WI BIO - Dane Co - ROWLEY, Manley S.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 214-215

Manley S. ROWLEY, prominent among the real estate brokers and a man who has 
been closely associated with the interests of Madison, Dane County, 
Wisconsin, became interested in his present business in March 1890. His 
early associations of Madison date back to 1870, at which date he established 
a gentlemen's furnishing house, including hats, caps and ready made clothing, 
and was thus engaged continuously for twelve years, when he sold out and 
engaged as a commercial traveler with the well-known hatters, Clark Brothers 
of New York City, continuing with them until 1890. Most of his life has been 
spent as an active business man. Just previous to his coming to Madison, he 
spent five years as a clothing merchant in Ossian, Winneshiek County, Iowa. 
This was immediately after the close of the war, and he had come to Iowa from 
Niles, Berrien County, Michigan, that being the scene of his early life and 
boyhood days, although [Manley S. ROWLEY was] born in the State of Vermont in 
1842. He came West with his parents at the early age of twelve.

At the breaking out of the war he [Manley S. ROWLEY] enlisted at the first 
call for three-year men, entering the Eleventh Michigan Infantry as Sergeant 
Major of his regiment, and was thus connected until 1863, when he was 
transferred to the Twelfth Michigan Cavalry regiment, being made Adjutant of 
his regiment. He continued in active service for a period of about thirty 
months from the date of his enlistment, participating in numerous 
engagements, including the battle of Shiloh and the attack on MORGAN during 
the latter's raid through Kentucky, besides other less important ones. 
Although escaping without a scratch the hardships of army life told upon his 
physical strength, and after several attempts at recuperating his impaired 
health [p 215] without leaving the field he was finally compelled to resign, 
and receiving his honorable discharge, came back to Michigan.

After his return home, he [Manley S. ROWLEY] engaged in his old occupation in 
Niles [Berrien County, MI] for some time before he decided to try his fortune 
in the far West. Since he came to Madison he has been identified to some 
extent with the local politics of the city, having held the office of City 
Treasurer. He is a decided Republican and looks after the best interests of 
his party in the city. Mr. [Manley S.] ROWLEY is a member of the C. C. 
Washburn Post, G. A. R., No. 17; is a Master Mason, and affiliates with the 
Knights Templars in Iowa.

At the bride's home, in the capital city [Madison, Dane County, WI], he 
[Manley S. ROWLEY] was married to Julia M. BROOKS, one of the worthy 
daughters of this city, who was born, reared and educated within its borders, 
and the daughter of one of the well-respected and old citizens of this place, 
Abiel E. BROOKS, who had lived here for over forty years, and whose death 
occurred in July 1891, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. He was 
prominently known here as the proprietor of the Brook's Addition to the city 
of Madison, a valuable piece of property. Mr. BROOKS had been active in 
local matters, having held the office of City Alderman, being a stanch 
Republican in politics. He [Abiel E. BROOKS] was born in the State of Rhode 
Island in 1800, whence he removed to New York, when that State was in its 
early development, figuring conspicuously in the building of different 
Government works there, finally being the contractor in the construction of 
the canal in Canada. Later he removed to Michigan, being one of the early 
and prominent citizens of Niles [Berrien County], which he aided in 
developing. In 1847 he removed to Madison [Dane County, Territory of 
Wisconsin] and two years later, in 1849, helped to organize a company, of 
which he was made captain, to make an overland trip to California. After 
searching for the glittering dust for about three years, with some success, 
he made the trip back to Madison [Dane County, State of WI], via the Isthmus 
of Panama, across the gulf, up the Mississippi River and thence to Madison. 
Here he invested the money he had gathered from Mother Earth in valuable real 
estate that in due time brought him rich returns.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly