrating the fiftieth anni-versary of the battle of Gettysburg, in July, 1913. [GPHAV, 376]