Evelena Lowell Bodey (1867-1942)

                                                    Portrait from the 1917 History of Champaign County, Ohio.

    Our theme of oddly named mayors continues and today visits Champaign County, Ohio, and one E.L. Bodey, one of many political figures I've found whose full name was located via the website Find-A-Grave. While perusing a list of past mayors of Urbana, Ohio I came across the abbreviated name of "E.L. Bodey", and after completing a Find-A-Grave search of Champaign County residents with that last name I was rewarded with the name of "Evelena Lowell Bodey", born on January 28, 1867. Soon after this, I located a biography for Mr. Bodey (again listed as just "E.L."), published in the 1913 edition of The Democratic Party of the State of Ohio, and, as you may have guessed, the birth-date was a spot-on match. With a rather feminine-sounding first name like "Evelena," it makes one wonder if Bodey preferred being known by just his initials. Despite his being bestowed an odd first name, Bodey's career as an attorney blossomed during the early 20th century, and in 1907 was elected as Mayor of Urbana, Ohio, the county seat of Champaign County.
   The son of Christian Bodey (a minister in the United Brethren Church) and the former Naomi Sheppard, Evelena Lowell Bodey was born in Adams Township, Ohio. His early life was spent on his family's farm, and he would attend the district schools for a time. He is recorded as having quit school at a young age but would continue his studies at home. At age 19 Bodey was awarded a teaching certificate and began teaching in Concord township shortly afterward. For over a decade he taught in various schools throughout Champaign County and during this time began reading law under the tutelage of St. Paris, Ohio attorney Charles E. Buroker. 
   On Valentine's Day 1888 Bodey married Rachel M. Grove (1864-1944). The couple would be wed for over fifty years, and this lengthy marriage would see the births of two children, Lowell Carlton (1891-1945) and Ruth, who died aged two in 1899. A resident of Mad River, Ohio in the late 1890s, Bodey became a Democratic candidate for the Ohio State House of Representatives in 1898. Facing off against Republican nominee Henry Harrison Brecount, Bodey came up short in the vote count on election day, losing to Brecount by a "plurality of 529."
    Admitted to the state bar in July 1900, E.L. Bodey established his first law practice in Urbana, Ohio early in 1901. In the succeeding years, he built up a reputation as one of Urbana's prominent attorneys, whilst also paying close attention to local politics. He would serve as a justice of the peace and was also a candidate for Champaign County prosecuting attorney. In 1907 Bodey was elected as Mayor of Urbana, and his two-year term in that office was remarked by the St. Paris News Dispatch as having been:

"An enviable one. Without fear or favor, he has enforced the law and the ordinances of the city, and Urbana never had a better mayor."

   In the first year of his mayoralty, Bodey was again the Democratic candidate for the state legislature, running against Republican nominee William Guard. In its October 22nd edition, The Dispatch gave a glowing resume to Urbana's incumbent mayor, noting:

"While Mr. Bodey is Democrat, he belives that his first duty is to the county which has always been his home and to whose interests he is devoted. It is his ambition to serve in the Halls of the State Legislature. It is believed that his ambition will be gratified, for many Republicans will support him on the grounds that he is; clean and able; that he is of the county and truly representative of it; that he will do his own thinking and act deliberately; and that his experience and life have fitted him for legislative work....Let all good citizens vote for E.L. Bodey."

From the St. Paris News Dispatch, October 22, 1908.

   On election day 1908, it was William L. Guard who was elected as Champaign County's representative, defeating Bodey by only 552 votes. Bodey served out the remainder of his term as Mayor and left office in 1910. He would return to practicing law and for twenty-nine years operated an Urbana-based firm with former state Senator Sherman Deaton. This practice later added the name of Bodey's son Lowell to its title, and the firm of Deaton, Bodey, and Bodey would be retained as counsel for several Ohio business concerns, including the Erie Railway Company, the Ohio Electric Railway Company, and the Howard Paper Company. 

