Fowler

George H. Fowler 1851 – 1925

George H Fowler was born on May 25, 1851 at Taughannock Falls, Tompkins, New York. He was the son of Eli Fowler and Mary M. Carman.

   Eli Fowler was born near Cayuga Lake in the town of Ulysses, February 22, 1819. He was educated in the schools of that day and was a teacher and farmer. On February 12, 1843, he married Mary M. Carman, formerly of Orange county. She came here with her parents when five years of age, and Mr. and Mrs. Fowler had two children : Elizabeth and George H, Miss Fowler lives at home, and the son, who resides at the Falls station, married Flora Wilcox, and has two children. Mr. Fowler died October 6, 1885. Mrs. Fowler’s father, John Carman, was born in Orange county.

George Fowler grew up up on the farm in Taughannock Falls. He married Flora C. Wilcox in 1872. They had two children : Lulu M. , and Harry S. George Fowler was originally  a manufacturer of wagons, agricultural articles, etc., and is also a coal dealer at Taughannock Falls under the firm name of G. H. Fowler & Co. George also seved as the post master of Taughannock Falls, a position that was previously held by his father-in-law.

George Fowler patented his first Hay Carrier in 1879 and began it’s manufacture shortly there after. He patented several hay carrier designs in the 1880’s and early 1890’s along with a hay fork and a sulky plow. George Fowler invented and patented a grinder wheel that could be used to sharpen mower knives in 1895. He stopped producing hay carriers around that time and formed the Taughannock Emery Wheel Company. George remained in the manufacturing/machinist business up until his death in 1925 at the age of 74.