William W. Bowers Explained

William W. Bowers
Office:Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from California
Term Start:March 4, 1891
Term End:March 3, 1897
Preceded:William Vandever
Succeeded:Curtis H. Castle
Constituency:6th district (1891-1893)
7th district (1893-1897)
Birth Date:20 October 1834
Birth Place:Whitestown, New York, U.S.
Death Place:San Diego, California, U.S.
State Senate2:California
District2:40th
Term Start2:January 3, 1887
Term End2:January 5, 1891
Preceded2:District created
Succeeded3:Henry M. Streeter
Party:Republican

William Wallace Bowers (October 20, 1834 – May 2, 1917) was an American Civil War veteran politician a U.S. Representative from California from 1891 to 1897.

Biography

Born in Whitestown, New York, Bowers attended the common schools. He moved to Wisconsin in 1854.

During the American Civil War, he enlisted as a private in Company I, First Wisconsin Cavalry, on February 22, 1862. He was discharged from the service as second sergeant February 22, 1865.

He moved to San Diego, California, in 1869 where he engaged in ranching and served as a member of the California State Assembly in 1873 and 1874. He was appointed collector of customs of the port of San Diego, California, September 25, 1874, and served until his resignation on February 3, 1879. He owned and operated a hotel in San Diego from 1884 to 1891, and served as member of the California State Senate from 1887 to 1889.

Congress

Bowers was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-second, Fifty-third, and Fifty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1897). He served as chairman of the Committee on Revision of the Laws (Fifty-fourth Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress. In 1889, Senator W. W. Bowers included hemp in a comprehensive anti-narcotics bill [1]

After Congress

He was again appointed collector of customs of the port of San Diego, California, on March 15, 1902, and served until March 4, 1906.

Death

Bowers resided in San Diego in retirement until his death there on May 2, 1917. He was interred in the Masonic Cemetery.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Gieringer, Dale H. β€œThe Forgotten Origins of Cannabis Prohibition in California,” 1999.