    In 1926 E.L. Bodey saw his son elected as Judge of the Urbana Court of Common Pleas. The elder Bodey continued to be active in Urbana public life well into his twilight years, and in late June 1942 suffered the loss of his law partner Sherman Deaton. Bodey followed him in death just sixteen days later on July 3, 1942, after an "extended illness." He was survived by his wife Rachel and son Lowell, both of whom died within three years of Bodey. All three were interred at the Spring Grove Cemetery in St. Paris, Ohio.

Bodey's obituary from the July 9, 1942 edition of the St. Paris News Dispatch.

Hartland Duportal Gowey (1821-1909)

   With an impressive beard and an unusual name to match, Champaign County, Ohio resident Hartland Duportal Gowey was an active citizen in that county for over six decades, being involved in both civic and political life in the town of North Lewisburg. Gowey served as postmaster of that town for over three decades and was also elected to multiple terms as Mayor of North Lewisburg.

   A native of  Madison County, New York, Hartland Duportal Gowey was born in the small town of Nelson in that county on November 20, 1821. His parents, John and Fanny Judson Gowey, were the parents of nine children (Hartland being the second born) and looked to have enjoyed bestowing unusual names upon several of their children, these being sons Galesey, Florian and Ossian and daughters Arvilla and Lovanica. Rolland, John F. and Floretta completed the family. Hartland's education began in Allegany County, New York, where he is recorded as attending school "in a cabin in the pine woods" in that county. In 1836 the Gowey family left their native New York and resettled in Licking County, Ohio. At just sixteen years of age, Gowey began a teaching career in this county and later removed to Champaign County in 1844, continuing in the same line of work for a period of two decades.

   Gowey married in Champaign County on February 11, 1846, to Eliza Arvilla Willey (1824-1850), with whom he had two sons, John Franklin (1846-1900) and Marcus C.  John Franklin Gowey followed his father into public service, serving as an Ohio state representative and prosecuting attorney of Champaign County. He would later reside in the Washington Territory, where he would serve a term in the territorial legislature, and was also president of Olympia's First National Bank. John Gowey would later be named U.S. Consul to Yokohama, Japan, where he died in 1900. Following his wife's death in 1850 Hartland would remarry to Lydia Fowler in March 1855. He became a widower for a second time in the mid 1880s, and in 1887 married his third wife, Susan Wilson.

   Hartland D. Gowey first entered public life in Champaign County in 1853, when he was appointed as postmaster of North Lewisburg. He would serve in this capacity for thirty-three years, retiring in 1886. In the same year as his appointment, Gowey was elected to his first term as North Lewisburg mayor, serving continuously until 1858. He would later serve multiple terms as recorder of North Lewisburg (1859-1867) and as town treasurer (1868-1880). Gowey also held the offices of justice of the peace and notary public, occupying the latter post for three decades. 

   Several years after taking the reins as both Mayor and postmaster Gowey entered into publishing, establishing a small publication called The Experiment in 1860. This pamphlet would later morph into the Lewisburg Weekly Magazine in March 1861, which is recorded as lasting for six months. He also maintained a lengthy connection with the Blazing Star Lodge #268 of Free and Accepted Masons, being a founding member of the lodge in 1855 and serving as its Grand Master from 1859 to 1868. Gowey was affiliated with a number of other fraternities in Champaign County, including the Chapter Star #206 of the Royal Arch Masons and the Launcelot Lodge, Knights of Pythias of Urbana.

   In 1893 Hartland Gowey was reelected for another term as Mayor of North Lewisburg and during the final years of his life was described as being "active in astronomical and meteorological researches", being an "observer for the government weather bureau", making reports of his findings weekly. Gowey died in North Lewisburg as the result of a fall on September 8, 1909, at age 88. A burial location for both he and his third wife Susan is unknown at this time.

From the Lima Morning News, September 12, 1909.