Posted on: Hancock County, WV Bios Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/WV/HancockBios/15 Surname: FRANK DeWITT BOWMAN ------------------------- WEIRTON- Two Weirton residents, who are also local historians, have received the "Distinguished West Virginia" award from a state committee made up of representative from across the state. Frank and Mary Bowman, 3669 Main St., received the walnut and bronze plaque for their work in the betterment of the community and preservation of historical data and sites. Mary Bowman was born in Hollidays Cove, incorporated into Weirton in 1947, daughter of R. Elmer and Bessie Brice Campbell. She is a direct descendant of James Campbell, on of the first settlers of Hollidays Cove. Campbell provided the first five acres of land for construction of a Prebyterian Church. The site is now in the area of South 16th and 17th Streets bordered by Wetzel Street. A log church was build there called The Three Springs Church, a forerunner of the Cove United Presbyterian Church. The cemetery and church were established on this site, which later fell into real estate developers hands because the will of Campbell could not be found in Hancock County. The church was moved to a site where the Three Springs Cemetery is now located, but the cemetery was never moved. Records were located in Brooke County because Hancock had not been formed from part of Brook County until after the will had been recorded. Numerous stories have circulated about the desecration of the cemetery containing the remains of some of the early settlers of the region. The cemetery had been abandoned and when the houses were built in the area no attempt was made to move any of the graves. During the 1930's when Weirton Heights became a growing community, homes were built on the site of the cemetery and "haunting" stories circulated freely. Frank D. Bowman was born in Pennsylvania, and is a descendant of pioneer settlers who landed in New Jersey and then moved west to Pennsylvania. He has searched for and found the places where his great-grandparents and grandparents are buried and has a number of articles in their handwriting which tells of the time and places of those historical settings. The Bowmans have taken their pioneer heritage and built a retirement occupation with it. They are charter members of the Hancock County Historical Society, of which Mr. Bowman is president and Mrs. Bowman serves as a director. They reside in the R.E. Campbell homestead, where Mrs. Bowman has lived since childhood. She and Dr. Stanton Crawford, late chancelor of the University of Pittsburg were writing a true history of Hollidays Cove when Dr. Crawford died suddenly following a heart attack. The project notes were borrowed by other historians and misplaced before Mrs. Bowman could complete the history herself. Both her father and uncle, George Campbell passed on historical antidotes to Mrs. Bowman. Anything of historical nature intrigues the Bowmans and they travel many miles each year to conclaves of historical nature. Mary Bowman served as past vice president of the First District of the West Virginia Historical Society. She has received a special citation from the West Virginia Historical Society Inc., as well as from the Hancock County Historical Society, Inc. Many area residents will remember Mary Bowman as a nurse at the Gill Memorial Hospital in Steubenville unitl it's closing. Not to be outdone by his wife, who also aided in this project, Frank worked with the editor, the Rev. Andrew Slade, and a committee on publishing of the book "Presbyterianism of the Upper Ohio Valley," which came out in 1976. Mr. Bowman traced many of the histories included in the book of Ohio Valley Churches. He served as liasion between the printer, editor and distribution points. Tracing details is nothing new for Mr. Bowman. He served in the U.S. Mine Foree assembling and planting TNT mines during World War I. He was disabled and received a war certificate for his service. Being disabled has not prevented him from being employed and doing most any job assigned. He attended New York College and was employed by the Edison Company and later Minneapolish-Honeywell Company. He entered the U.S. Veteran's Administration where he served the government for over 27 1/2 years assisting veterans and their dependants in three states. His job was to inform those in the service of their entitlement to benefits and also had a special duty of certain investigations. He served as an officer in the American Federation of Government Employees and attended the University of Wisconsin on a special Veterans Administration program for officers and personnel. He has been interested in the George Junior Republic School for Boys at Grove City, Pa. giving advice and coucseling to the troubled youth . While Frank and Mary have no children of their own, they have helped countless youths go on to further their education and helped with necessities and nicities for the youth at the school. Whenever the Bowmans hear of something of historical nature they do not rest until all details are known. They were instrumental in the restoration of the Peter Tarr Furnance and in having historical markers placed for the Three Springs Presbyterian Church. Hancock County and the area's historical preservation is uppermost in the Bowman's minds and both belong to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Historical Society and Early American, Presbyterian Historical society of Upper Ohio Valley, National Presbyterian Historical Society, Brooke County Historical Society, and Fort Vance Historical Society, West Virginia Historical Society, Inc. wher they have also served as officers and the American Association of Retired Persons. Mrs. Bowman has been a member of the Cove United Presbyterian Church for 60 plus years and a member of the Myrtle McHendry Class where she served as publicity chairman for many years. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, National Society and Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Bowman home has dozens of framed certificates issued by different organizations, groups and foundations in recognition of the work they have done. Mr. Bowman is a member of the New Cumberland Lions Club, a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion Society, Society of 40 & 8 where he served as a national and state officer and is presently the Commissiare Intendant: treasurer of Tri State Association 40 & 8 0f ________, (article faded cannot read this portion) a member and ________,(article faded cannot read the rest of this this portion). If the local Distinguished West Virginan's have anything to say about it, those who follow in the future will have records of how it was in the early days in the area of Hancock County. Article from Weirton Daily Times, Weirton, West Virginia Saturday, January 17, 1981 by Ruth Plunkeet, Times Staff Writer