BOWERS, WEBSTER E.

by Richard and Alice Ripley

Entry F27 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

County Judge Web Bowers passes final judgement.

Webster E. Bowers was born in Wheeling,
West Virginia in July 1856 (died in Mullen
Nebraska in 1933). After the Civil War his
family moved to LaSalle County, Illinois for
a short time. In 1869 they moved to Blue
Springs, Nebraska then to Reynolds and on
to Fairbury Jefferson County Nebraska.

In his travels as a young man he met Roxie
Lane Ripley in Marysville, Kansas and they
were married in November 1877. Nine chil-
dren were born of this union - 7 boys and 2
girls. The boys (not in order) were - Hardy,
Lou, Otho (Bob), James (Jim), Frank, Kent
and Albert. The girls were Josephine and
Margaret.

In the Spring of 1884 the family settled on
the south fork of the Dismal River. At this
time there were only two other families in this
part of the country and what is now Hooker
County. Also at this time there was no county
organization.

Webster and family made their living
cutting and hauling posts to North Platte, the
closest trading place. It was an 8 to 10 day trip
by wagon.

In 1889, he started his travel photography
business, traveling in a buggy and team to
ranches, roundups, etc.

In 1890 he sold his homestead and moved
with his family to Mullen. In this period of
time, internal domestic dissension caused a
separation with his wife.

In 1901 Web married Martha Ellen Ripley,
sister of his former wife. Two children were
born of this marriage, Susan and Charles. In
1901 he established the first Photographic
Gallery in Mullen. Besides this he had always
been interested in Civic affairs and over the
years became a Justice of the Peace, County
Commissioner, and County Judge; a strong
Republican and active in the party politics
until his death in 1933. We have been told he
had been re-elected County Judge after his
death.