“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

EDMUND D. SOWERS, a merchant and farmer, residing twelve miles west 
and a little north of the city of Dallas, was born in Davidson county, North 
Carolina, a son of Henry and Mary (Walker) Sowers, the former a native of 
North Carolina and the latter of South Carolina.  The paternal grandfather, 
Philip Sowers, was born in Germany and came to America when a young 
man, settling first in North Carolina and later in Pulaski county, Illinois, 
where he died at an advanced age.  Mr. Sowers’ mother’s people were 
comparatively old settlers of South Carolina, and originally of English 
extraction.  Henry Sowers was reared in Davidson county, North Carolina, 
where he remained until moving to Pulaski county, Illinois, in 1827.  He was 
a farmer by occupation, a plain and unpretentious citizen, and a successful 
business man.  He died in Pulaski county, in 1855, at the age of sixty-three 
years.  After the death of the father the mother came to Texas, where she 
made her home with her son, the subject of this sketch, the remainder of her 
life, dying at his residence in July, 1871, at the age of seventy years, five 
months and fourteen days.  Henry Sowers was twice married, and by the first 
union there were six children, three girls and three boys, all of whom are 
now deceased.  By the second marriage there were eight children, six boys 
and two girls, six of whom reached maturity, viz.: Edmund D., our subject; 
Sandy, deceased; Lydia, who died at the age of four or five years; Alfred, 
who died in the Union army, leaving a wife and two children; Levi, who left 
home when a young man, went to Mississippi, married there, entered the 
Confederate army from that State, was married a second time, and died at 
Memphis, Tennessee, leaving one child, five years old, who was raised and 
is now happily married and has five children; Noah, who died in this county 
some years ago.

Edmund D. Sowers, our subject, was born October 4, 1826, and when one 
year old his parents removed to Pulaski county, Illinois.  In 1827 he came to 
Texas, making his way overland with one yoke of cattle, and settled in 
Dallas county in 1856, in the vicinity of where he now lives.  He soon 
afterward bought 320 acres of land of the George Parsons headright survey, 
on the edge of Grape vine prairie, on which he settled July 22, 1857, and 
where he has since resided.  At that time there were only four or five 
families settled in the western part of Dallas county, and the county was new 
and unimproved.  The place on which Mr. Sowers settled had about four 
acres broken, and a rail pen for a house, but he began at once to make 
improvements, and made the rails and carried them on his shoulder with 
which to build his fence.  He fenced all of the 320 acres, cultivated 100 
acres, built a comfortable two-story frame house, also barns and 
outbuildings.  Mr. Sowers has owned a great deal of land since settling in the 
county, buying and selling as occasion offered, but has disposed of all his 
landed interests except the old home place and twenty-five acres of timber 
land.  He still owns a house and lot in West Dallas, valued at $1,200, and 
three vacant lots.  Having considerable mechanical genius, he began the 
blacksmith’s trade when a young man and followed it many years in early 
life, and also after coming to Texas.  In 1877 he erected a store near his 
house, and began the mercantile business, which he has followed 
successfully ever since.  In 1883 he obtained the establishment of a mail 
route between Dallas and Grapevine, in Tarrant county, and has also secured 
a postoffice at his place, which was called Sowers, and where, with the 
exception of three years, he has been Postmaster up to July, 1890.

Mr. Sowers was married in Pulaski county, Illinois, October 11, 1853, to 
Freelove Thompson, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, December 10, 
1824.  They have never had any children of their own, but have reared six 
orphans, by all of whom they have done well, not only in the matter of 
rearing but have provided for them when they started out in life for 
themselves.  Mr. and Mrs. Sowers are both members of the German Reform 
Church, and are pious, exemplary Christians.  Mrs. Sowers was first married 
to William Bryant, October 29, 1846, and had three children, two of whom 
died in infancy.  The other, Ellen, married Martin Wilson, an ex-Confederate 
soldier, and has two children living.

Submitted by: Justina Cook