Washington County, Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions by Charles M. Bennett and the Watauga Association of Genealogists. Information used with the permission of Lorraine Bennett Rae.
From the WCCL of cemeteries not found. Page 323 Volume 3 –
“BOWMAN – 6mi W Johnson City in the 11th district. Established in 1865 by the Bowman family. This is a medium sized family cemetery. It has been over seventy-five years since anyone was buried here.”
The Daniel Bowman burial ground that was located near the Cracker Barrel, and the graves that were moved from there, does not fit the WCCL directional and establishment description (older graves and it was northwest of JC, not just west) and has been eliminated from this consideration.
GPS Location: No exact location determined.
Location: In the area of Sawyer’s Pond Drive off Knob Creek.
Location of this burial ground was provided in a general sense by Mrs. Margaret Holley. Several years ago, she and her husband had rented a small house from Frank Isenberg. She recalled that fieldstone markers were located on a hillside behind this dwelling. That house is now long gone, but it had been located near the “Bowman Plantation Mansion”. Utilizing deeds, tax maps, and topographic maps, as well as the recollections of Mrs. Holley, the general location of the burial ground has been established. No traces remain today.
Brief Family Genealogy –
Frank Isenberg was married to Helen T. Bowman (1914-1986). Helen was the daughter of Samuel J. Bowman (1861-1933) and his second wife, Virginia Morrell (1883-1962). Samuel J. Bowman’s first wife was Susannah Bowman (1863-1906) who was the daughter of George Crouch Bowman. They had a son, Paul Haynes Bowman (1887-1964). Samuel J. was the son of Joseph B. Bowman (1832-1910). Joseph B. was the son of Joseph B. “Deacon” Bowman (1784-1850).
Deed History –
Washington County ,Tennessee Deeds that have been researched are all silent on any existence of a burial ground. Only the immediate succession deeds are listed here, however there are several deeds involving siblings’ interests and other partitions that, although related are not significant in this burial ground succession.
Deed Book 242, Page 437 – 1947 – Paul Haynes Bowman to Frank Isenberg – 67+ acre parcel.
Will of Samuel J. Bowman – Paul Haynes Bowman obtained title through action of the will and several QD’s from others.
Deed Book 100, Page 263 – 1908 – Joseph B. Bowman to Samuel J. Bowman – 194 acres – Joseph B retained a life estate for “….bedroom in which I sleep in the mansion house upon said farm……” among other life estate retentions. This deed does not contain specific metes & bounds.
It would be logical that Joseph B. Bowman (1832-1910) was the one who established this burial ground. His father, Joseph “Deacon”, died in 1850 and his son, Samuel was born in 1861. Neither of those two would fit the 1865 establishment date.
Burials –
No specific evidence of burials, by name or number, has been found.
Surveyed, transcribed and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web March 2015 by Gordon M. Edwards, member of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee.
Copyrighted 2015 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part of this work may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.