businessman, manufacturer, politician, b. Alexander, N.Y. He attended Alexander Classical Institute, and Marietta College, Ohio. In 1856 he moved to Wisconsin, settling in Milwaukee where he established a small machine shop, and in 1867, with Delos L. Filer, founded the Cream City Iron Works. The business expanded, and in 1880 it was incorporated as Filer and Stowell Co., manufacturers of sawmill machinery. Stowell was president of this firm until his death, and was also president and co-founder (1895), with Charles I. Sammond, of the Stowell Manufacturing and Foundry Co. of South Milwaukee. A Democrat, Stowell held local political offices in Milwaukee; be was state assemblyman (1862) and mayor of Milwaukee (1882-1884). J. G. Gregory, Hist. of Milwaukee (4 vols., Chicago, 1931); F. L. Holmes, et al., eds., Wis. (5 vols., Chicago, 1946); Milwaukee Sentinel, Aug. 31, 1907; WPA field notes.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the John M. Stowell Scrapbooks for details.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]