Just came across this bit on information on Bloomington: BLOOMINGTON Originally known as Tafton, the "Blooming Town" was named after the agricultural "blooming" that occurred in the area after a local blacksmith patented a device for sowing oats in 1867. Does anyone know who the blacksmith was that patented the oat sowing device? My great grandfather, John Edward Bowden, was a blacksmith in this region at the time. Linda