John Fowler (politician)

Fowler was born in Chesterfield County, Virginia, on April 27, 1756, to John and Judith (Hudson) Fowler.[3][4] He attended the common schools.[5] He fought in the American Revolutionary War, joining Captain Patterson's company in 1777 as a first lieutenant and rising to the rank of captain in 1783.[3] Fowler studied at the College of William & Mary in 1780; he was a member of the Williamsburg Lodge Freemasons.[3]

In 1783, Fowler moved to Lexington, Kentucky.[3] In October 1786, by act of the Virginia General Assembly, Fowler was appointed to serve as one of the trustees of the new city of Frankfort, Kentucky.[3] In June 1787, Fowler joined Captain James Brown's company of Kentucky volunteers, which fought Indians.[3] In 1787, Fowler was part of the Danville convention of 1787 (Kentucky's third statehood convention), representing Fayette County, then part of Virginia but later part of Kentucky.[3][5] The same year, Fowler was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.[3] On 1788, Fowler was Fayette County to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, which ratified the United States Constitution.[3] In 1788, Fowler, along with Richard Clough Anderson Sr. and Green Clay, established Lexington Freemason Lodge No. 1.[3] From 1787 to 1794, Fowler served as an ensign in the Lexington Light Infantry, and fought against Indians.[3] Fowler was a member of Kentucky Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge, which was associated with the Danville Political Club.[3]

Fowler was the treasurer of Transylvania Seminary from 1789 to 1793. He was "gentleman justice" for Woodford County, Kentucky from May 5, 1789 to 1794.[3] From 1792 to 1794, Fowler served as clerk of the court of oyer and terminer, and clerk to the directors of public buildings.[3] In the 1794 elections, Fowler was a candidate for U.S. Senate from Kentucky, but was eliminated on the first ballot in the Kentucky Legislature; Humphrey Marshall received eighteen votes, John Breckinridge sixteen, Fowler eight, and incumbent John Edwards seven.[6] (On the second ballot, Marshall defeated Breckinridge 28-22).[6]

Fowler was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1797.[3] He was reelected several times—he served in the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth congresses—and served a total of ten years, leaving office in 1807.[3] After leaving office, he served as a member of the board of trustees of Lexington, and chairman of the board from 1817 to 1818.[3] Fowler also served as the fourth postmaster of Lexington, from 1814 to 1822.[3]

Fowler had large land holdings in Virginia and Kentucky. He was one of the founders of the Kentucky Agricultural Society.[3] Sometime before 1800, Fowler established "Fowler's Gardens" on three hundred acres near Lexington.[3] This large tract of land on the eastern edge of Lexington opened as a park in 1817, and the area was used for fairs, picnics, barbeques, political gatherings, and other events.[1]

In 1802, Fowler donated ninety-three acres of land near Carlisle, Kentucky, to the Concord Presbyterian Church.[3]

Fowler married Millicent Wills of Virginia sometime before 1789, and they had five children.[3] Millicent Wills Fowler predeceased him in July 1833.[3] Fowler died in Lexington on August 22, 1840.[3][5] He is buried in the Old Episcopal Cemetery in Lexington.[3][5]

• United States Congress. "John Fowler (id: F000322)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.