William H. Stowell, born May 3, 1855, in Leroy, New York, was the editor and proprietor of the Auburn Post in Auburn, Nebraska. His father, Luther K. Stowell, hailed from Cazenovia, New York, and the Stowell family has colonial roots in the United States, originally from England. William began his career as a school teacher before transitioning to journalism, publishing the Vedette in Verdon, Nebraska, and later the Auburn Post. He married Carrie D. Robertson in 1883, and they had two children. A Republican and active community member, Stowell was involved in local publications and organizations, including the Presbyterian church and the Woodmen of the World.
William H. Stowell, editor and proprietor of the Auburn Post, is a prominent factor in the business and social circles of Auburn, Nebraska. Mr. Stowell is a native of the Empire State and dates his birth in Leroy, May 3, 1855. His father, Luther K. Stowell, was born in Cazenovia, New York, October 18, 1823, son of Calvin B. Stowell. The Stowell family originally came to this country from England, the time of their settlement here being in colonial days. Early history shows them to have been mechanics and farmers, honest and industrious, occupying representative places among the people of the various localities in which they lived. Calvin B. Stowell was a blacksmith. He was born in 1794, and it is supposed he was a native of New Hampshire. He died in Darien, New York, in 1878. Thrice married, he reared a large family of children, namely: seven sons and one daughter by his first wife, one son by the second, and one daughter by the third. Luther K. was one of the sons by the first marriage, his mother being Olive Sabine, and he is now a resident of Leroy, New York; has been married twice and has outlived both of his companions. He first married, March 19, 1854, Miss Janette McGregor, who was born near Leroy, New York, in 1830, daughter of John McGregor, a Scotchman; and the only child of this marriage was William H., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Janette Stowell died at the age of twenty-eight years. Subsequently, Mr. Stowell married Miss Sarah Thomas, who bore him one son, Ernest C. Since her death, the father has resided with his son.
William H. Stowell was reared to farm life and improved the opportunities he had for obtaining an education in the public schools. At the age of twenty, he began a career as a school teacher, a career which covered a period of ten years, and it was while he was thus occupied that he entered upon journalistic work as a newspaper correspondent. July 1, 1886, he began the publication of the Vedette in Verdon, Nebraska, which he edited and published weekly for nine and a half years. Then, in October 1895, he came to Auburn and purchased the Auburn Post, which he has since successfully conducted, owning both the building and the plant, and in connection with the publication of the paper also doing a job printing business, employing from three to six compositors. While in Verdon, Mr. Stowell and four others organized a pioneer association, known as the Richardson County Pioneer Society, and in connection with that, he published “The Pioneer Record,” a quarterly pamphlet, for some three years, and after he came to Auburn he continued it for three months as a monthly publication, at the end of which time he sold out. From 1896 to 1899 he published the Nebraska State Poultry Journal, which was issued each month. The Auburn Post is a weekly paper, published on Friday; is Republican in politics, up-to-date in every respect, and its columns show that it has plenty of the right kind of enterprise and push that are necessary to succeed in the newspaper line. As the Republican organ, the Post exerts a potent influence that is felt for the good of the party.
Mr. Stowell married, January 30, 1883, Carrie D. Robertson, a native of Cambridge, New York, born December 25, 1860, daughter of John and Adeline (Parke) Robertson, now residents of Verdon, Nebraska. Previous to her marriage, Mrs. Stowell was for several years a teacher in the public schools. They have two children, Frank L. and Helen M., both attending school.
Mr. and Mrs. Stowell are regular attendants upon worship at the Presbyterian church, of which they are worthy members. Fraternally, he belongs to the Woodmen of the World.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska, 2 volumes, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904.