The title of this article --The GILLMAN FOWLERS of Union County, South Carolina -- is a little misleading.  While predominately written about the Union County Gillman Fowlers, it is not exclusively about them. There are two Gilmer Fowlers, one Gilmore Fowler, and two Gillman Whites.  And not all of the Gillman and variations thereof lived…

On Sunday, October 8, 1882, the old Hawkins iron bridge spanning the Little River in Cherokee County, Georgia collapsed from the weight of more than one hundred and fifty persons gathered to watch a baptism in the waters below. Elbert Fowler was among the twenty five or so who were critically injured.  He was "badly…

Murder.  Is the propensity for taking the life of another embedded in the DNA of a man's genetic code?  One could argue that environment or circumstance or just plain bad luck be reason enough to place a man in the position of making a split second decision to pull a trigger and end a life.…

"Four angels now on highThey are hand in hand togetherFour are linked now to bind us to themFour fingers beckon us to come" June 6, 1903.  The most catastrophic flood in recorded South Carolina history roared down the Pacolet River, destroying homes and mills, --the raging waters dragging dozens of men, women, and children downstream…

“poor boy! I never knew you, Yet I think I could not                      refuse this moment to die for you,                                                      …

Named after his grandfather, Ellis Fowler was the last son born to Ephraim and Nancy Moseley Fowler.  He was born circa 1805 in Union County, SC and died before 1840. Ellis and his sister Betty were still living in his father's household in 1822 when Ephraim's will was probated.  How do I know this?  From Ephraim's…

After Ephraim Fowler's death in 1822, there was no rush to settle the affairs of the estate he left to his ten children. All but three of his sons and daughters had married and left home by 1820, and it is likely that only the two youngest children, Ellis and Betty, were still in the…

There is a book that contains wonderful information about the descendants of John Fowler the First. I like this book and refer to it often in my research. It was written many years ago when family research was much more difficult and DNA testing was not available to prove paper trails. This book follows the…

  I research and write articles primarily about my Union County, SC ancestors.  I help many people with their family research but I do not usually devote the hours and hours it takes to write and post articles online for others.   As much as I would like to do that, I have material enough for…

The story of the Whitlock Family Massacre has a sad and tragic ending.  Much has already been written of this horrendous event, but little mention has been made of the Union County, SC Fowler family involved.  I will go back in time to the beginning, to the circumstances that led to the demise of an…